Before he died in June 2025, Lew Naylor shared these early and formative memories of being a camper at Camp Friedenswald.
Welcome, we are here: A story for 75 years by Steve Hartman-Keiser
I know I have arrived in the peaceful woods not when I turn at the giant Camp Friedenswald sign on Peninsula Drive, but thirty seconds later: when I stop the car (every time!) in the middle of the causeway and get out and look up the fen. And listen.
A Place of Connection: A reflection by Deanna Risser
Camp is a place of connection. A key place where this connection happens is eating meals together in the dining hall. I began to see eating with campers as more than a practical matter – I needed to eat – and instead as an extension of my work in the camp office.
Remembering the Trees: A reflection by Cal Graber
As I begin to remember my first days at Camp Friedenswald I’ll always remember the trees. Growing up in Iowa and driving through Illinois and then coming down that narrow winding road into the entrance of Camp and seeing all those beautiful trees was truly remarkable for a young kid…