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ORAL HISTORY
Pamela Hill
Makeda’s Homemade Cookies
Pamela Hill is a giver. One of seven children born in Memphis, Tennessee, Hill’s mother often put her to work in the kitchen. When her husband Maurice wanted to start a cookie business in honor of their late niece Makeda, Hill was hesitant to leave a successful career as a lab technician. The Hills built the business on a recipe from Pamela’s mother-in-law, who created it working for Memphis City Schools. Twenty-three years later, Makeda’s Homemade Cookies is a Memphis landmark. Hill now works with her sister, children, and brothers-in-law expanding their business and keeping stores stocked with their popular butter cookies.
