Beloved camp director was amongst these misplaced in Texas flooding : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3021x1933+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F62%2F92%2Fd3a609d949aa8050edb839f0e6ef%2Fheartcrop.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3021x1933+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F62%2F92%2Fd3a609d949aa8050edb839f0e6ef%2Fheartcrop.jpg" class="img" alt="Just after the summer session ended in late June, Heart O' the Hills camper Sydney Sutton sent this photo to the camp's director, Jane Ragsdale, who was killed in the July 4 flooding in Kerr County, Texas." fetchpriority="high"/> Simply after the summer season session led to late June, Coronary heart O' the Hills camper Sydney Sutton despatched this photograph to the camp's director, Jane Ragsdale, who was killed within the July 4 flooding in Kerr County, Texas. Erika Sutton cover caption

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Erika Sutton Jane Ragsdale spent her summers by the Guadalupe, the very river that killed her per week in the past in the present day within the catastrophic July Fourth flood. Point out her identify in Kerrville, Texas, this week, and folk are likely to do two issues: tear up and smile.

"I imply I am unable to let you know how many individuals, acquaintances of mine say, 'My pricey, pricey buddy died.' After which they mentioned, 'Do you know Jane Ragsdale?' and I say, 'Yeah, I did,' " mentioned Karen Taylor, who lives in close by Hunt, Texas. For her, Ragsdale was West Kerr County personified.

"All people's pleasant right here, however she embodied that friendliness and generosity and love for others. I simply can't think about life with out her," Taylor mentioned.

Ragsdale, who was in her late 60s, did loads of issues, however she's finest generally known as the proprietor and director of Coronary heart O' the Hills camp for women. She was born into the enterprise.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/855x822+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F36%2F0f%2F60f6ac2543fb93a3a638272c8a78%2Fragsdale.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/855x822+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F36%2F0f%2F60f6ac2543fb93a3a638272c8a78%2Fragsdale.jpg" class="img" alt="Jane Ragsdale ran the Heart O’ the Hills camp for girls in Kerr County, Texas. The camp was between sessions when the deluge hit. The only person killed there was Ragsdale." loading="lazy"/> Jane Ragsdale ran the Coronary heart O' the Hills camp for women in Kerr County, Texas. The camp was between classes when the deluge hit. The one individual killed there was Ragsdale. Kerrville Every day Occasions cover caption

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Kerrville Every day Occasions Her household purchased a boys' camp, Camp Stewart in 1966, the yr Ragsdale turned 9. They purchased Coronary heart O' the Hills a few decade later. Ragsdale helped run it from the beginning. By 1988, she was in cost.

In contrast to Camp Mystic, the ladies camp the place no less than 27 perished when the deluge hit, Coronary heart O' the Hills was between classes. The one individual killed there was Ragsdale.

"I've by no means in my life met somebody like Jane," mentioned Kathy Simmons, who was a superb buddy of Ragsdale's.

Simmons was at Coronary heart O' the Hills choosing up her granddaughter simply the week earlier than the flood, on the final evening the camp was open.

"We had a candlelight service on the river at 9 p.m., and it was so stunning. There have been prayers and there have been songs," Simmons mentioned. "Jane at all times led the kids in songs. And each a kind of ladies and people counselors completely idolized her."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4224x4768+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F30%2F2f%2F7353680e4805a3f69fbf630ca2e2%2Flettercrop.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4224x4768+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F30%2F2f%2F7353680e4805a3f69fbf630ca2e2%2Flettercrop.jpg" class="img" alt="After Heart O' the Hills camper Sydney Sutton sent a photo of herself to Jane Ragsdale, the camp director wrote this letter back to Sydney." loading="lazy"/> After Coronary heart O' the Hills camper Sydney Sutton despatched a photograph of herself to Jane Ragsdale, the camp director wrote this letter again to Sydney. Erika Sutton cover caption

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Erika Sutton The summer season camps on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County are establishments. Generations of women and boys undergo them, usually forming life-long attachments. Simmons thought of Ragsdale the center and soul of her camp, each religious chief and educator.

"I imply, Jane taught these ladies the right way to change a tire, the right way to experience a horse, the right way to swim, the right way to shoot a gun, archery, cooking. I imply, the requirements of life," Simmons mentioned.

Within the low season, when she wasn't operating the camp, Ragsdale usually traveled to Guatemala, the place she volunteered as an interpreter and a challenge organizer. It was mission work she began doing when she was 19 and finding out journalism. She was a badass. However she was additionally concerning the sweetest individual on the town.

"Jane was some of the real, variety, trustworthy folks and really clever, very heat," remembers Mindy Wendele, president and CEO of the Kerrville Space Chamber of Commerce. "She had a smile that you simply knew Jane Ragsdale was smiling at you."

Wendele grew up with Ragsdale, who she describes as an actual go-getter: deeply concerned within the Chamber of Commerce, a board member of the native liberal arts faculty, a category chief in highschool.

"Anytime that we had been out with Jane and her household at Coronary heart O' the Hills, we had only a fabulous time, simply fabulous recollections on the market," Wendele mentioned.

Now, with among the camps and virtually all the riverfront in ruins, Kerr County faces a monumental clean-up and rebuilding effort.

Another excuse to overlook Jane Ragsdale.

"Oh, she can be on the market volunteering. She can be on the market clearing property," Simmons mentioned. "She would have her boots on, her gloves on, she can be serving to each dang soul that wanted to be helped."

So the flood took one among Kerr County's most succesful residents, however Ragsdale's affect on the neighborhood and the ladies who got here via Coronary heart O' the Hills camp goes to final a very long time.