When McLeod McCrory, 50, drove away, a wave of sadness settled over her as she imagined how quiet their house would be without Blakely dancing through the rooms. Her husband, Blake, had died unexpectedly in March at 59. But as a proud Camp Mystic alum herself, the mom took comfort in knowing that Blakely was heading off for an unforgettable summer.
Then, in the early hours of July 4, tragedy stuck along the Guadalupe River in Central Texas when a sudden flash flood surged through Camp Mystic, resulting in 27 confirmed deaths, including 21 campers and 6 counselors.
On June 7, McLeod McCrory received the devastating call that that Blakely’s body had been recovered. Blakely was found wearing her green-and-white beaded Camp Mystic necklace.
Days later, with funeral preparations underway, a letter arrived from Blakely written on fill-in-the-blank stationery. In it, the rising third grader shared that she was “good,” that camp was “amazing” and that she was participating in tennis, horseback riding and land sports.
“She had asked me about the activities I had done when I was a kid, and she ended up taking all the same activities,” McLeod McCrory says, her voice steady but tinged with sadness.
“I’m a Tonk,” Blakely wrote her mom, referring to one of the two “tribes” all the kids at camp are sorted into when they arrive.
Then a second letter arrived. Blakely had an urgent request. She had been thinking about their upcoming move and wanted to make sure her mom wasn’t planning to donate something important to her
"I didn't cry," McLeod McCrory says. "It made me smile. I could hear her little voice as she wrote it. I’d asked her which toys I could throw out and at first her Barbie Dream house was on the list. But then, I guess she had a change of heart!”
People often tell McLeod McCrory they don’t understand how she can be so strong. She says she leans heavily on her faith. At times, she closes her eyes and pictures Camp Mystic, a place filled with joy and memories.
