“Dorthe had a gargantuan job with all those girls  ages six to sixteen and those counselors in their twenties, “ said Kim Wynne-Parry, who camped 1963-68. “She did her job with kindness and benevolence. I remember her as a huge presence.”

“A reserved and capable woman, friendly without acting silly. You took her seriously,” said Nancy Sautter (1968-70). “Very professional, people-oriented, caring and wanted everyone to succeed,” said her sister Tricia. “It took a lot of work with all the different personalities and she had many fires to put out, but she handled them with dignity.”

“We used to take turns with campfire watch, down by the campfire pit, and we knew some girls would sneak out. We could hear the noise coming from the woods. Their goal was to scare us. One of the counselors wanted to tell Dorthe, but I knew how she hated hiking down that long hill and back,” said Sue Wiegand (1966-67). “The girls finally revealed who they were, but when they saw Dorthe, they knew she had a firm hand, even the counselors were intimidated by their presence. But, inside once you got to know her, she was a marshmallow. She just had that walk where you knew she was in command.”

Doris Engibous (1973-75) agreed. “When I was twelve and Dorthe was director, she was the ultimate. No one could fill her shoes. She was a formidable leader and I remember that you did not stray too far from the straight and narrow. I never felt like her style was too regimented or disciplined, though.”

The Cone sisters (Tally and Laurie) agreed the experience had to come from the top down. Despite nicknames they had for her, Laurie respected her and Tally idolized her. They thought of her as cool and nice, but in a tough way.

Even Chris Lambert, who taught tennis and riflery for two years before becoming the sports director in 1965, saw a different side to Dorthe. “I loved playing tennis. Dorthe loved tennis as much as I did. I loved playing with her. Imagine, here’s the director asking ME to come play with her,” said Chris. “She would wake me hours before breakfast and we would go play a few and she hated it when I beat her.”

“I loved everything about Camp Maqua. The campers were great and it was a very happy camp, and so good for the kids. Some would stay all summer. There were some rich kids from Birmingham, some sisters from Bay City and Heidi—an only child who loved coming to camp.”

The “Loon” in 1965 read; “If I were Dorthe”—“rest hour would only be twenty-five minutes, there would be hot water in the Brownie, no spiders, better drinking fountains and sinks that worked. There would be a retreat for campers and not counselors and they would have to serve the campers. Animals and candy would be allowed, more overnights in different places, three free swims a day, arts and crafts would last an hour, camp periods would last three weeks and Mel would not sing “Diane” as much.”

Her reports were so detailed that any prospective incoming director could not feel in the least bit uninformed for their new responsibilities. For job descriptions, she noted; “It will mean 8 weeks of 24 hour duty, gray hair and worries, but after one summer at Maqua you will think of only the pleasant aspects of this job, as I did. Of this I am confident.”

In her 1967 report, she typed, “The Maqua spirit we talk so much about at camp will never leave me and I will always have many memories of the wonderful campers and staff that I was most fortunate to have known. Maqua will indeed be a permanent and beloved resident in my heart.”

Dorthe ended with these words in 1967; “I have tried to do my best as your director, but as a human being I have my good and bad points. Thanking you again for the opportunity to direct Maqua and be a small part of it.”

How did Dorthe impact your life as a young staff member?