Maqua After Camp

Maybe A New Book In the Works?

Published on by Kathy Baker

Recently I received a wonderful e-mail from Robert Sukenik, aged 91, who developed the Camp Maqua property into the development it is today. His wife Luanne is also still alive and they are in a facility in Texas.

Robert and Luanne Sukenik bought the property, once known as Camp Maqua and then Camp Maquois, from the Bay City YWCA in 1979. The camp was advertised in the Detroit and Bay City papers and the Wall Street Journal for bids and the Sukenik family won the bid without ever stepping foot onto the property. We bought the lodge in the winter of 1987 and summered for the first time in 1988.

His email was prompted by the desire to buy 30 tee shirts with the camp logo to send to those who had helped him in those early days. He mentioned a scrapbook that one of his friends had assembled and promised to photocopy the pages with notes and send it on to me. My husband said, “There is another book here, with his history and the history of the residents who own the property.

So, my question to my alumni —who else knew the Sukenik family? Did you ever have some adventures on the property before, during, or after what is now our Camp Maqua Association? If I can gather enough stories, I will begin this winter and continue to keep those memories alive of this great piece of property!

Happy Fall Y’all–

Published on by Kathy Baker

When the tree by the boathouse starts to show the leaves turning, it means the summer is over and it is time to pack up and head south. The boat is in the water for one more week, so we will be able to see more color around the lake, as well as new summer homes under construction on the old Camp Mahn-go-tah-see property. We had a great summer with our Camp Maqua Centennial, great weather, lots of family and friends visiting, and some attention from local media and the Iosco County Historical Museum.

I had a wonderful email from 91-year-old Robert Sukenik, who sold us the lodge and developed the property. I sent him a poster, the article in the paper, and photos of the Centennial. He was thrilled and said he even got a bit weepy. Still sharp as a tack, he ordered tees for the friends who helped him when he developed the camp.

Cabin one was used all summer by friends and family, as was the cabin on the Clancy property, which now has a mini bathroom, (The cabin that stood next to the perimeter fence by the lake,) We are fortunate to have a nice tight-knit community that takes the overflow of our summer visitors when beds get tight:) The craft hut is going to get some love and attention, as time and weather have taken their toll on the exterior window frames. We had a new lock installed with the door adjusted, so it will be secure this winter. The money raised from our big event will help defray the cost of some of the repairs to the craft hut and Camp Brownie, which is still in use.

Thank you to all the girls who made the trip back to camp this summer. The merchandise site may still be open for a short time longer. Have a happy winter!

 

 

Camp Maqua Centennial 2024

Published on by Kathy Baker

The sun smiled on us for our big celebration, with over eighty former campers, staff, residents, and their families, plus volunteers from the Plainfield Township Historical Commission.  The guests enjoyed guided tours around the lodge, property walkabouts, and visits to three huts. The archives were on loan from the Bay City Historical Museum and were viewed in the Craft Hut. The laughter, singing, camaraderie, and renewed friendships put smiles on all of our faces! Cousins, sisters, and friends made plans to attend together, enjoying the boat rides, dinner under a tent, and singing all day long, plus the campfire with Beanie (Barb Haggart), Shelley Harris, and Cindy Knapp Baker. Cindy led songs during dinner, Beanie organized a trivia quiz, and the nine hours of festivities passed too quickly. Girls found their names in the huts, viewed the Buddy Board inside the boat house, and shared their photo albums. The evening ended with the wishing boat ceremony– It was a magical day!

Planning for the Centennial at Camp Maqua!

Published on by Kathy Baker

The end of Michigan’s season for us is always bittersweet. We head to sunny Florida, but the autumn leaves are so beautiful, especially around the boathouse and on Loon Lake. Our last boat ride before storing the boat for the winter was stunning. Calm lake, blue skies, baby loon growing, and foliage on display in all its glory.

The excitement of ending was the planning for our big 100-year anniversary next June 15, 2024. I have visions of the first campers arriving at the lodge, with the newness of each hut, meeting their counselors for the first time. But, I know campers and staff can envision your own realities and memories! Do you remember all the planning it took to prepare your trunks with the right items from the suggested list in your flyers? For the staff, there were days and weeks of planning for the activities for the summer; food acquisition, and preparation; medical and nature supplies; beachfront maintenance, etc.

Our committee managed to get all the details ready for tents, chairs, tables, food, entertainment, souvenirs, and volunteers to work the various stations on the day of the tours, walkabouts, and archival displays. But, we need your help to make this successful! The numbers need to be in by January for ordering purposes and for us to be able to plan for food. Your tickets are our guarantee that our planning will run smoothly on the day. Hopefully, 100 happy campers will not be disappointed with our efforts for a successful day.

There will be golf carts to ferry everyone from their cars to the lodge, and for those with disabilities–to and from the lakefront or Chapel Hill. The Plainfield Township Historical Commission will manage the check-in, tours in the main rooms of the lodge, and the display in the Craft Hut. The residents will be on hand to greet everyone and listen to your wonderful memories! We are as excited as campers on their first visit! Sending greetings from our families–The Starks, R., and B. Baker, Engel, Smith, West,Gorman, Clancey, Kirila, Braun, and Fidler families welcome you!  (Photo  credits  Keegan  Cooley)

 

 

Happy Summering 2023

Published on by Kathy Baker

We have had the kind of Spring in Michigan that can only be described as inconsistent, except we all know Michigan weather. Mother Nature cried with rain through early spring and now it is more like summer, with temperatures ranging from the 70s to the 90s! We arrived in mid-May from Florida to the trees leafing, but a preponderance of blooming trees, lilacs, and early blooms. The Maqua weeds had not grown too tall and the gardens look lovely. We are dealing with whitecaps, wind, and hazy smoke from the Canadian wildfires at the moment.

We thought we had a helper this year, but at the last minute, our oldest son Kyle had to cancel. He will visit later in the summer with family members. We missed his strong self, but his house remodeling took precedence. Opening the lodge is always a week-long adventure, tidying up from the winter, unpacking the items that have been tucked away, and removing the screen tarps that keep the snow off the porches. This year we tried to keep them up longer to keep the pine pollen away, but with company coming, our porch of dreams needs the views and the breezes. Pollen will gather like yellow snow on the porches.

Hut one survived another year, but not without a huge carpenter ant infestation. Goodbye to ants! We have not seen the groundhogs or bats that plagued the lodge last year, but a Maqua neighbor had a bear sighting! We are now reluctant to install the bird feeders they love and wonder how long it will take to break open the compost bin.

The Camp Maqua Association members are busy fixing up the common property near the lake. The craft hut and Brownie need some work to ready for the 100th anniversary of the camp on this property next summer. Soon, we will announce our plans for this ticketed event, which will be sometime in June 2024. The Bay City Historical Commission has agreed to loan us some of the archives in their possession. It will have a similar format to the last two reunions with food, boat rides, and a campfire with singing.

Our summer includes a great deal of company with family and friends, but soon we are off to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to England, Scotland, and Iceland. It is predominantly a rail trip to see old friends from my high school and college days, a wedding in Scotland for a cousin, and a quick layover as a tourist in Iceland. The next post will be after Independence Day, so enjoy your summer!

Happy New Year 2023

Published on by Kathy Baker

It was a year! Covid continued to rear its ugly head, keeping family and friends apart, but not for long. Our family, spread out between California and Florida, managed to get together. Two hurricanes ravaged our Florida property while we watched one of them on television from Michigan. Four days later, we arrived to no electricity, five acres of downed trees, some roof damage, and a small amount of water intrusion. We were thankful for good connections in the tree, roof, and building industries to help with repairs. And we were incredibly thankful for FEMA, who collected the vegetation from trimmed and lost trees and debris that lined our roadways. Stay tuned for details this summer for the 2024 Camp Maqua reunion, which is in the planning stages by our committee to celebrate 100 years on the Loon Lake property. Happy New Year!