Only one summer and two weeks at Maqua, but Mark Blumenthal had the distinction of being in the last group of campers to attend the camp before it closed permanently. It was the summer of 1978 and Dave McEvers had scheduled his cross-country team to utilize the camp and its great surroundings for the team […]
Kathy Baker
Ken Dike—Last Director
When the decision was made between the YWCA and the YMCA to merge Camp Maqua with Camp Iroquois on Sand Lake, David Bast was the camp director at the boys’ camp. He was designated to be the director of the combined effort, but was offered a job in Alabama. Ken Dike was the program director […]
Camp Falls On Hard Times–
Camps across the country were closing in the seventies for many reasons. Some of these camps were positioned in areas that were popular for vacations and second homes. Property taxes had risen and many families began taking family vacations together, instead of shipping their kids off the camps. Camps closed when they could not […]
Camp Transportation–
Campers had several ways of getting to Camp Maqua, which included the bus that left from the Bay City YWCA or their parent’s vehicles. Once the girls arrived at camp, there was always a necessity to have a camp vehicle to provide transportation to and from overnight outings, emergency trips to the doctor or hospital, […]
Families Who Felt Like Camp Was Theirs—The William Evans Family
Delphine Evans was hired as the director for Camp Maqua for the summer of 1976 and was in the unique postion of directing with her two children Melinda and Billy living on the premises. Her husband William, a lawyer with the state, managed to drive up on weekends and help out with camp duties, while doing […]
Families Who Felt Like Camp Was Theirs–The Batschke Family
Just as the Williams’ sisters felt like camp was their private playground during pre-camp and pos-campt season, so did Kaye Batschke and her sister Patricia. Their grandparent’s cottage was on Loon Lake, just a few doors down from the Williams’ cottage that stood beside the fence line of Camp Maqua. Her aunt and uncle, grandparents […]