Nancy Dunaway’s family continues a legacy of camp, connection, and believing in Ferncliff’s mission.

Nancy Dunaway first learned about Ferncliff when she was a young child in the 1960s, watching her older sister and church friends get dropped off for camp from the family station wagon. “I just thought it looked like the most wonderful place in the whole world.” Even though she didn’t get to attend Ferncliff camp herself, she did attend other camps, like Camp Hopewell, but Ferncliff stayed in her mind as she grew up and moved through life.

Nancy later connected with Ferncliff when her daughter attended camp, and both her children, Bill and Lane, worked as counselors there during college. One moment that stood out was when her son Bill was a counselor for the campers from Jonesboro after the school shooting there. “It was a powerful and emotional week for him, and he stayed in touch with one of the campers for years afterward.”

Nancy herself found Ferncliff to be a peaceful place during her many visits for Presbyterian retreats, where she would wake early to drink coffee on the porch and walk the labyrinth, saying it was just a time to be alone and at peace. “Ferncliff is just a place where you can take a deep breath and relax and come just to commune with God, commune with nature, and find yourself.”

Now living in St. Louis near her children and grandchildren, Nancy and her husband, Jeff,  continue to support Ferncliff. This summer, three grandchildren attended camp at Ferncliff together, and Nancy is excited to see the next generation experience as a place she believes so deeply in and has meant so much to her family. “We just believe in Ferncliff and its philosophy, and we just love it.”

 

 

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Thank you for believing in Ferncliff’s mission and helping camp shape lives,  just as it has for Nancy’s family and so many others. Your continued support ensures that new generations can discover friendship, growth, and peace in this sacred space.  Click here to make a tax-deductible donation.