They Helped Purchase Pine Pointe

The sun was shining, the lake was filled with canoes, the roar of laughter and cheering created a palpable energy. YMCA Camp du Nord’s weekly Family Triathlon was underway and two teams of Harpole family members raced through the water.

In the middle of each canoe with huge smiles on their faces were the patriarch and matriarch of the family. It was the summer of 2008 and Murray and Ruth Harpole were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary, surrounded by their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends. Murray and Ruth’s daughter Jan described how much they loved Camp du Nord and shared, “it was so symbolic and so special to have them in the center of everything.”

Funny thing, nobody seems to remember which canoe won.

Murray and Ruth’s legacy at Camp du Nord begins many years before that triathlon. In the 1980s, Murray joined the general board of the YMCA of Greater St. Paul. During that time, he was involved in the purchase of a plot of land that would expand Camp du Nord. He joined staff and other board members to tour the land, and even flew over it to look from an aerial point of view how it could be used. He helped with the fundraising, planning, and building of Pine Pointe Village, including donating the money to build the cabin called Greenstone.

When Pine Pointe opened in 2000 directly east of du Nord’s other two camp villages, he and Ruth, along with Jan, her husband Dave and three small children stayed for a week to “try out” family camp. Twenty-three summers later, there are countless memories to share for Jan’s family and many other family members who have joined the fun over the years.

Since 2000, Jan and her family have missed only two summers. “Who goes to family camp with just adults?!” Jan laughed as she explained that even after the kids grew up, they all kept going because they love it so much.

For Jan and Dave, there have been so many memories from their years at camp, but the highlight was watching their children go through the Leadership Development Program, growing in confidence, interacting with other parents and kids, developing public speaking skills, and immersing themselves in positivity. Their children — Lauren, Cole, and Brittany — were all in the Leadership Development Program (LDP) for multiple years, and Cole continued as program staff for 3 more summers after that.

In 2006 Murray and Ruth created a legacy gift for the YMCA of the North through a charitable gift annuity. Upon their passing, their charitable contribution established a named endowment fund for Camp du Nord with a significant focus on maintaining the infrastructure at Pine Pointe.

Jan described her dad as “forward thinking.” He knew that eventually Pine Pointe wouldn’t be new and shiny anymore. It would need maintenance to keep up and he knew it would be a challenge to raise money for a new septic tank or a road or roofs. By setting up an endowment, Murray and Ruth knew they could help maintain Pine Pointe for many years to come.

In addition to their endowment, Murray and Ruth funded several projects over the years, including the building of a second cabin at du Nord in Northland Village, dubbed “Twilight,” the new LDP cabin and the Crossroads Patio. Both Twilight and Crossroads Patio were named by one of Murray and Ruth’s granddaughters. They enjoyed supporting du Nord in a variety of ways.

Jan shared, “my parents were such amazing role models. They knew that they wouldn’t benefit from their gift, but they wanted to take care of camp and make sure that they could pass on the experience they had to future families. That’s how they were. They cared about and wanted to take care of people.”

Murray and Ruth were described by family and friends as unassuming, humble, down to earth, folksy. If you met them, you wouldn’t have any idea they had the means to contribute so generously. They were a team and aligned in their thinking. They liked helping people without publicizing it.

In April 2011, Murray spoke at the annual YMCA Heritage Society luncheon. He wanted to talk to people about leaving a legacy. Family friend and longtime du Nord camper and board member, Tony Bassett remembers that speech.

“He was clear and to the point and just said, ‘this is how you do it.’” Before that, Bassett didn’t remember the YMCA promoting planned giving in such a straightforward way. Murray came right out and said, “This is a good thing. We need this for the long-term financial health of the camps.”

Murray passed away just one month later. His passing was unexpected and that speech, Bassett said, “was his final word with an exclamation point.”

Ruth continued to both support and attend Camp du Nord until her final summer as a camper at 92 years old. She loved sitting on the porch, watching everything go on around her. She passed away in June 2022 at the age of 95.

“My parents lived their life and supported so many of the same values that Camp du Nord stands for,” Jan explained that living in community was important to her parents and to her and her family. She likes that du Nord is filled with families who like to do things together, communicate, have fun, and enjoy each other, and the outdoors. Sharing a meal together, singing songs, getting to know people. It is what makes Camp du Nord so special, and the reason why Murray, Ruth, Jan, and their whole family have been — and will always be — champions of camp!