I first met the Stewart family in 1974. Dan Okeeffe asked me to be a spotter while he and Mark were water skiing. Mark invited me over to meet the family. Maggie was so welcoming, she greeted me with a warm smile and I could tell she was so genuine. The next time I came over and knocked on the door and she said" you don't need to knock on the door, just come on in" she also said, "whenever we have a party here you are always welcome".

She would always let me know that when my family wasn't there that she would check in on my grandmother Cordelia, which was so caring of her.

One time I was working at a house clearing lumber and I was stung 7 times by yellow jackets. I had never been stung before and was a little freaked out. I went to see her and asked her how do I know if I am allergic? She calmly said "your fine, if you were allergic, you would be dead." She took great care of me.

My family left Assembly Point in 1985. In 1986 before a summer in Europe I stayed at the Birney's house. It was the 4th of July and Bob and Sean were away on a sailing trip. My friend had some fireworks and Maggie let us set them off on the dock. We went to town and came back and while we thought we had doused them all out. We did not, and she let us know that there were boats honking and shining their lights in the house. The dock was on fire. I felt so bad, but she just laughed and made me feel better. The following year at Sean and Gail's wedding after Mr. Stewart shook my hand and gave me a hug, he leaned over and said with a big smile." I do believe you owe me some dock work".

Maggie would often invite me to stay for dinner and I enjoyed the conversations and the great food. Bob and Maggie always took an interest in me, and I appreciated it so much. I often say that I am a better person by knowing all of the Stewarts and have enjoyed lifelong friendships. It was a blessing to have spent time on Assembly Point and my time spent with the Stewart's were a big part of that blessing.

The last time I saw Maggie was in November of 2006. I was living in Colorado and came back to see a family friend who was suffering from Alzheimer's. I went up to see her on Assembly Point and it was a beautiful sunny fall day. She could tell I was upset as I was too late to visit my friend and he didn't know me. She helped to calm my spirit and we had a great visit. She wanted to know everything that was going on with Vivian and I and was excited to hear about the plans for our house in Colorado. I told her how we loved to see all the moose and elk and she shared with me a picture of a moose walking around the side of the house. It was a wonderful visit and one that I will always cherish.

  Maggie welcomed me into her family 35 years ago with her warmth and generosity. I'm fortunate to have so many memories of the time we spent with Bob and Maggie at their home on Lake George. From huge family dinners and Sunday breakfasts filled with donuts, bacon and eggs, and newspapers strewn across the table, to terrifying sail boat rides. Bob always assured me that the keel prevented the boat from tipping over. I still don't believe that. Sunset motor boat rides along the shore were much more my speed. But my favorite memories of Maggie are as a quintessential grandmother to my boys. She always remembered their favorite foods, and had them there. She spent hours on the dock, watching them catch tiny sunfish. Playing endless games of Go Fish and Old Maid. Magically, she always ended up with the old maid card. The lake was never too cold for her to swim when her grandchildren wanted to play in the water. They were never too noisy or messy, even when they left wet towels and toys all over the house. She'd genuinely laugh at their jokes and watch endless Disney movies, allowing Sean and me some time to ourselves.
  I miss all of that. I hope that Maggie is replaying all of her happiest memories with the people that she loved.

I have a vivid memory of laying in the front yard at the house in Assembly Point. It is one of my earliest, I must have been around five, and was always a nervous child. I remember the deep green of the grass divided from the gravel of the driveway by a perimeter of wooden beams and I was sitting on one of these laying with my back in the grass. We had spent the weekend and were getting ready for the drive back down to Albany. My parents must have moved the car or gone to get gas while I was packing inside because when I came out they were gone and I was convinced I’d never see them again. I remember laying in the grass despondent, totally unable to comprehend my new solitude in the world when grandma Maggie came and laid down beside me. She asked me how I was and spoke to me not as a child but an equal person, and not only because of my distress but because she genuinely was interested in who I was. That is who she was. Of course, as we laid in the grass talking and watching the butterflies fluttering above us, my parents did come back. And even though that house is gone from my life now, it will always return to my memory when I need comfort big or small, just as she will. I love you grandma, you’ll always be with me.

I still have dreams about the drive up to Lake George, the sound of the waves against the dock and the sting of water rushing up my nose. I dream about Grandma's smile and the sound of her laughter in the sun. I feel so much of my childhood in those dreams, and so much of her. I never want to let them go, and I never will. I miss you Grandma, and I love you forever.

About 30 years ago, I invited my sisters to join me in putting together an anthology of stories about growing up in Schroon Lake. Maggie, Pat and Joey all sent interesting memories of their early lives in the Kerst family.  I think Maggie would be happy to have some of her stories shared on her memory pages......

Stories from Maggie......

The Sea Fox

…...There came a day when Dad brought home a sailboat, which I think, he acquired from James Davignon who lived in the Newcomb area. “Jimmy our dog” also came from the same man. I don’t know how the Sea Fox got from Newcomb to Schroon Lake, but who on Fowler Ave., can ever forget the twice a year excitement of putting it in and taking out of the water!
   A cradle held the Sea Fox, but there as not trailer to move it. So, Dad devised a system of 3 steel pipe rollers, with a car to pull the cradle, another to hold it back while going down the hill on Fowler Ave. The rest of us would move the roller in back (as soon as it came free) which we would then bring up to the front of the cradle and insert it under the heavy skids. This procession would continue the length of Fowler Ave with much help—both verbal and physical—from all residents until we reached Keppler’s beach. Then it was a matter of rolling/shoving the cradle into the water until the Sea Fox floated off, and it could be anchored in deeper water for the summer.
  We all learned to sail during those wonderful summer days on Schroon Lake.


Mr. Williford and Mr. Haley (local residents)

…..They had both been in WWI. Mr. Williford had had his left leg shot off and walked with crutches, and Mr. Haley had been gassed. I would wonder which would be worse....and decided the gas wouldn't be so bad because Mr. Haley rode around in a neat jeep.


Mr. Brown

…...There was an elderly black man who lived in Schroon Lake. Dad liked him, and said his name was John Brown. I thought he had that name because his skin was brown. I was around 6 or 7 then.


A Night at the Rowanberry Inn...about 1948

Francis and Eleanor Rowan turned their big house south of Schroon Lake village into a small inn, with good food in their dining room and a wonderful cozy bar in another room. Ray Laurita was bartender for a few years, and I know that Joey was a waitress there later.

The Rowanberry tree is the same as a mountain ash, only Irish.

The bar was a favorite place to go after we all got out of work at our own summer jobs. There was always good conversation, new people to meet-especially camp counsellors, WOO WOO!! and draft beer, ice cold.
I remember a night when a man came in carrying a guitar. He regaled us with wonderful songs....”Aunt Rhodie”, “Goodnight Irene”, “Down in the Valley”....and we all sang along. It was just a wonderful rhapsodic sort of night, lots of friendship and good feelings.

It was quite a while later, that I realized we had spent a very special evening with Pete Seeger.



Well done, Maggie. A life well lived and loved. In our hearts forever......
Tony & Dottie Kerst