INTERVIEWS WITH GEORGE BROWN AND SHIRLEY WONTORCIK–Husband and best friend of deceased SANDY LANGELL BROWN Sandy Langell spent three or four summers in the late forties at Camp Maqua and told her husband, daughter Trina and best friends Shirley and John Wontorcik that they were the best years of her life. “One of the last […]
Month: March 2019
The Fiftieth Celebration
A document in the archives from 1974, was soliciting for donations for the “camp restoration program” for the fiftieth anniversary for Maqua. It listed “Trail Blazer” as $1,000+, “Maqua Sponsor” as $500-$1,000, “Camp Circle” as $300, “Century Camp” as $100, and “Builder” as $99 and under. Checks were to be addressed to YWCA Camp Maqua […]
Sale Of Camp Maqua
Bob Sukenik saw an ad in the Detroit News advertising the lodge for sale in 1979 by the Bay City YWCA. He submitted a sealed bid, forgot about it and after a business trip, arrived home to a congratulatory message from the YWCA. The following weekend he and his family drove north to see what […]
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 afford […]
A Safe And Happy Camp
The physical plant of Camp Maqua was listed as ‘rustic” in the 1971 report from the Dept. of Social Services, but “conducive to a quality camp experience”. The report confirmed the positives of the camp stating, “Camp Maqua is definitely a fun place to be for YWCA girls. The program is varied and complete and […]
A Well-Organized Camp
Barb Ballor was eight years old when she first attended Camp Maqua. “It fostered kindness to others. I was so sad when it was no longer a camp. It was such a well-organized camp. There was a camp nurse in attendance. Older girls were encouraged to help. And the staff were careful not to let […]