Meet Kay Webb!

Published on August 21, 2017August 19, 2017 by Kathy Baker

Kay, her brother Dick and father Merton all worked at camp, teaching and caring for the horses. The horses belonged to her father and Kay taught riding at Camp Maqua in 1950, as a high school student, after helping from 1947-1949. Merton loved the girls, and they loved him. Dick, who was four years younger than Kay, was in “girl heaven” with all the female attention, and was a gentle wonderful brother.

Although she never attended camp, Kay felt like it was her second home. “We lived on Long Lake, and I could go over and saddle up all the horses, go home for lunch and come back to unsaddle them”, she said. “In a way it was good I didn’t stay. Even though I ate lunches there as an instructor, those girls had to eat everything on their plates. I hated peas and liver. They had to eat the peas and liver. I would sit at that table every noon, and while the other counselors dashed out back for a smoke, I was back taking care of the horses. I never felt like I was missing anything. “

She believed the Webb horses were probably at camp until 1970, as her sons used to help their grandfather and stepmother Olive. Merton was also caretaker for a short time, doing whatever needed to be done.

“I can still remember my brother getting caught in quicksand down near the lake on his horse”, said Kay. “ Geri Fleming heard him screaming and pulled him and the horse out with a rope.”

She also recalled a funny story about her friend Alice and herself riding into town, following some of the girls from camp, who were “posting”. “We would ride behind them and make fun of them as they lifted themselves out of the saddle to post. Years later I had to teach that!” she laughed. She taught on “Dixie” and the girls loved that horse.

Finding Horses—

Published on August 16, 2017August 15, 2017 by Kathy Baker

The first mention of horseback riding at camp in the minutes came in June 1935, when lesson fees were posted. (Six lessons for $4.50, 10 for $7.25 and 15 for $10.50.) There was not another notation until March 1936, when the committee had secured Ted Callender, who furnished the horses and two weeks of riding for $5 for eight lessons.

In 1937, Bud Fortin was hired to handle Bud Demick’s horses at camp and served as the instructor, with eight lessons for $6. Not another mention from the committee about horses was noted until a short paragraph in the “Loon” on riding in 1949. Carol Husted wrote, “—happy to see Geri Fleming back as riding instructor for another year” and the list of levels of riding classes. The new horses were also listed—Silver, Vic, Trixie, Salt, Peanuts, Ena and Jip. Geri, the instructor, rode Gay.

There were concerns about obtaining horses for the summer season in the minutes of June 1955, but it appeared that none were found, as the following summer the minutes mentioned a reconsideration for horseback riding lessons, with conditions not mentioned, but occasional riding trips included. In 1957, the minutes mentioned that horseback riding was offered.

In May 1959, notes indicated that Mr. Matthew’s horses had been sold, which meant they had been used in 1958. The committee was looking for another source and if no horses could be found, horseback riding would not be offered.

By 1960, a new riding ring was being considered by the committee.The Dept. Of Social Services report from that summer listed the riding areas as extremely poor and hazardous, with temporary stakes in the ground and low wire.

By1961 the new riding ring was built next to the new softball diamond. Fifty-eight girls signed up that summer for the riding program, with fourteen horses. (About thirty-two to thirty-eight girls rode every day.)

During the interim, horses were not mentioned again until the March 1962 minutes, when Mert Webb informed the committee that he had sold his horses, but would be willing to handle the horses for an advance of $800 to secure them. He furnished them again in 1963, 1964, (presumably 1965?) and in 1966 a mention was made in Dorthe Balaskas’ directors report.

The horseback riding program had fifty-four riders in the first session, fifty-six in the second, sixty-one in the third and sixty-two in the fourth, which was up from the previous summer. (Mr. Webb provided four camperships to ride.)

“It was a tremendous load off my mind to have Ollie back as riding director and I sincerely appreciated the fine job she did,” wrote Dorthe. “We did not have a part-time staff assistant in riding, but Ollie found a lady in Hale to teach two classes and she worked out very well.”

And then there were years the “horse-riding program” used long-eared mules! Carla Wilhelm (1945-49) loved the horseback riding and the side trips they took, but said they saddled the mules like horses.

Were you ever part of the program when there were mules? Or were you there during a year when horseback riding was not offered?

Overnight Biking and Horseback Riding Trips

Published on August 14, 2017August 14, 2017 by Kathy Baker

A circle bike trip was one of the clearest memories for fair-skinned Nancy Keeler (1973-74), who ended up in the Infirmary with a sunburn. Six girls, accompanied by Pam Hartz (1966-75) and Mary Bent, biked nine miles the first day, twenty miles the second day, and another nine on the third day.

“I was totally wiped out,” she said., “but they gave us salt tablets. We stopped along the way on lawns and people would bring out water and lemonade to us. It was a more trusting time back then. I remember one of them bringing “Gorp” out to us, which was M&M’s, raisins and peanuts.”

In 1974, James Sweeting evaluated the camp for the state and had noted that a three- day trip had been planned. Sue Patenge was the director at that time and had given her blessing to this adventure.

Another biking trip led by Mary Bent and Pam Hartz took six girls for a two-day overnight camping bike trip. They spent the night in pup tents, cooked over an open fire, packed lunches and rode the Rifle River campground trails. At night they had foil dinners and returned on the third day with “scraped knees, sunburns and pleasant memories”.

Bonnie Schlatter recalled three or four different groups of girls she led on a bike hike in the seventies. “One was older and I don’t know if I suggested it, but I took a few on a bike ride and headed to Tawas, ending at the Lumberman’s Monument. I know we had to be picked up at the end due to the rain. We got drenched,” said Bonnie, who still loves to bike.

“The Peddlin’ Pals” were Mary Surabian, Debbie Agarwal and Bonnie. They started their bike trip on July 6, after some short practice trips heavily loaded. On the first night they stopped at Tawas Point State Park, and the second day into Osoda for lunch and on to their destination at the Lumberman’s Monument. According to the “Loon”, they encountered the rain at the Foote Dam and were picked up, but continued their ride around Long Lake the following day, with sun, swimming and a picnic.

Tripping Down The River

Published on August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 by Kathy Baker

“One of our canoe trips from Mio to Grayling was spent in a tornado warning,” said Susie Utter, who was a CIT in the fifties. “We went to the banks of the river where it was lower and more protected, and it poured. We looked and saw whatever was holding all the Kotex pads had tipped over and emptied in the river! They were floating down the river!”

The canoe trips were always her favorite, but she hated learning to dump it over and straighten it out. For Susie, it was traumatic. But, those safety drills were valuable when the time came to actually canoe a real river and not near a shore on Loon Lake with the safety of the shore and staff.

Adventures came in many forms. For Cindy Morrison (1960) and Sue Kiltie (1960-68), who were at the end of the canoe paddling forward, it came when the canoe tipped over and everyone got wet. It came when they could stop at the store on the AuSable to purchase goodies and later at night, zip their sleeping bags together to stay warm. Cindy also thought it was an adventure to wash her hair and bathe in freezing cold water. One trip it rained so hard that she and another small girl crawled under the lean-to, scared to death.

Barb Rehmus, Charla Batsell and eight canoeists left for their three-day adventure in July 1975 with much advanced preparation. The kitchen aides carefully packed the supplies they needed with the help of Cabin C. According to the “Loon” arrangements were made with Jolly Redskin campgrounds for “shining, bright canoes to start their journey” and the campers packed their clothes in plastic bags, took a special canoe class and off they went! A fifty-five mile trip in sunny and warm weather ensued for twelve to fifteen hours. “

Beware and Be Aware!

Published on August 7, 2017August 1, 2017 by Kathy Baker

The elements, the wildlife, other campers on the river and unforeseen circumstances forced campers and counselors to remain on guard at all times. But, adventures were adventures, and unexpected incidents occurred, which were handled as they arose. Some were fun, some were funny and some were dangerous, but all were memorable.

“My most vivid memory of camp was in my last year (1962) of the overnight canoe trip,” said Ilene Zacher, who began attending Camp Maqua in 1959 at the age of ten. “I was with all my cohorts paddling the AuSable. I think they had bussed us to Grayling. It was a backpack type of trip. We embarked upon the river, pitched our tents, prepared our food, hiked the woods and learned about the flora and fauna. It was mostly about survival skills. We had to dig our own latrines, which was interesting and a first for me. I was awestruck by the AuSable and the high cliffs. The worst part of the trip was a thunderstorm with lightning. Our counselor would not let us stop. We were on schedule and she was going to stick to our schedule. Of course, no one got hit by lightning, but I just remember how scary it was.”

Anne Obey, (camper and counselor from 1960-70) had memories of a “heinously awful lightning storm” that sent everyone running to some stranger’s cabin, thankful that no one was home to see the campers trespassing and the raccoons that ate their breakfast.

Floating Food and Bug Sandwiches–

Published on August 2, 2017July 31, 2017 by Kathy Baker

“I can remember piling eight kids and two staff members into an open truck with all the food and supplies and they would drop us off at Rollways. I look back now that I am a Mom and think—there were no cellphones, no place to contact anyone in an emergency, “ said Laurie Cone, (1962-68) who figured there had to be a ranger station somehwhere—“and driving in an open truck with deer possibly jumping out in front of us? I guess times were different. It was not a litigious world. It was a simple time and we didn’t know any better.”

Tracy Topping (1962-63) also remembered piling into the pickup truck with a “gaggle of girls” singing “We Are The Girls Of Camp Maqua” on the way to the river. “I don’t think that water in the river ever got above our knees and it was slow moving, but if you had too much in the canoe, it would get stuck. I can still see the string of hot dogs all hooked together that came floating down the river. We tried to save the food. I guess one of the canoes had capsized.”

Her sister Randi was at the front of the canoe line, when her sister was at the back. “We all witnessed the giant sausage links floating by our canoes. We were quite impressed that they floated and we tried to catch them,” she laughed, recalling how they were careful to duck the giant tree limbs in the current as they tried to catch the lost food.

Many girls, like Sue Purdue (1964-68), were city girls and took very few trips growing up. “I was very rugged and would not have known camping was in my blood, had it not been for Maqua. One year I was on one of those three or four day camping trips, which I did every session. We didn’t have tents, just sleeping bags. My cousin Laurie was a kitchen aide at the time and had packed the food. There were thirteen of us and she packed enough for six. Also, since there were no coolers, we had something with sour cream and it was in our stew or some dish. All I remember is I threw up all night, but she didn’t know.”

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