When you think of the history of Blue Lake, you most certainly think of the Luetke family who built Blue Lake Resort in the 1920’s. Ernie Luetke and his wife, Cleo had 4 children. They worked hard to plant trees and build the cabins which still stand today. Their daughter, Audrey, grew up on the lake along with her brother, Don and twin sisters, Beth and Gwen. Sadly, Audrey passed away at the age of 95 on October 5, 2016. Here is the her obituary which includes some fond recollections of her life on Blue Lake.
Audrey Despain, known as Babe to her grand and great-grand children, passed away quietly on October 5, 2016. A service celebrating her life will be held at 11:00a on October 23 at the Unity Church, 20121 Santa Maria Avenue, Castro Valley.
She was born July 17, 1922 in Minocqua, Wisconsin, the second of four children of Ernest Gustav Luedtke and Cleora Estelle Luedtke (nee Grundy). Audrey was raised on a 40 acre island on Blue Lake just south of the town of Minocqua where the family ran a summer resort. The area was rural with an outhouse and an icehouse. Audrey told stories about her brother, Don, often hiding mice or other small creatures in the outhouse to scare Audrey and her sisters. During the Depression, Ernie and Don traveled the country finding construction jobs while Cleo and the girls ran the resort. They were fortunate to have cows, chickens, and a large garden and a lake full of fish so they did not have to go hungry like so many at the time. Audrey fondly remembered her gentle brown and white cow, Brownie. Audrey and her brother and sisters attended school in the one-room Hixon schoolhouse on Blue Lake Road. Audrey swept out the schoolroom after school to earn extra money. She said she gave half to her parents and kept the rest, which she usually spent on candy. Guests to the resort arrived on the train and were picked up at the depot in town and driven to the resort by horse and buggy. Audrey loved meeting the tourists and cooking for them in the lodge. Occasionally during the Depression, she would end up serving venison or squirrel stew. All her life, she took great pride in her ability to put together a good meal.
During WWII, Audrey and her twin sisters, Beth and Gwenn, ran the Standard station in town and had many happy stories about changing tires and pumping gas. By then, the resort owned a car and the country was becoming more mobile. People began arriving at the resort in their own cars so the cabins were converted to “housekeeping” cabins with their own kitchens and indoor plumbing. Ernie, Don, and Gwenn built the cabins on the resort and they are still in use today. Audrey and her sisters spent many happy summer hours on the docks sunbathing and swimming around the island. She and her sisters said that some winters the snowdrifts were so high, they walked across the roofs of the cabins to get from the road to their house on the way home from school. When she was 17, Audrey was in a car accident. On a double date in the chilly fall weather, the 4 teens in the car passed out due to a carbon monoxide leak and the car hit the abutment at Lake Katherine. Fortunately, the abutment stopped the car from going into the freezing water. Audrey had major damage to her face, losing most of her teeth and breaking her jawbone and cheekbones. Her jaw was wired shut and she said she got very tired of eating through a straw. Treats such as milkshakes soon lost their appeal!
Following the war, Audrey married James Troger in May 1946. They were married in the living room of Cabin 5 on the resort. Audrey and Jim eventually settled in Castro Valley, California, near her sister Beth who had moved out earlier with her family. They had two daughters, Jennifer and Mary Jill. Audrey worked seasonally at the Kelloggs plant in Hayward. Later, she volunteered for several years as a mentor for girls entering the Miss Hayward beauty pageant. She thoroughly enjoyed preparing the costumes and helping the girls with their talent routines. She and Jim divorced in 1970. She met Dale Despain at a dance and they were married September 8, 1973. Dale was a member of the American Legion and Audrey became an active member of the Womens’ Auxiliary, and enjoyed participating in the events and dances. She also served as Treasurer for the Alameda County Freedoms Foundation. Organizing functions and decorating for parades was one of the great joys in her life and she made many friends at the Legion.
She was a devoted member of the Unity Church for many years and enjoyed singing with the congregation and taking part in the holiday gatherings with her friends at church.
Audrey is survived by her daughters, Jennifer Troger and Mary Jill Peace, grandchildren Don Cuddihy (Kathy), Ken Cuddihy (April), Shannon Cuddihy, Jessica Freitas, 6 great-grandchildren, Jax, Jeremiah, Shanelle, Izaiah, and Isaac Cuddihy and Josh Tennyson, and niece Andree Graveley.
Audrey will be buried next to her beloved husband, Dale, at Mountain View Cemetery in Piedmont, California.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Heart Association or American Cancer Society.
http://www.mountainviewcemetery.org/obituary/Audrey-Laurette-Despain/Hayward-CA/1661915
We offer condolences to her family and friends.
Photo by Teresa Colianni
Blue Lake Preservation Association 