Camp Paxson caretakers Glenn and Jo Warneke visiting with evacuees Valerie Radford and Debbie Kittrell while dinner is being made.
Two-year-old Remington and her grandparents' pet tortoise, Miss Festus stayed at Camp Paxson for one day short of two weeks while they were evacuated from their home in Seeley Lake.
Camp cook Billy Kittrell stirring a pot of homemade elk jumbalaya. Kittrell said cooking dinner was the least he could do for everyone at the camp. He doesn't know what he would have done if it wasn't for Camp Paxson opening their doors.
Camp Paxson does not stock food. That is the responsibility of the groups that use it. However the Montana Food Bank filled their shelves and freezer with more than 7,000 pounds of food for evacuees.
Seeley Lake evacuee Ken Snow smiles as he dishes up dinner. Snow was living in his car with his dog after being evacuated. Once he found out Camp Paxson would allow pets, he moved in until he could return home Sunday morning.
SEELEY LAKE – Camp Paxson is much quieter this week after 50 of the evacuees were able to return home Tuesday, Sept. 5. The camp was home to 64 evacuees, including 20 children from infant to a senior in high school that stayed at least one night. Ten Seeley Lake evacuees remained anxiously awaiting the word that came Sunday morning. They were able to return home as well.
Glenn and Jo Warneke are the caretakers for Camp Paxson. All of the contracted groups, including three weddings, scheduled for the end of August and September cancelled. Monday night, Aug. 28 when the evacuations for Seeley Lake were ordered, the Warnekes called their boss John Torma, owner of Pi Property Management, LLC, to see if they could open the empty camp to evacuees.
“He said, feel free to do what you want, bring them in,” said Jo. “It’s here and we are a part of the community.”
Each day the word continued to spread and more people came. Camp Paxson became the local Evacuation Center and Food Distribution Center. There was no charge for the use of the cabins or the food. Those staying there were just asked to pitch in and help with the cooking and cleaning.
The Red Cross provided water and Gatorade® and comfort kits. The Montana Food Bank brought their first delivery Tuesday, Aug. 29. Friday, Sept. 1 they dropped off more than 7,000 pounds of food including 90 gallons of milk and 50 full chickens. It was enough food to feed 100 people, three meals a day for a week. The food was available for distribution to anyone who needed it at the Warnekes’ discretion.
This filled a gap in the community since the Seeley Lake Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels and dine-in programs and the Seeley-Swan Community Food Bank were all closed due to the evacuation. Those that stopped at Camp Paxson were well fed and left with plenty of food.
Several individuals also donated their time and talents to help evacuees.
Sheree Hill with the Seeley-Swan Community Food Bank, donated a box of elk burger from the food bank. Torma brought vegetables, eggs and other necessities.
Linda Russell, Karen Morton, Arlene Wilson and Linda Brevik, four friends from Bigfork, spent their afternoon Tuesday, Sept. 5 at Camp Paxson cooking for the evacuees. While initially they were just going to cook lunch, they did all the meal preparation for dinner as well. They returned Wednesday morning with donuts and muffins and made zucchini bread out of a bunch of donated zucchini.
“We can’t fight fires but we know how to cook,” said Wilson.
A group of friends wanted to help those affected by the hurricanes in Houston. They realized that there were a lot of needs in the area and they could use her money more efficiently locally.
Alexi Hunter, a student in Kalispell, Mont. and organizer for the group, read on Facebook Tuesday, Aug. 29 that there were 18 kids at Camp Paxson and they only had a couple of coloring books and a half a case of water.
“We wanted to help anyone who is affected especially where there are kids,” said Hunter. “They are precious and can’t help what is going on.”
The group purchased water, Gatorade®, soccer balls, Frisbees, coloring books and crayons, puzzles, children’s books and other games. All of the items will remain at the camp for other groups to use.
Camp Paxson does not have televisions or computers. Evacuees Keith and Lisa Maughan along with their four children got an escort to their place and came back with a television and gaming system. For a couple hours each night all of the kids gathered in one cabin and played games.
“It was limited,” said Jo. “Most of the time they went fishing, swimming, played basketball and volleyball.”
They also rode the camp bicycles. One bike had a headlight so they rode in the dark behind the one with the light.
“Yeah, it’s nine o’clock and it’s pitch dark and we had a race track going out here,” said Glenn laughing.
Jo said even though the youth go to school together, they didn’t really know each other.
“They were all playing games together and swimming together,” said Jo. “They were making friends. Everyone came together as a pretty good family group here.”
Ken Snow spent six nights sleeping in his car in Cory’s Valley Market parking lot with his dog. Once he realized he could bring his dog to Camp Paxson he headed that way and was very grateful for a hot shower.
Valerie Radford was there with her husband Ray for eight days. They were each able to still go to work at the Seeley Lake Chicken Coop and Napa and were able to have Valerie’s mother, son and three dogs with them.
“It was wonderful,” said Radford who enjoyed the opportunity to meet many new people she didn’t know from the community.
Debbie Kittrell and her husband Billy stopped at Cory’s Valley Market to grab milk for their two-year-old granddaughter Remington when they were ordered to leave their home Monday, Aug. 28.
“We had no place to go,” said Debbie who in addition to Billy and Remington, also had her 83-year-old mother, three dogs, a cat and a 20-year-old tortoise named Miss Festus. “I heard Jo say they were opening up the camp.”
By the time Debbie made it out to the parking lot, Jo’s husband Glenn had already told Billy that the camp was open for them.
Debbie’s mother Joann Switzer was at the camp for almost a week before she came down with pneumonia from the smoke and ended up in the hospital. Once the smoke clears and the evacuation order is lifted, she will be able to return to Seeley Lake.
Once they started running escorts Billy went home and grabbed a bunch of deer meat since they didn’t have any meat at the camp. He cooked up into a stew that night for everyone. After that, he earned the title of head cook. Everyone made their own breakfast and lunch and Billy cooked dinner.
“I just go get whatever is back here and throw it together,” said Billy as he stirred a pot of elk jumbalaya. “If you don’t like it you don’t have to eat it, you won’t hurt my feelings. Just don’t throw it at me.”
Debbie and Billy couldn’t thank Jo, Glenn and Lisa enough for all the work they did.
With Torma’s approval, Camp Paxson will reopen if more evacuations are ordered until the last week in September. The Warnekes emphasized there is still plenty of food and supplies. Any food that is leftover will be given to the Seeley-Swan Community Food Bank. They also donated chicken, bread, milk and other perishables to the Seeley Lake Senior Center so they didn’t spoil.
“If you see people in their tents or living in their cars, send people this way,” said Jo. “It [has] been tiring but we are so happy that we were able to help.”
If currently evacuated and needing a place to stay or for more information contact Jo, 406-763-8765.
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