A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
by Wally Wojack

The year was 1914 when George and Mary Stouch left their home in Germany & settled on 80 acres of farmland in Western Michigan along with their children Robert, George Jr., & Roma. In 1930, Roma began using the land commercially & became a counselor & instructor for young girls in outdoor camping, crafts, swimming, drama, dancing, & sports (including horseback riding). The camp was named “Cedar Shores” because of the hundreds of white cedar trees surrounding the lake. A stone wall at the corner of Water & Clay Road stands today with an embedded bronze plaque marking the site of the first family business attempt.

During the summer of 1933, the family invited local church congregations to send their children to the farm for a summer vacation. To honor their young guests, the family renamed the farm “The Jack & Jill Ranch.” Although the kids’ ranch remained only two years (followed by a more grandiose camping experience) the name Jack & Jill Ranch was a success beyond imagination, & was called by that name until the mid 1970s when the owners decided to change the name to the Double JJ Ranch Resort, & today to the Double JJ Resort.

George Storm (having changed his name from Stouch to Storm) was teaching in Florida during 1934, where he realized that students enjoyed vacations with people their own age. He had just the place to bring people of the same age together: The Jack & Jill Ranch. In 1936 George embarked on his concept, which has evolved over the years & resulted in the resort you are visiting today. The resort continues its growth to this day, drawing guests from all over the world. Keeping the Western culture & heritage in place with an emphasis on treating guests to warm, friendly, family-like experience has given the resort the distinction of being the biggest western style dude ranch east of the Mississippi…and America’s Friendliest.