Sunday Snippet: A Visit With Hawkie!
Just yesterday, we travelled to Menomonie, Wisconsin to spend the morning with Marie Karen Hawkinson, the firm and loving director of WeHaKee from 1964 through 1984. Affectionately known as Hawkie or SMK, she was responsible for moving the camp from the treacherous waters of the Green Bay to the tranquil setting north of Winter, Wisconsin on Hunter Lake. She also built the enrollment at WeHaKee to its highest levels.
It was a chilly December morning when we arrived at the Dunn County Health Care Center to visit with Hawkie and share some camp photos and stories. We approached her as she was enjoying some morning television with some of the other residents. It took just a moment before she realized our connection to one of her favorite places, Camp WeHaKee. That huge smile that anyone who has spent time with Hawkie knows, immediately brightened the room as she began to share stories of her time at Camp WeHaKee.
We had brought along some of the photo albums from her time at WeHaKee and memories just flowed from her lips! It was such a joy to see her reaction to each photo and listen to the stories that emerged. Camp WeHaKee is such a huge part of her life and she did so much for WeHaKee and the girls that spent their summers under her watchful eye and compassionate heart. To see her energy and enthusiasm for WeHaKee instantly consume the room is inspiring and such a blessing during this Christmas season.
Before departing from this delightful morning of WeHaKee reminiscing, we left a few gifts for Hawkie to enjoy – some of our latest postcards along with a WeHaKee fleece blanket to warm her with her camp memories during this winter’s chilly evenings. For those of you who have had the pleasure of either sending your daughters to WeHaKee during SMK’s directorship or attended as campers, we just wanted you to know that Hawkie is doing well in her upper 90’s and her camp experiences and all of her WeHaKee memories are keeping her young at heart. If you’re interested in visiting with Hawkie yourself, contact us at WeHaKee and we’ll let you know how to spend some magical time with this wonderful woman!
As we enter the final week of Advent, we hope your preparations for the celebration of the birth of Christ is fulfilling for you and your families. We’ll see you next on Christmas day!
