For many years the nature center was housed in “Dutton”—the original farmhouse on the property by the lake. It was never in great shape, but every year renovations were done to keep the building standing just a little longer. Karen (“Billie”) Kaiser was the first director of nature that was mentioned in archival notes. Karen […]
Kathy Baker
Passing On The Songs—
The legacy of camp songs continued to be passed down through the generations as campers and staff sang the camp songs to husbands, friends, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, patients in their practices or students in their classrooms. The songs and singing were a standout to Audrey Graff (1948), who taught all three of her children […]
Camp Songs Influenced Me—
“It is an amazing thing to look back and have those memories of those relationships, the counselors, the campers, the music—-as you can see from the online songbook that is now being retyped, singing was the thread,” said Pamela Hartz. “In the early years, there was a Christian message to many of the songs, but […]
The Music Is Tucked In My Heart–
Sheryl Biesman, contacted me after googling Camp Maqua, ( after finding the article from the Bay City Times), and belongs to a writers’ group and has always been interested in writing. Some of her writings are centered on camp memories. “I wrote about the music, because the camp songs were trapped inside my head. It was […]
Even The Walls Sing!
“We were always singing,” said Kimela Peck (1966-74), who said she could still see “Beanie” with her guitar by the fireplace and the girls in their “whites” swaying back and forth to “High On Chapel Hill”. “The lodge was filled with kids all summer long from Bay City, Saginaw, Flint and Detroit and everyone seemed […]
Sing For Your Supper–
“The lodge and the food were wonderful,” said Minette Jacques, the skinny kid from the fifties’ who loved to eat. “I loved the backwards meal, where we ate dessert first and all the way back to our salad. And we sang our prayer and the chant of “able, able, get your arms off the table”, […]