Our Founder Family

Remembering Our Founder Family

Bruce Barmby

Bruce A. Barmby, 88, passed away Aug. 16, 2021. Bruce came to Miniwanca as a Danforth Fellow in 1953, returned as an Older Boys Leader in 1958, and stayed involved with Miniwanca almost every summer until 1982. He was the beloved mentor of the OB Class of 1972.

Carolyn Anderson Beimdiek

Carolyn Anderson Beimdiek, 89, passed away Jan. 24, 2021. Carolyn was a Danny Grad in 1952. Carolyn is survived by her husband of 62 years, Donald. Daughters Karen Beimdiek Baratz and Lynn Beimdiek Morris, as well as multiple grandchildren, attended Miniwanca from the ‘70s onward. Carolyn is also the cousin of Druscilla Anderson, who attended Miniwanca in the 1970s.

Sarah Schneider Chesney

Sarah Schneider Chesney passed away Aug. 31, 2021 at age 80. Sarah attended Miniwanca Younger Girls Camp from 1952 to 1956 and returned as a YG Leader in 1959. Her son, Scott, was a Miniwanca camper, and grandchildren Ben and Emmy are current campers.

Shirley Dungan Cline

Shirley Dungan Cline passed away April 30, 2022 at age 87. Shirley first attended Miniwanca in 1948 and was part of the Older Girls Class of 1953. She attended Summer Seminars for Women in her later years. She is survived by her three daughters, Eleanor Cline Trent, Dr. Emily D. Cline, and Margaret Cline Curl, who attended Miniwanca in the 1980s. She is also survived by her sister, Jean Van Buskirk, who first attended camp in 1946 and remained involved for many years.

Evelyn Ramsdell Ferguson

Evelyn Ramsdell Ferguson, 83, passed away July 30, 2021. She was a member of the Miniwanca Older Girls Class of 1958 and a Girls Camp Leader in 1960 and 1962. She is survived by her sister, Carolyn Ramsdell McMullin, who is part of the OG Class of 1964.

Joan Lawson Hallsteen

Joan Lawson Hallsteen passed away May 16, 2020 at age 92. Joan attended Miniwanca Younger Girls Camp in 1939 and returned annually through 1944 and as a YG Leader in 1946. She is survived by three children: Craig Hallsteen; Kyle McRobie, who attended YG from 1965 to 1966; and Ariel Biddle, who attended YG from 1968 to 1969.

Maribeth Porter Hambrick

Maribeth Porter Hambrick, 93, passed away July 16, 2021. Maribeth attended Miniwanca Younger Girls Camp in 1943 and 1944 and Older Girls in 1944 and 1946. Maribeth’s son, Horace, attended Younger Boys Camp in 1969 and 1970.

Dorothy Mae Hanpeter

Dorothy Mae Hanpeter passed away June 7, 2021. Dorothy began attending Miniwanca in 1941 and was a member of the Older Girls Class of 1947. She returned in the '50s and '60s as a Girls Camp Leader. Dorothy's brothers, William, Robert, Paul, and Edward, all attended Boys Camp between 1941 and 1948. Robert’s four children, David, Claire, Douglas, and Stephen, also attended Miniwanca and Merrowvista in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Edward's son, Brad, attended Miniwanca in 1969. Dorothy was a lifelong friend of the late Marie Prange Oetting (OG Class of 1946).

Dr. Ann Tukey Harrison

Ann Tukey Harrison, PhD, passed away Oct. 28, 2021 at 83. Ann began attending Miniwanca in 1953 and was a member of the Older Girls Class of 1956. She returned to Miniwanca in many roles from 1958 to 1969, from a Younger Girls Leader to an OG faculty member. She was the mentor of the OG Class of 1969. Her brother, Harold, also attended Miniwanca Boys Camp in 1947, as did multiple nieces and nephews in the ’60s and ’70s.

Mary Louise Herminghaus Palmer

Mary Louise "Mary Lou" Palmer passed away Aug. 7, 2021 at age 74. Mary Lou attended Miniwanca Younger Girls Camp from 1959 to 1961, returning as a YG Leader in 1966. Her sister, Susan Herminghaus McLeod, first attended YG in 1956 continuing through Older Girls camp until 1961, the same year she also worked as a YG leader. Her sister, Elizabeth Ann Herminghaus, attended YG from 1966 to 1967. Mary Lou's mother, Helen Heigold Herminghaus, was an OG Leader in 1954.

David F. Jones

David F. Jones passed away Nov. 1, 2021. David dedicated much of his time to fundraising and consulting work for the AYF. He also volunteered with the AYF for many years. He is survived by his wife, Lori; his son, Peter; and his daughter, Becky Hanrahan. His granddaughter, Poppy, has attended Miniwanca since 2018, and another granddaughter, Rosalie, was a first-time camper in 2022.

John Bart Jones

John Bart Jones, 66, passed away June 7, 2022. John first attended Miniwanca in 1974 and was a member of the Older Boys Class of 1976. He returned as a leader and staff member through 1980. He is survived by his mother, Elizabeth “Bartie” Jones (Older Girls Class of 1945), and his sister, Lynn A. Jones (OG Class of 1974). He is predeceased by his sister, Judy Jones Muhn (OG Class of 1969).

Anne Pickett Marblestone

Anne Pickett Marblestone, 84, passed away Oct. 5, 2021. She first attended Miniwanca Younger Girls Camp in 1948 and graduated with the Older Girls Class of 1958. She returned as a YG Leader in 1959. Anne is survived by her two daughters. Tracy Ann Marblestone Brant attended YG Camp from 1974 to 1976, returning as a YG leader in 1981. Sara Marblestone attended Girls Camp from 1978 through 1983.

Judy Jones Muhn

Judy B. Jones Muhn, 72, passed away Feb. 26, 2022. Judy first attended Miniwanca Older Girls Camp in 1966 and was a member of the Older Girls Class of 1969. She is survived by her mother, Elizabeth “Bartie” Jones (OG Class of 1945), and her sister, Lynn A. Jones (OG Class of 1974). Sadly, her brother John Bart Jones passed away June 7, 2022.

Remington Rea Williams

Remington Rea Williams, age 25, unexpectedly passed away June 8, 2022. He attended National Leadership Conference and was a member of the Class of 2016, To Ignite Change.

Jane Frances Paysinger

Jane Frances Paysinger passed away Jan. 26, 2021 at age 69. Jane was a member of the Miniwanca Older Girls Class of 1973 and remained an OG Leader through 1980. Jane attended Miniwanca with her sister, Nancy Paysinger. Nancy began attending OG in 1973 and is a member of the Class of 1974. Nancy has remained deeply involved in the National Leadership Conference since 1980.

Anne Pennock Linton

Anne Pennock Linton passed away Jan. 19, 2021 at age 89. She began attending Miniwanca in 1947 and was a graduate of the Older Girls Class of 1950.

Shawman Lee Detterman Meireis

Shawman Detterman Meireis passed away unexpectedly Aug. 28, 2022 at age 40. Shawman attended Merrowvista from 1991 through 1999. She is survived by her mother, Karen Burke, who was the Camp Nurse at Merrowvista Younger Camp in 1991 and 1992. Shawman is also survived by her brother, Brook Detterman, and her sisters, Annie Detterman Talmage and Emily Detterman Ingwersen, who all attended Merrowvista between 1989 and 1997.

Kim Strube Scartelli

Kim Janette Strube Scartelli passed away Aug. 10, 2022 at age 52. Kim attended Miniwanca Girls Camp from 1981 to 1986. She worked as a Girls Camp leader from 1989 to 1991. She became involved in Summer Seminars for Women in 1994 and remained deeply dedicated to the program as a participant and a coordinator until she passed away. Kim is survived by her husband, David, and her two sons, Ethan and Jack, who both attended Miniwanca. She is also survived by her mother, Janet Hoetker Strube, Older Girls Class of 1963. Jan continues to serve the AYF as Archivist, preserving the stories of all Founders for generations to come.

Dona Basler Sutherin

Dona Basler Sutherin, 91, passed away Feb. 16, 2021. Dona began attending Miniwanca Younger Girls Camp in 1942. She was a member of the Older Girls Class of 1949. She also worked as a YG leader during her time as an OG camper. She is survived by her son, Daniel, who attended Boys Camp from 1965 to 1970, and her daughter, Sharna, who attended Girls Camp beginning in 1967 and graduated with the OG Class of 1976. She was predeceased by her son, Thomas, who was a Younger Boys Camper from 1963 to 1967. Sadly, her husband of 70 years, James, passed away Nov. 1, 2021.

Mary Schmidt Twiddy

Mary Charlotte Schmidt Twiddy passed away Jan. 4, 2021. Mary first attended Miniwanca Girls Camp in 1965 and continued through Older Girls camp until 1961. Her daughter, Becky, attended Girls Camp from 1983 to 1984, and her son, Scott, attended Boys Camp from 1981 to 1984 and was a leader in 1985 and 1986.

Dr. Charlotte Reed Ward

Dr. Charlotte Reed Ward passed away Jan. 30, 2022 at age 92. She first attended Miniwanca Girls Camp in 1964 and was a member of the Older Girls Class of 1971. Charlotte is survived by her son, Mark, who attended Merrowvista from 1969 to 1973, returning as a leader in the late ’70s. She is survived by her daughter, Emma Ward Morris, who was a member of the Miniwanca OG Class of 1971. She was also a staff member at Merrowvista in the ’70s. Charlotte is also survived by her daughter, Bess, who attended Merrowvista, then Miniwanca, and was a member of the OG Class of 1973.

Joan Denny Witter

Joan Denny Witter passed away Feb. 4, 2022 at age 83. Joan attended Miniwanca Older Girls Camp in 1959 as a home economics senior. Joan is survived by her daughter, Jane Witter Ridings, who attended the National Leadership Conference in 1982 and 1983.

Kathryn Mary Wood

Kathryn Mary Wood passed away Sept. 5, 2021. Kathy attended Miniwanca as a Younger Girls camper from 1976 through 1979. She attended Older Girls Camp in 1980 while also working as a YG Leader. Kathy is survived by her daughter, Lacy, who attended Miniwanca Girls Camp in the ’90s.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of these memorials. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any errors or omissions.