Advertisement

Last fall, a $15,000 donation from Loomis and his wife Doris funded the construction of a brick gate at the original Townline Rd. entrance of Hartley Outdoor Education Center. Peter Hartley provided the 80 acres of land for the Hartley Nature Center camp, as the center was called in 1948.

Hartley, a St. Charles banker and businessman extraordinaire, recruited Loomis from his job at Clio State Bank and hired him as assistant cashier for Community State Bank. Over the years, Loomis rose through the ranks, eventually retiring as the bank's chairman and CEO in 2002. He continued serving as a bank consultant until last spring.

"Hartley has always been very close to my heart. I know people who attended the camp when they were kids, and now their grandchildren are going. It's a jewel for St. Charles," Loomis said.

The old entrance is no longer used for vehicle traffic, but is highly visible for the thousands of people who visit Hartley each year. When the center holds its annual open house this fall, hundreds of nature lovers will take wagon rides past the facility's former entrance. The area is also a key spot for many school camp activities, including shuffleboard and other games.

The Loomises originally hoped their contribution could be used to refurbish the original Hartley building, which was just past the old entrance. But that project proved to be a costly and complicated undertaking, so the couple began looking for another way to show their support.

The old metal gate entrance on Townline Road had fallen into disrepair over the last decade, said Hartley Director Jim Blaschka, but the facility hadn't been able to budget the money needed to refurbish it.

"Over the years Bob had mentioned how rough the gate was getting, and one day he came to me and said 'I have an idea!' and we went from there," Blaschka said. "He designed it himself, with a nice historical perspective. It's a beautiful structure, and we're very appreciative of the generosity shown by the Loomis family."

Most of the structure was completed last fall, with some details finished up this spring. A plaque on the wall pays tribute to Bob and Doris for their contribution.

The Loomises are longtime Hartley benefactors, Blaschka said. Since the 1970s, Bob has been the chairman of the Hartley Foundation, which helps support the efforts of the center, and he has helped with everything from pancake breakfasts to fundraising auctions. He was instrumental in developing the foundation's Giving Tree program, which has raised more than $1 million since the 1980s.

Loomis said he is pleased that he and Doris have been able to continue the good work started by Peter Hartley and carried out by staff and supporters for nearly 60 years.

"I've been very fortunate in my life and I gain a lot of pleasure by being able to help out when and where I can," he said. "It's been a treat to work with Hartley."

Today, Hartley is more than three times its original size, with 300 acres of natural habitat, including hardwood forests, wetlands, a meadow, ponds and a creek. The Hartley site is also home to the Coal Mine No. 8 historical site and museum, Schroeder Log Cabin, Fowler One-Room Schoolhouse, Murphy Farmhouse, Henige Log Cabin and the Farm Leaning Center.

Hartley is located 1.5 miles northwest of St. Charles at 12633 Beaver Road. For more information about Hartley programs and services, call (989) 865-6295.