A personal reflection on community and connection
Sixty-eight years ago, in 1956, my husband, Chuck McKenna, and I were offered an opportunity here in Leelanau that would change our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren for years to come.
Dr. Lawrence Sweeney, a coach at Central Michigan University at the time, offered Chuck and me jobs as supervisors of the summer recreational program in Lake Leelanau. We were also assigned positions in neighboring communities, along with other students from CMU.
We had been to Traverse City but never to Leelanau County.
We were assigned to Lake Leelanau, and we were so lucky that the job included a cabin at the Narrows.
That June, we packed up and moved to Lake Leelanau with our 1-year-old daughter Dani. So many local families welcomed us warmly and were very helpful in getting us acclimated: the Buneks, Grants, and Plamondons, to name a few. Ted Grant was our go-to person and owned the gas station then. We went fishing with Father Linus Schremms behind St. Mary’s School.
Bernie and Henrietta Plamondon were opening the Thunderbird Gift Shop that summer. I helped Henrietta set up the soda fountain and taught her how to make some of the ice cream specials, as I had worked at a soda fountain in my hometown when I was younger.
The kids played games and did crafts in the morning, and in the afternoon, we had a school bus to take them to the local beaches to swim. In the evenings, the older kids played softball against teams from other communities. We were so impressed with the kids. They were kind to each other, always good sports, respectful, and appreciative of everything we did.
We loved helping get ready for the St. Mary’s Annual Chicken Dinner, which was held in the stone church then. We were amazed at the long lines of people waiting for dinner. That year was a special one, and the kids were very excited because there was a merry-go-round on the grounds for the celebration.
Eight years later, after graduating from school, Chuck was offered a job in St. Louis, Missouri, and we moved. But that summer, we returned to Leelanau as visitors, and a few years later, we bought a small cottage on South Lake Leelanau. We have vacationed here every summer since this is our 60th year. We often say, “Thanks Doc Sweeney” as we enjoy beautiful Lake Leelanau from our deck.
Over the years, we have read about or seen some of our former campers, so we have kept track a bit through the Leelanau Enterprise. The picture shows some of our group; we would love to have the kids identify. If anyone recognizes them, we would love to hear from you.
