Windermere Baptist Conference Center

Janice Cox
Norfleet Baptist Church in Kansas City

My husband, Rev. Maurice Cox from the Norfleet Baptist Church, and I used to go with Sterling Acres Baptist Church in 1968 - 1969 at retreats at Windermere when we were dating. I can remember Maurice and I sitting on top of the deck outside the cafeteria and rocking in those rocking chairs, and looking at the lake – rocking and rocking and laughing and laughing. One of our first kisses we shared was walking back in the moonlight toward the Spring Valley big cabin!

We also would go down with Sterling Acres and Bill Denman was our youth leader – he tried to teach all the youth group how to water ski!!! Then after Maurice and I got married, we became great friends with John and Sandy Koehler, who we found out his PARENTS were the camp directors!!! So then we rented out cabins along with several other friends from First Baptist Church of Blue Springs and we all would go down every fall when the leaves were changing. When Maurice became a pastor, we would go to Windermere’s Fall Festivals with the Rockwood Baptist Church friends, and John and Willa Toon went with us as we had great times there with all our friends!!! Now John and Willa live down there on the grounds, ministering as they enjoy that beautiful scenery. Since Maurice has been pastor at Norfleet Baptist Church for the past 14 years, several times we came down for the July 4th Celebration with members of our congregation, and had about 45 people come one year. The last time we came, we had our sweet grandkids and stayed in the Lakeview Lodge. It was wonderful! Thanks for the notice about the 50 year celebration, we’ll see if we can make it.

Mara Lee Adams
Kansas City

Windermere will always have a special place in my heart. While in college, I joined the Baptist Student Union and we came on many a retreat to Windermere. Before we were married, my husband worked at Windermere one summer as part of his college classes to become an automotive technician. We spent our honeymoon at Windermere in August 1982. We have had family reunions there and we have brought our children there.

Willa Toon
Windermere Volunteer Coordinator

Having been a Missouri Baptist all my life, I have known about Windermere for years. My boys came to RA camp when they were young boys. When we moved here and they came to see us for the first time, both boys (boys to mom but now men) began to remember the time they came as a RA youth. They had a lot of fun pointing out the things they remembered.

Many years later my husband and I were working with single adults in our church, and at that time Windermere had a conference named Yesteryears. John and I brought our single adults to that conference year after year and then we brought young married couples and families. Upon our retirement, we inquired if Windermere could use volunteers. Foolish question. Could Windermere use volunteers? I say they can, as many as they can get. Frank Shock suggested we move here, and we did. It has been nine years and still loving it.

Talk about life changing. I had always lived in Independence, MO, carrying the mail for a living. I was moving to the woods, a whole new lifestyle. Let me tell you, it has been wonderful. It is good to see all the young people coming to conferences and seeing them sitting around studying the scripture and then seeing the baptisms in the lake. It really makes the change in my life worthwhile.


(To learn how you can become a Windermere volunteer, contact Willa at 573-346-5200, ext. 2677)

Rowena Mueller
First Baptist Church of Farmington

I would like to tell you of my first visit to Windermere. It was in 1959. I was the Director of YWA (Young Women Auxiliary) now known as Acteens. I was a member of the First Baptist Church of Lemay, in St. Louis County. There were 15 girls in our group and they were so excited to be going to their first retreat at Windermere. It would be a new experience for all of them. There were only about eight who were able to go on this first retreat. We took the wrong route that first trip and arrived very late that night. We were assigned to cottages (the first ones built), four to a room. Our two daughters stayed at those same cottages attending GA camp. It was a small distance to walk to the dining area and conference rooms, but we didn’t mind. To see the beautiful grounds and surroundings had the group excited and ready for swimming and boating, but we were informed that early morning devotions would be at 7:30 down by the lake. It was a rewarding experience that we attended every morning.

We truly enjoyed having the missionaries from different countries and learning greatly when attending the conferences from all the experienced leaders. One of our girls later became a missionary, and other girls became leaders in the local church. We truly enjoyed the good music and always the wonderful food! The girls were a lively group and full of fun, such as locking me out of my room each evening or putting balloons under my bed! I, as a leader, had to go along with their fun, that was part of the game!

The time has passed quickly over the years, and many beautiful changes have been made at Windermere. I am planning, once again, if it is God’s will, to return one more time to that beautiful place. May God bless the work at Windermere and congratulations on your 50 years!