“I was born in Jamaica and moved to New York as a child,” Natica said. “My parents sent us to church, but they were too busy with work and life to go with us. Although I participated in church activities, I never surrendered to Jesus as Lord. As I moved into adulthood I experienced strong…

Banquets have long been associated with Camp Deerpark, from special evening banquets during summer camps to fundraising banquets in New York City and Pennsylvania. Many people connected to Camp Deerpark have a banquet memory, including some combination of tasty food, good friends, special music and sharing of the latest camp news. A tradition during the…

The first time I went to Camp Deerpark was for a church retreat in the winter of 1969. I attended Fox Street Mennonite Church in the Bronx. I had never been to a camp before. I fell in love with Deerpark when I first laid eyes on it. To me it was a little bit…

What can I say about my beloved Camp Deerpark? Well, how about I begin by saying that this is where my walk with Jesus began. I will never forget that one day in the wooden-floored chapel down the hill from the main house, where I first invited Jesus into my life at the tender age…

John Buckwalter 1969–1977, 1981–1989 Glenn Zeager 1969–1975 Carl Metzler 1969–1982 Gene Shelly 1969–1985, 1988–1994 Ronald Collins 1969–1971 Richard “Dick” Pannell 1969–1972, 1995–1997 Nelson Kauffman 1969–1970 Aurelio Rodriguez 1970–1972, 1978 Ray Pacheco 1971–1981, 1985–1991 Dale Weaver 1971, 1975, 1978–1979, 1981–1993 Richard Frey 1971–1975, 1978–1983 Don Gunden 1972–1976, 1979–1990 Harold Davenport 1972–1978 Ruth Burkholder 1972, 1975–1976 Cesar…

Gene Shelly Board Member 1969–1984 Founding Board Member I served on the Camp Deerpark board for many years. This board was a hands-on board, very active in physically taking care of the camp. For the first 10 years, I would frequently help with work projects on Fridays and Saturdays. Some of the early work projects…

Lanny Millette first heard about Camp Deerpark through Eastern Mennonite University (then called Eastern Mennonite College), when he took a class called Urban Seminar in 1973. The summer class, held in New York City, was taught by Dale Stoltzfus. Lanny lived with Wes and Marian Newswanger in the Bronx. “Both Wes and Marian were very…

Fifty years ago, in late 1968, Dan Glick, Don Gunden, Paul Smucker andHenry Martin Jr. drove up to see the land that is now Camp Deerpark.They were asked to make a judgment as to whether the property was agood investment for a camp. Don remembers, “Somebody from my mis-sion committee asked me to go from…

As an 11-year-old farm girl from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I was enthralled riding over the awesome and expansive George Washington Bridge into Harlem, in New York City, in 1956–58. That bridge has remained a landmark in my soul until this day. We visited our sister and her husband, Grace and Jacob Good, who lived in…

In all honesty, it has been a true challenge reflecting on what story I want to share about Camp Deerpark. Not because I am unable to think of a memory, but because I have had so many important, valuable and life-changing memories here. How can I sum up in a few words just how amazing…