Thursday, September 17, 2015

Aunt Trudy -- Camp Legend


Saturday, September 12th, our camp legend, Aunt Trudy, joined Uncle Carter in Heaven. Mary Ann (Trudy) Lester was born in Pampa, Texas November 21, 1927 to Dr. D. H. and Clarice (Dodson) Truhitte. Her father was a pastor and the family moved to various churches in Missouri and Texas until 1942 when he was called to pastor Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin. Mary Ann graduated from Austin High School in 1944. She attended Mary Hardin-Baylor after high school where she became "Trudy" which was a shortened version of her maiden name; and "Trudy" she has been ever since. She married Carter Lester on December 22, 1945. They were married 68 years until his death in March 2013.

Trudy graduated from the University of Texas in 1966 with a degree in Elementary Education.  She taught at Dawson and Pillow Elementary Schools in the Austin ISD until 1971 when she and Carter bought a cotton farm southeast of Round Rock. Together they founded Camp Doublecreek.

Once Doublecreek started, they were known as Uncle Carter and Aunt Trudy.  The new nicknames suited them.  They were truly an aunt and uncle to all the campers who came to Doublecreek and to all the counselors who worked for them.  Under their guidance, the camp flourished and grew from a camp with 32 campers on the first day to a camp that routinely has over 300 campers each day.

Trudy had a special touch that made the ordinary become unique.  Aunt Trudy made a camper’s day brighter in every way – it didn’t matter if she was greeting campers as they got off the bus or leading Sing-Song.  Aunt Trudy loved the campers and they loved her back.  During the last three or four summers, Aunt Trudy needed assistance moving from her golf cart to her seat at Sing-Song.  There was never a shortage of counselors and campers waiting to help Aunt Trudy.

Aunt Trudy was a wonderful woman who would do everything she could for you.  Her legacy lives on through the lives of thousands of campers and counselors who will remember her fondly with wonderful memories and lots of smiles. Her amazing legacy will live on in the hearts of all of us impacted by her inspirational life.

Joe Ray

Please watch a video about the impact Aunt Trudy has made on all our lives:

https://youtu.be/_vWABVZ3dZs

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