Both AnnaLeah and Mary would have reached some milestones in 2020. AnnaLeah would have celebrated having lived a quarter of a century on May 15 — had her life not ended in a truck underride crash on May 4, 2013, at the age of 17.
Mary would be turning 21 on August 6 — had her life not ended on May 8, 2013, due to a truck underride crash at the age of 13.
Their coming of age stories will never be written.
My favorite place in the world, Woods on the Lake, a 14-acre property on Lake Michigan with 7 cottages, is up for sale. It would be a dream come true for Jerry and me to acquire, and make more accessible, this outdoor space which has provided recreation, rest, and renewal for so many families.
Would you like to help us realize this dream? In the event that we are unable to purchase Woods on the Lake, all donations will go to Pioneer County Park, where I camped as a child and which borders the property on the north, for ongoing accessibility projects In Memory of AnnaLeah & Mary .
You can make a donation at our GoFundMe page.
Virtual Tour of Woods on the Lake
Though it may seem questionable to take on such an endeavor during a pandemic, we look forward to a time in the future when many can enjoy this facility and would plan to use these unusual circumstances to update and expand an already wonderful West Michigan resource.
In 2010, we discovered that Jerry, along with some of our nine children, has a progressive hereditary condition, Charcot Marie Tooth , which makes it harder to do things like climb stairs or walk very far without getting fatigued. So, whereas when the kids were little the steps to the beach weren’t a big deal, we now look for vacation rentals which are more accessible. That’s not always easy to find.
Because of that, Jerry and I have tons of ideas about how we could make this home-away-from-home even better by making it accessible to families and individuals with disabilities — a wheelchair accessible ramp down the dune to the lakeshore, a mat on the beachfront for wheelchairs , wheelchair swing , wheelchairs which can go into the water, and so on. We envision a wheelchair-accessible trail through the woods to connect with Pioneer County Park , which borders this amazing property to the north. How about a frisbee disc golf course along the trail? Or how about a taxi bike ?
This particular vacation spot is full of wonderful memories, and will always hold a special place in our hearts. Our daughters, AnnaLeah & Mary, along with their brothers & sisters, enjoyed building sandcastles and splashing in the waves, roasting marshmallows around a campfire, and taking walks along the shore.
It was to Woods on the Lake that our family came to stay from our home in North Carolina when we had to make the heart-wrenching journey back to Michigan to bury the girls after a truck underride crash on May 4, 2013, took them from us. And that is why we’d also like to build a lodge to host retreats and workshops for families who face the challenges of disabilities or loss.
Contact us for more information: marianne@annaleahmary.com
