I received an e-mail from a former staff member from the early days at Tekoa (Tekoa is celebrating it's 60th anniversary this year!) and was given the go-ahead to share it with you. If you remember Sarah and would like to contact her, click on her name below!
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Hi. I grew up in the foothills (Hildebran) and attended Camp Tekoa as a camper probably in the early 50's. Later returned as a counselor the summer of '59 I think (summer after freshmen year at "Women's College in Greensboro"). It was a great experience in both roles with the exception of losing a beautiful ring in the lake when I was a counselor.
While surfing the net looking for a summer camp for my grandson, I happened upon your site and thought, what the heck, I will take a look. Don't know if my grandson is ready to be away from his parents, but I am going to broach the subject with his dad, my son. If not this year, maybe next.
I live in Orlando now and have been away from NC for 26 years but it will always be home. I still have siblings there as well as my son, step-daughter and three grandchildren. I am retired from education (teacher and administrator in K-12) and higher education (also teacher and administrator).
Camp Tekoka was a special place and I am sure that it still is. Look forward to listening to the stories and songs. Hope your summer is full of laughter, learning, and fun...
Sarah Cooke Magann
Showing posts with label family update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family update. Show all posts
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Friday, September 5, 2008
Family Pics
Jenny and I met through the Wesley Foundation at ASU, and in 2000 got married. Though we didn't meet at Tekoa, we exchanged vows in Laurel Lodge with Jack Porter presiding. It was beautiful, of course, with the rhododentron and mountain laurel in bloom. Candace Walker did a great job taking the wedding photos. I also hired the Blue Kudzu String Band (Greg Trollinger, Taylor Mackey, and Jesse Norton) to play some traditional mountain music and ballads before and after the service. Jenny wanted Pachelbel's Canon in D to be played as she walked down the aisle, but was a little dissappointed that it was recorded while the rest of our musical arr.JPG)
angements were live. Then the day before the service I heard Jesse, Greg, and Taylor warming up with a familiar tune. It was Pachelbel's Canon in D. Excited, I asked if they could play the arrangement for us the next day.Greg replied, "I knew that's what it was called. Jesse told us it was the Taco Bell Cantada!"We moved to Jenny's hometown of Morganton where she
had a teaching job. She convinced me I should become a teacher as well, and that same year I started a lateral entry position as a high school English teacher while I worked on my licensure. Three years later we decided to have our first child, Margaret Anne (we call her Maggie), and four years after that had our second child Garrett Reid. Maggie is now 5 and Garrett is 19 months. They are our pride and joy. Parenthood is like the military -- it's the toughest job I've ever loved.
had a teaching job. She convinced me I should become a teacher as well, and that same year I started a lateral entry position as a high school English teacher while I worked on my licensure. Three years later we decided to have our first child, Margaret Anne (we call her Maggie), and four years after that had our second child Garrett Reid. Maggie is now 5 and Garrett is 19 months. They are our pride and joy. Parenthood is like the military -- it's the toughest job I've ever loved.
I've already been talking to Maggie about Camp Tekoa. Though we attend a Baptist church now (I even got dunked!), I'm still a Methodist at heart. I hope in a few years she might like to go.
.JPG)
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Update from the Isleys
Hello Fellow Tekoa Alumni:
Before I begin let me introduce myself for those of you wondering who you are reading about... I am Carrie "Henson" Isley. I worked at Tekoa in '95,'96,'97, '98, and '00. I have very good memories from those years. My favorite weeks were Special Friends weeks and Day Camp (believe it or not). I remember wearing the infamous Hawaiian shirts with my brother Chris, DeHarde, Zac G, and I believe someone else had one but my memory escapes me. I remember countless Talent Show moments like: DeHarde singing that old Lemonheads' song with lyrics that went, "If I was a booger would you pick your nose" or something like that. I remember the Tekoa version of Margaritaville that my brother and I wrote. I remember doing the Riverdance intro for the Talent Show with Clint. Gosh I could go on and on...
But the best thing about my whole Tekoa experience was the summer of 2000 when I met the love of my life - John Isley. July 7, 2000 John asked me out after the Barn Dance at Montreat. I was so shocked that a man of his caliber would be interested in me. He was the first guy to ever pursue me with such honor and respect. I remember that I could hardly sleep that night and was so bummed that I left the next day for my week off! When I got back to camp I had to pinch myself that he really did ask to date me. Our first date was memorable. We went to downtown Hendersonville and ate at some restaurant that served me (no lie) Stoffer's microwaved lasagna (Hello!!). Then we went to the Dancing Bear and tried on silly costumes and John sang "My Little Buttercup" from the Three Amigos while wearing a Mariachi hat. We ate ice cream at the old Pharmacy shop (forget what the new name is now). Two years later John asked me to marry him at the "H" Tree. Now 8 years later we have been missionaries in Romania, serve a church here in Waxhaw NC and have a beautiful daughter named Elizabeth Faith. God has really blessed us. I did a lot of growing up from when I started as a naive and impressionable CIT (or TIC) to the person I became my last summer there as Recreation Director. Tekoa helped shape me and I still to this day feel so at home when I am up there with our church family for retreats.
Before I begin let me introduce myself for those of you wondering who you are reading about... I am Carrie "Henson" Isley. I worked at Tekoa in '95,'96,'97, '98, and '00. I have very good memories from those years. My favorite weeks were Special Friends weeks and Day Camp (believe it or not). I remember wearing the infamous Hawaiian shirts with my brother Chris, DeHarde, Zac G, and I believe someone else had one but my memory escapes me. I remember countless Talent Show moments like: DeHarde singing that old Lemonheads' song with lyrics that went, "If I was a booger would you pick your nose" or something like that. I remember the Tekoa version of Margaritaville that my brother and I wrote. I remember doing the Riverdance intro for the Talent Show with Clint. Gosh I could go on and on...
But the best thing about my whole Tekoa experience was the summer of 2000 when I met the love of my life - John Isley. July 7, 2000 John asked me out after the Barn Dance at Montreat. I was so shocked that a man of his caliber would be interested in me. He was the first guy to ever pursue me with such honor and respect. I remember that I could hardly sleep that night and was so bummed that I left the next day for my week off! When I got back to camp I had to pinch myself that he really did ask to date me. Our first date was memorable. We went to downtown Hendersonville and ate at some restaurant that served me (no lie) Stoffer's microwaved lasagna (Hello!!). Then we went to the Dancing Bear and tried on silly costumes and John sang "My Little Buttercup" from the Three Amigos while wearing a Mariachi hat. We ate ice cream at the old Pharmacy shop (forget what the new name is now). Two years later John asked me to marry him at the "H" Tree. Now 8 years later we have been missionaries in Romania, serve a church here in Waxhaw NC and have a beautiful daughter named Elizabeth Faith. God has really blessed us. I did a lot of growing up from when I started as a naive and impressionable CIT (or TIC) to the person I became my last summer there as Recreation Director. Tekoa helped shape me and I still to this day feel so at home when I am up there with our church family for retreats.
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