Fort Scott Bugle - Camp News

Monday, May 12, 2008

Former Directress Nancy Danahy dies

Sister Mary Morley reports that Nancy Danahy passed away on May 6th, 2008. Her father, John C. Danahy, M.D. was Consultant and Chief of Examining Staff at Fort Scott in 1939 and early 40s. Nancy was a former camper, counselor, and Girls' Directress from 1956-1960. She also served on the Advisory Board during the 70s. Nancy touched many lives with her charm, wit, and sparkling personality, and never missed a gathering until this year...a true Fort Scotter. Visitation was held on May 10 at the Bellarmine Chapel at Xavier University, from 9 AM until Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM. An obituary is available on-line.

Updated 12 May 2008

10th Annual Fort Scott St. Pat's Party Held

This year, the 10th Annual Fort Scott Alumni St. Pat's Party was held on Saturday, March 15, 2008, at the Quality Hotel and Suites in Norwood, OH (4747 Montgomery Road). It was postponed by one week because of the blizzard that hit the Greater Cincinnati area on March 7-8 (when it was originally scheduled). Despite the sudden change of dates, many Fort Scotters were able to attend and catch up with old friends. It's hard to believe that this is already the 10th edition of this excellent event, and as always, it was coordinated by Sister Mary Morley (smm@current.net) who did her usual bang-up job. This year, however, Mary announced that she was passing the torch for alumni party management on to Elizabeth "Biz" McClure (see photo at right, with Mary and Biz). So, watch the website for future announcements regarding party as Biz and her committee oversees future events. Finally, we wish to thank Sister Mary for her outstanding and tireless efforts to coordinate the last decade of Fort Scott activities. Her energy and attention to detail has added so much to our lives over the past decade, just as it did during her time at camp. Sister Mary is truly a great Fort Scotter, and we are all so appreciative of her efforts that have helped keep us connected and together for years following the closing of camp!

Updated 25 March 2008

Fort Scott Videos on YouTube

At long last, I've had an opportunity to convert some of my old videotapes to digital files, including one that chronicles "A Day in the Life at Fort Scott Camps," as seen through the somewhat languid eyes of the Swimming Department in 1986. John "Jack" Stenger and Eric "Capt. Fun" Frayer oversaw the video project, and I recently posted the video (broken down into 17 segments ranging in length from 2:53 to 8:30) on YouTube. You can visit the Fort Scott Camps video page to view each of them, reliving moments in the messhall, visiting with Doc in the infirmary, hanging out in the main office, and even attending a liturgical celebration. Please note that the quality is variable -- it's 20+ year-old videotape of circa-1986 camcorder technology. Enjoy this special trip down memory lane!

Updated 2 February 2008

New Electronic Forums for Fort Scotters

Recently, two new ways to stay in touch with the Fort Scott family have debuted. First, all Fort Scotters with a Facebook account (free at facebook.com) can join the group "Fort Scott Camps" to share comments, post their own pictures and memories, and find other Fort Scotters. It will probably take some time before the community on Face Book hits a critical mass of members, but I believe it can serve as an excellent outlet for Fort Scotters. Moreover, Facebook is super easy to use (e.g., posting videos, photos, etc. is "no duh") -- so I encourage people to use it (I recently started using Facebook, and I'm hooked).

Also, Bob Sauber has set up a Fort Scott blog for a discussion of camp-related memories and issues. There are already some interesting discussions on his blog... thanks Bob!

Updated 25 July 2007

Former Fort Scott secretary, Lisa Taylor, dies

Patti Miller (Pattimiller2@excite.com) reported that former camp secretary, Lisa Taylor, who lived in Dayton OH, died June, 22, 2007, following a difficult struggle with cancer. She was 47. Her obituary is available on-line. Our sympathies go out to Lisa's family and those who were touched by her involvement with Fort Scott.

Updated 25 July 2007

Former Camp Director Bernie Sinchek dead

Bernie Sinchek, who served as Fort Scott Boys Camp Director from 1954-57 then again from 1974-76, died after battling serious diabetic complications on April 5, 2007. Bernie was the husband of the late Kathleen "Pinky" Sinchek and is survived by 6 children, 17 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. Born in Niantic, CT, in 1927, Bernie gradated from Arnold College (Milford, CT), served in World War II (US Marine Corps), and coached a number of sports at Purcell High School and in the Cincinnati Public Schools as well.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Tuesday (April 10, 2007) at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, 177 Siebenthaler Ave., in Reading (Cincinnati, OH), with a reception to follow in the community room. Visitation will take place on Monday (April 9, 2007) from 6-9 p.m. at Schmidt-Dhonau-Galloway Funeral Home, 8633 Reading Road, Reading (Cincinnati, OH). Memorials may be made to the Mt. St. John School, 135 Kirtland St., Deep River, CT 06417-0641. A complete obituary is available from The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Updated 7 April 2007

Fort Scott Demolition Completed

In December 2005, the demolition of Fort Scott Camps took place. Most (but not all) of the buildings were demolished and burned in the first half of the month. The remainder (with the exception of Wagner Lodge) were destroyed early in 2006. During 2006 and 2007 (see photo at left), the entire property was "reshaped" for a new housing development. You can see post-demolition photos -- sadly, there wasn't much left when those photos were taken. Also, there are more recent photos taken from February 2007 revealing how the camp looks now (the only three buildings left standing are the Gatehouse, the Barn, and Wagner Lodge).

At present, the Fort Scott Camps property in being developed to establish over 900 residences and light commercial ventures that will be developed on the former camp site (for more details, see the story that appeared in the Cincinnati Business Courier). Altogether, over 400 acres (including camp and nearby properties, including the junk yard) are being combined for a $200 million development just outside of New Baltimore, in Crosby Township Ohio.

The property was recently deeded to Douglas Homes, which is developing the property. They reportedly purchased the site for $6 million. Douglas Homes purchased the property from Ed Nusekabel (a Cincinnati restaurateur), who purchased the land from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1995 for $525,000. The camp never re-opened following its final season in 1988.

The new development will benefit from the recent extension of Blue Rock Road (with its new bridge that crosses the Great Miami River a bit upstream from the grated deck bridge that used to serve as the means to cross the river). There are plans to build a sewage and water treatment plant on the river side of River Road -- one might question the intelligence of building a sewage treatment plant in a place so prone to flooding.

In early December, the Girls Lodge (see photo at left, courtesy of local journalist Joe Wessels's blog), was burned as part of a "training exercise" for local fire departments. The building burned quickly, in approximately 15 minutes. The building was the site of many camp events, including senior dances and the arts and crafts department. Its stone porch was viewed by many as the prettiest spot in camp, with its commanding view of the lush green valley around camp and of the Great Miami River below.

There were rumors of a final camp auction to take place, however, this appears to have been a diversion to allow the new owners to quickly dispose of the remaining camping buildings.

Updated 8 February 2007

Camp to be razed for new housing development in 2005

Sometime during 2005, the Fort Scott Camp site (along with adjacent property) will be razed in order to transform the camp property into a large block of homes and condos (perhaps as many as 900) on very small lots. The development will be overseen by Douglas Homes. The plan was controversial because the required rezoning went through without any community input. After collecting a large number of signatures to place a township rezoning issue (required before the project could go forward) on the November 2002 ballot, the Hamilton County Board of Elections threw out the petitions (which were signed by a large percentage of residents of Crosby Township) because of a minor technicality in their collection -- thus, denying residents of New Baltimore and the surrounding area any say in the large development that will sizably change the area. In addition to the new homes, there will be new business to support the housing development as well. Also, there is discussion of building a water treatment facility next to the Great Miami River on a site that some contend may be contaminated with chemical waste. The treatment facility would be needed to support sewage for the new houses. Although most of the camp property will be destroyed, some building may be maintained in order to retain some linkage to the Fort Scott property and its history in the New Baltimore area. Also, a road would be constructed through camp property, linking Blue Rock Road (which now has a new bridge in New Baltimore across the Great Miami River) through to Ohio route 128. You can view the development plans either at low resolution (143K jpeg file) or at high resolution (512K jpeg file, only recommended for high speed connections). Please note that the outlines and notes are provided as guides -- they are not precise. There are many photos available that lets you see how the camp looks today.

Updated 1 January 2005

Tragic accident claims Beth (Ernst) Lipka

On Sunday, May 25, 2003, Beth (Ernst) Lipka died from complications resulting from a rollerblading accident. Beth was an avid Fort Scotter and helped anchor the swimming department throughout most of the 1980s at camp. She was 37 at the time of her passing.

Beth grew up in Sidney, Ohio, receiving her bachelor's degree from Ohio University in 1987 and her J.D. from Catholic University in Washington DC in 1991. She was a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Maryland State Bar Association. In recent years, she spent most of her time as a full-time mom. Beth is survived by her husband of 10 years, Michael J. Lipka; her children, Michael, Hannah and Jack Lipka; brothers and sisters-in-law, John and Jane Ernst of Cincinnati, Paul and Lora Ernst of Tipp City, and Daniel and Cindy Ernst of Sidney; father and mother-in-law, Michael and Marie Lipka of Cleveland; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Mary Beth Lipka and life partner Carrie Davidson of Cleveland, Julie Lipka and husband Mark Harms of Bay Village, Ohio, and Ken Lipka and wife Amy of Lakewood, Ohio; 13 nieces and nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends. Betty was buried on May 29 at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 11000 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Friends of Betty (click on photo for larger image) congregated at Fort Scott in her memory. Included in the photo...
Back: George Stenger, Mark Maxwell, JoAnn (Wolf) Maxwell, John Stenger, Richard Stenger, Eric Frayer, Mary Ann Beiting, John Farmer
Middle: Karen Cullian, Suzy (Dunn) Ziegenfuss, Jeanne (Roberts) Fairbanks, Biz McClure, Sandy Ratterman
Front: Jerry Moore, Fr. Jamie Weber, John Lynch, Fr. Pat Fairbanks, Sue Leonard & child, and Anne Steinert.

Thanks to Pat Fairbanks for the photo.

Updated 19 June 2006

Dr. Joseph Link, Jr., dead at 89

Dr. Joseph Link, Jr., 89, died January 1, 2003, sister Mary Morley reports. He was the former administrator at Fort Scott and a professor of economics at Xavier University for many years. His funeral was held on Wednesday, January 8, 2003, at 10:30 a.m. at Bellarmine Chapel, on the campus of Xavier University, followed by a reception at Xavier's Cintas Center.

Updated 15 February 2003

Doc Schroder dead at 90

C. Richard "Doc" Schroder, who served as Fort Scott's Medical Director for 38 years, died peacefully on Saturday, May 5, 2001, at approximately 4:30 p.m. He was 90 years old. Doc is survived by two living siblings (Louis E. Schroder, Sue Grubber) and by 17 nieces and nephews.

For the past few months, Doc had been battling recent health setbacks while in residence at St. Margaret Hall. He died of congestive heart failure. Although Doc suffered from physical setbacks during this period, he remained mentally alert during his decline.

Doc was arguably the most popular and influential member of the Fort Scott family. This was evidenced in 1999, when several hundred Fort Scotters attended a party at Coney Island to celebrate his 89th birthday (the photo at the right was taken at his birthday party). Not only did Doc contribute greatly to the camp as its medical director (a position he held continuously since 1950), but he was a huge supporter of the camp and its mission since his first year at Fort Scott in 1927 as a camper. Thousands of campers and staff members will always remember Doc and trips to see him at the infirmary for medical concerns ranging from poison ivy to homesickness. Although his primary duties were to treat rashes and to set broken bones, his skill and compassion were often best revealed in healing the broken hearts of young children sleeping away from home for the first time.

Doc's life was celebrated on Wednesday, May 9, at a Mass of Christian Burial held at the Church of the Nativity of Our Lord in Pleasant Ridge. Hundreds of family members, friends, and Fort Scotters attended. Rev. Pat Fairbanks, SJ, presided and gave an inspiring homily about Doc and his life. It was filled with fond memories, warm feelings, and charming wit (with many subtle Fort Scott references sprinkled in it). Pat, a former camper and counselor, had many wonderful insights on Doc's life and why his is truly inspirational.

Following the service, a "final cookout" in honor of Doc was held at Xavier University's Cintas Center. In planning his final arrangements, Doc wanted to throw one more cookout with burgers, brats, and beer. Many people spoke about Doc and his contributions to their lives. One of the special moments was when Joe Mulligan read Jack Stenger's reflections on Doc's life. Jack had many wonderful experiences with Doc while a camper, counselor, and friend.

You can also learn more about Doc's contributions to camp by reading the camp history that appeared in the Catholic Telegraph in May 1987, and you can read its detailed sidebar on Doc and his contributions to camp. You can also read Doc's obituary that appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Doc grew up in Pleasant Ridge (a Cincinnati suburb), and he graduated from Xavier University in 1932 and from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1936. He set up his first practice in Avondale in 1938. Later, he served in World War II in General Patton's 4th Armored Division (1942-1946), was the medical director at Xavier University's Student Health Clinical (he served on its staff for 37 years), and was on the staff of Longview State Hospital (16 years) as well as several other tri-state hospitals. For much of his life, Doc maintained a medical practice in Oneida, KY. In addition to being a paragon of the Fort Scott community, he also was involved with the Knights of Columbus and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Rest in peace, Doc.

Updated 5 June 2001

Webmaster info

Allen McConnell
Camp Webmaster

E-mail: mcconnar@muohio.edu
Web: www.users.muohio.edu/mcconnar