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 […]
Kathy Baker
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 […]
Families Who Felt Camp Was Theirs–The Emmett Williams Family
In 1957 Emmet and Florence Williams made the decision to search for a summer place within a reasonable distance from their Detroit home. They discovered their dream property that year, close to two national forests and an easy three-hour drive for their two daughters Denise and Sharon, who were two and five at the […]
Families Who Felt Like Camp Was Theirs–Marilyn Watson
Marilyn, (daughter of Marney, granddaughter of William and Alma Watson) was eight or nine years old when her grandparents took over the care and maintenance of Maqua. “It was a super playground that we enjoyed at the end of summer in late August,” she said. “We used the canoes, rowboats, and swam out off […]
Families Who Felt Like Camp Was Theirs–Marney Watson
INTERVIEW WITH MARNEY WATSON Sister of Stewart Watson and daughter of William and Alma Watson “My folks made a trip to California after my father retired as a carpenter and when he returned to Bay City in 1951 or 1952, he applied for the job as caretaker of Maqua and they hired him,” said Marney. […]
Families That Felt Camp Was Theirs–The Watson Family
INTERVIEW WITH STEWART WATSON Stewart, Marney and Eleanor Watson felt like Camp Maqua was “Camp Watson” when the campers all went home for the summer. “We stayed away in the summer, but when camp was closed, we could use all the buildings and property. Our main focus was the land between the lodge and Dutton,” […]