In Findley Lake, the answer to Barbara Striesand’s song would be a resounding “Yes!” More than 30 people, mostly lifetime residents of Findley Lake gathered at the Community Center on July 20 to share memories. From the laughter and stories that were shared, it seems probable that all those in attendance would, indeed, do it all again.

The event was moderated by Findley Lake resident Pam Watross and sponsored by Community Connections at Findley Lake. Participants sat in a large circle and freely shared memories that often involved other people in the circle.

A favorite topic of discussion was the Ship ‘N Shore Restaurant and the roller rink that were once central gathering places. According to Mary Norcross, Mina town historian, the Ship ‘N Shore was “a soda fountain, a place to get hot dogs, a place where you wrote you name on the table.” Norcross brought a large binder with her, detailing the Ship N’ Shore reunion in 1998.

“We actually had the people there that owned Ship N’ Shore and the Skating Rink,” she said.

The roller rink and the Ship N’ Shore restaurant were favorite gathering spots in Findley Lake history.

The memories of these places that were shared brought much laughter from the participants. Pete Howard spoke of the endless hours he spent there. “We grew up being around the skating rink most every night,” he said.

Dan Norcross talked about some of the “automobiles shenanigans” that went on in the mid-1960s. “We used to have some burnout contests down there after dark, to see who could make the biggest black mark,” he said.

Lee Chapin spoke of how, in the ’50s, “my lovely bride and I came out here for our honeymoon and we’ve been coming ever since.” His wife, Barb, added that when they came into town, “I remember a sign, like a billboard that said: Welcome Lee and Barb to your Honeymoon Cottage.”

Gerri Kinley surprised everyone when she shared a song she said had been written in 1907 about Findley Lake. The Song was called “Sweetheart So True” and was subtitled “My Dear Old Findley Lake, So Blue.” Kinley went on to sing a verse from the song.

Christmastime was the subject of many memories which were shared with the group. One woman spoke of how people used to take part in a round robin on Christmas Eve with the houses around the lake. Another favorite memory of many of the participants was a man named Barney Fergus, who would dress as Santa every year and visit every house around the lake on Christmas Eve.

Many participants also shared memories of the Boy and Girl Scouting Organizations. Rebecca Brumagin noted that the Girl Scouts in Findley Lake were called Mariners, which was a title that could only be applied to members who lived by a lake.

“The great thing about growing up in Findley Lake as a Girl Scout was that you were a Mariner and did not have to wear the same boring brown outfit as the rest of the Girl Scouts. We wore a navy blue outfit,” she said.

One man asked those present if certain legends his father had told him are true. He asked if they actually used to race cars on the ice in winter, and several people immediately affirmed that this was true. He also asked if his house had been moved across the lake on the winter ice. Mary Norcross said that there were some cottages moved across the lake, but his was not one of them.

Several people shared memories of picking cherries in North East as a first job. “We worked for Howard Orton in North East,” said Pete Howard. “After we were done, on warm days, we would walk around the lake, find a boat house and jump off the roof into the water.”

The memories went on and on, but one of the participants summed it all up pretty well when she noted “there was always something to do. They were just silly things but we were never idle. Our parents were good at keeping us busy and off the streets.”