Clear Lake is a special place for longtime friends

(Above) (L-R) Melissa Chapman, Joyce Fowler, Diane Crossley and Shawn LeGloanec, friends for more than 50 years, chose Clear Lake as a safe place to meet during the pandemic. - Reporter photo by Chris Barragy.

by Marianne Gasaway

Clear Lake holds a special place in many peoples’ hearts.  Maybe you learned to swim here, got engaged at the Sea Wall, or danced at the Surf Ballroom.  But for four friends who have spent most of their adult lives scattered in different directions, Clear Lake has been their safe place.

Melissa Chapman, Joyce Fowler, Diane Crossley and Shawn LeGloanec have been friends for more than 50-years, dating back to their college days and life after graduation, which included all four becoming teachers. 

“Our friendship continued through births, deaths, raising kids, grandkids, marriages and divorces,” explained Shawn, who hails from St. Paul, Minn.  “No matter what any of us were doing, or where we were doing it, we continued to stay in touch.  But when COVID hit that became really difficult.”

Each took COVID-19 safety precautions very seriously and they resigned themselves to the fact that gathering in person wasn’t a good idea.  

Melissa, who is from Des Moines, began reaching out daily to her friends with a text.  

“It would just be something simple, ‘like how are you doing today?’” she explained.  “I wouldn’t always hear back from everyone right away, but within a day or two, we would all  check in.  It was a bit of comfort in an otherwise difficult time.”

That check-in sufficed during the early days of the pandemic, but when warmer weather arrived the group decided it needed more.  They needed to find a place where they could meet outdoors, exchange elbow bumps for hugs, and catch up.  Diane, who also lives in St. Paul, did a little research and determined that Clear Lake, Iowa would be a two-hour drive for all (technically it should take Joyce a little longer, since she lives in Cedar Rapids, but they tease she has a lead foot).  They packed up their lawn chairs, a picnic lunch and agreed to meet at City Park, near the lake.

The group celebrated Melissa’s birthday outdoors in Clear Lake back in August, but as the temperatures got colder and the pandemic raged on, they were back to Zoom meetings and sharing photos by text and email.  

“All those things— especially the times we could get together in Clear Lake, were so important when we 

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were so isolated by the pandemic.  We probably kept in the best contact of our lives, but it was so important we did,” said Joyce. 

Each woman said she felt the support of her friends as they experienced separation from their children, co-workers and life as they knew it.  Their conversations also provided some light-hearted moments, like Joyce regaling them with stories of how her house became suddenly filled with family ages two to 93 as the result of the Derecho, a son moving back home and the pandemic.  “Our Zoom calls and Clear Lake gatherings gave me some space,” she joked.

“No matter what the world looks like post-pandemic, Clear Lake is always going to be in our hearts,” added Shawn.  “It was so meaningful for us as a safe place.”

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