Camp Wawbeek
I determined Junior year that was interested in the therapeutic
recreation field. Elmer recommended contact Wisconsin’s Easter
Seals as their Camp Wawbeek at the Wisconsin Dells was a pioneer in providing natural
setting experiences for kids and adults. Director Guy Wharton
who was in grad school at Carbondale agreed to meet in Saint
Louis. He hired me on the spot due to his knowing Elmer.
The first week or orientation opened a new world. Learned how
to transfer people in and out of chairs, beds, toilets and provide
other types of care. Each counelor was typically assigned one or
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David Eveland
two campers that needed adl assistance with their other 4 or 5
able to care for themselves. There were six 12 day sessions, two
for children, one for teenagers and 2 for adults, and a final week
at the end for those wanting to bring a parent or attendant. The
job was to make sure campers were well taken care of and to do
all one could to help them have a great deal of fun. Us staff had
fun too via water basketball, person in the middle, and local
establishments on nights off.
There were some campsites aways from the main camp lodgings
and each session counselors could team up and take their group
camping or go on their own. Same for cookouts. I did a lot of
those as was good at making fire quicky enough to get the brats
eaten. Fellow counselor Steve Avery and I took our teenagers to Crow, the most primitive site on the 400 acre camp gronds
situated above the Wisconsin Dells. After getting settled in one of
the kids asked what the modernized shelter Iroquis was like.
Steve said well theres a girl group there right now lets go look.
To get to Iroquois meant having to trek on a dirt trail for a mile.
Most of our kids were ambulatory but Michael who had
Ducheenes dystrophy used an electric wheel chair when on the
main campus but for the campout we got him a manual one
which we pushed. Within a couple hundred yards of our hike
Mike started to complain about soreness which meant needed to
move him some. Then another minute complained again. This kept up for aways and then Avery and I talked about what to do
next. Do we continue on or do we go back? We had been going up
an incline since leaving Crow but knew the trail would level
off soon. We asked Michael. He said lets keep going and his
complaining dissipated.
Everyone was happy we made it all the
way to the other campground and then back to ours. That night
we had a huge fire in the circle ring. Kept it going till dawn. We
fed more wood as there was always at least one or more
including Mike still up enjoying the warmth and glow, and bobcat's eyes. It was the
best feeling to know that had a part in their happiness.
I think that was the gift of Wawbeek. We learned that the more
effort that was put into camper enjoyment the more energy we
had to keep going, and the more fun we had too.
The hours were
exahausting. Night duty often assigned met needed to turn some
of the campers two or more times. But the physical difficulty at
times was nothing compared to what many of the campers dealt
with every day. Avery and I built an minature golf course one
session and another we got everyone at camp to sleep out under
the stars three nights in a row on the main campus open field. Kept a big fire going
then too.
Working at camp had a tremendously positive impact on my life,
and think that in turn has made a difference for my family and
that the people that served throughout my career. Camp Manito
wish was awesome too and the campers there were on a tract that would lead to prestige colleges and high paying jobs. The
children and youth at Wawbeek on the other hand were on a
much more challenging physical path, which for some would
mean limited years. For that and other reasons for me the work
at Wawbeek was so much more rewarding. And truth is I fit in
better there. It became, although thousands of miles away, my second home.
So many life long friends made from time spent at Wawbeek
summer of 1970 and part of 1971. Several have stopped off in
Hawaii, and have visited with a few on mainland trips but there
are many have not seen in the past 55 years, and hoping they are
at the upcoming reunion.
Those were the best of days, those days on the hill above the Dells.
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| Avery 1977 Poamoho trail |
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| 1970 camp staff |
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| Les Jane Zoomer |
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| Trutti and Lynn |
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| Jane and John 2024 |
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| Sally 1981 |
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| Ron 1971 |
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| Pat 1971 |
Several of the people in these photos have stopped off or vacationed in Hawaii. Lynn and her husband Bill, a physician filled in for the regular MD on Lanai for a month and spent a few days here on Oahu with us. Steve and Barb Avery have been here three times the most memorable when on their honeymoon stayed in my studio for a week. Mise as well been camping out as I only had one towel in those days and plenty cockroaches.
Les and I did a great hike in the Makiki forest and have seen him a number of times when in AZ as he lived not far from brohter John. Susie Truitt got to see once with Les in AZ for a mini reunion. Jane Stoltz and John were here in 2024 and we ate din sum in Chinatown at the same restaurant where hung out wiht Sally and Dan. Sallly was also here a couple of times when she had layovers on the way to or from teaching gig in Austrailia. Then her and husband Richard vacationed once with their kids and we had a ball at Lanikai with the raft. Pat was here the summer of 1975 taking clasess at UH Manoa. I took her and roommate Wendy around on days off. Those were fun times. Ron never made it over here but he and I did a canoe trip in the Quetico on one of my Army leaves. Mertie also never made it here in person but her spirit did.
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| Les on Hike in AZ we did a great one in the islands too but can't find photos from that day |
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2025 reunion with Par
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| Sally |
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| Planning committee,Steve,Barb, Sally. Ken. Barb M, Terry, Vicky |
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| Most of the rehnion attenddees |
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| Joe and Terry great guys and Stoltzie packing up maybe reunion in the islands one day! |
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| Lynn |
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