On January 18, 2025, the Camphill Association was honored to celebrate the lives of three incredible women—Adola McWilliam, Herta Hoy, and Margrit Metraux—by awarding them Lifetime Achievement Awards. The ceremony took place at Fountain Hall in Camphill Village Copake, with musical offerings from Joseph Papas and the combined choirs of Copake and Kimberton Hills and a presentation of awards handmade by Ted Sumners of Copake. A spoken tribute was given on behalf of each recipient, honoring their unique biographies and with gratitude for all they have offered to their communities over the years.
An excerpt from Olaf Lampson’s contribution celebrating Adola McWilliam:
…The first glimpse we get is when we hear about her wish to become a medical doctor when she was 19, which led her to asking Albert Schweizer if she could join his work in Africa after her medical training.
She was disappointed at being told that he needed nurses not more doctors. Then, following her father’s advice, she asked Karl König. She did not fare any better and was told to join the work in Camphill and see what destiny would bring. Although this had not been the answer she had hoped for, she found that this was indeed her path. This path led her West from the Atlantic Scotland to the Pacific Coast of Canada. At the back of her mind, she carried something she had heard, namely that Ita Wegman once had said, “In Vancouver, one can still heal.” In Scotland, she met her husband Charles and founded a family. On their path west, she became a house mother and seminar teacher in different life-sharing Camphill communities. Her understanding of healing work widened for her from being a doctor, to healing through community building and to helping and educating children.
However, from what I gather from others, on this path West – often when she was about to come into her own – destiny moved her on from place to place until she and Charles arrived in Vancouver where she would have liked to stay…but then it was not West enough. And here, on Vancouver Island? Surely this is West enough. After a decade of pioneering work, helping to build a community for working with special needs adults, there came the opportunity to realize her dream of having a place for the children of the community where the services could be held, stories be told, and plays could be performed.
She began with a tent. The children came. The parents were enthusiastic. Adola raised money by giving talks, and the parents, too, helped finance a beautiful little hall built by alumni. We called it Trillium because around it trilliums bloom. It seemed that Adola’s dream would finally come true. But by that time the children had grown up, the whole nature and composition of the community changed…and the dream?
Something extraordinary, and mysterious happened – nay, is happening. We now have a beautiful space, and we have a community struggling to keep its Camphill ideals alive which are in dire danger of wilting in the winter of government rules and regulations. But our Trillium is a free space. It is an inviting space and in it we gather for festivals, conferences, puppet theatre, seasonal plays, study groups, Christian Community services, and talks – including Adola’s talks. Within this space, Camphill can survive on the Island.
What Adola has done all her adult life, namely creating space for others in which to find themselves, she has done for the spirit of our community, and perhaps for the Camphill Impulse, by offering up her own dream, giving us Trillium.
Excerpts from Sherry Wildfeuer’s sharing for Herta Hoy:
…Herta grew up in a musical family in East Germany, and at the age of 16 began her studies at Loheland, an anthroposophically inspired school “run by mighty women” which specialized in movement and music… Soon longing for more meaningful work, someone suggested that she look into Camphill. The address said Camphill Rudolf Steiner School, and because she knew and trusted the name Rudolf Steiner, she put her belongings together, with her guitar slung over her back, and hitch-hiked to Karl König’s house in Scotland. There, she was given the task of caring for the blind children, who shared her love for music.
After a time, Herta went to Dr. König and asked to take the training course… which meant moving from Scotland to the Shieling School in England, which is where she met Andrew.
For the second year of training, she moved back to Scotland to work with the blind children again. And in her third year she moved to Newton Dee to live with Friedwart and Nora Bock.
Meanwhile, Andrew went to America to join a group of older coworkers who took over the Downingtown Special School, which had been founded by Gladys and Bill Hahn but was turned over to Camphill when Bill had a stroke. In 1961, Janet MacGavin visited from America and invited Herta to join them in Pennsylvania, saying, “Andrew needs you.” This felt right to her, and so she crossed the Atlantic. In May of 1962 she and Andrew married, and they lived in the large house at Donegal Springs…
In 1967, they moved to Beaver Run, and for the first time Herta had a house of her own in Rock Crystal… I still remember being a young coworker in Beaver Run, having decided to leave, and shedding tears in the Sunday Service at the thought of never being able to hear Herta’s beautiful singing voice again. Little did I know that destiny would bring us together six years later in Kimberton Hills, and I would have the privilege of hearing her sing regularly for over 50 years!
When Kimberton Hills was given to Camphill in November of 1972, it was kept a secret until the last minute. Herta recalls Andrew showing her the property and asking if she would be willing to relocate to start a new adult Village – two days before they moved!
Suddenly, she had a huge mansion to look after. Rosie was born there, and they stayed in Kepler House for the next 14 years. From its inception, Herta impressed upon this new community her ethics of hard work and frugality. And she was a model of modesty, not calling attention to her achievements, although she could become passionate and strong-minded about what she believed to be right. Over time, this soul quality has softened as she became more flexible and open—and in her later years it is clear that her life experience has deepened into great wisdom…
Herta carried the musical element in the community and led the choir, but her focus remained homemaking until, at the age of 72, in 2007 she passed on Martin’s House to others and moved back to a smaller space in Kepler House. In the ensuing years, she could and can still be seen taking care of the gardens around Kepler and Rose Hall and the Community Health Center, weeding, clipping, hauling wheelbarrows of brush and building fires. She still looks after and cooks for one man who has a special diet and can’t fit into the bustle of a large Village household. And she has recognized that she can offer the gift of her interest and listening ear to people who long for a slower paced conversation than many have time for between the multiple tasks of Village life.
From Marty Hunt’s sharing of Margrit Metraux’s biography:
…Margrit couldn’t wait to get out of Switzerland. She thought the life there was narrow-minded, and it had given her no world view. She worked in a Basel flower shop for a year, and then, when they wouldn’t give her a month off, she left the shop and Switzerland. She was 19.
She started hitch-hiking and found herself in Sweden as a nanny first with one family and then another. Then she worked on a bio-dynamic fruit farm, and while there she began to feel her destiny guiding her. When she heard the farmer—who had worked with Ita Wegman in Switzerland—speak about how a Swiss man had seen pollen in the stratosphere, church bells began to ring in Margrit’s head. They rang the equivalent of, “Hey, Margrit!’—she knew she had made a connection to the spirit. She had hoped she could stay longer at the farm and applied for a work permit, but she heard a voice in her head saying, “You have nothing to do with these people.” The work permit was denied. Margrit determined it was time to learn English.
She went to St. Christopher’s Special School in Bristol, England and found a nursery of seven little boys waiting for her. Margrit had lots of ideas and initiatives – that others didn’t always hear about or agree with! …Margrit heard a voice saying loudly and clearly, “Now I want you to do what I want. No longer will you do what you want.”
The administrators at St. Christopher’s were friends of Dr. König, and while there she listened to talks by Walter Johannes Stein, a pupil of Rudolf Steiner. Margrit didn’t understand any of it, but she kept going. She heard negative talk about something called “Camphill” and a little dictator in the north, and she was intrigued. She heard of a speech conference in Camphill Estate in Aberdeen and got a ride on a bus picking up Camphillers to go to the conference. Peter Roth was another passenger. The trip included lots of laughter. Margrit helped washing dishes during the conference and knew she wanted to be a part of Camphill…
Back in Switzerland after her father’s death, she waited for the invitation to join the seminar in Camphill. The invitation came, and she began after Easter in 1954 at age 24—so last year was her 70th Camphill anniversary. Her first impression was of a total loneliness that she had never experienced before. She could hold on to Christof-Andreas Lindenberg—he was friendly. Her real education began—first working with nine blind children and later spastic children. She enjoyed the seminar but wrote nothing down. She had no idea of what this was, but felt it was very special… Margrit has no idea if she graduated from the seminar or not.
She became close friends with Renate König and Julian Sleigh. They were part of the youth group which called themselves “the Stickers” – because they were never leaving Camphill. But when Renate asked her to go to South Africa with her, Margrit agreed. Then the two had to tell the other Stickers they were leaving! Dr. König expected Margrit and Renate to pack their bags and leave immediately to basically pioneer the work in Hermanus. Margrit said, “I tell you. You had to believe in karma when you were in this situation.”
The people who had begun Hermanus were unwell and leaving so Renate and Margrit immersed themselves in the work. Margrit was a kindergarten teacher, then later a class teacher and houseleader. She felt the enormous elemental beings surrounding them. Once, when pruning a rose bush, she felt she was one with the bush! It took all their strength to do the inner and outer work…
Time went by quickly and Hans von der Stok—who was overseeing the work in South Africa— made one of his visits. He suggested that some co-workers had been at Hermanus long enough. Since Margrit had been there the longest, she knew he meant her! But where should she go? She looked at a map. She decided she would go to a village – she had already worked with children and youth. Having had enough of American GIs after World War II, Margrit never wanted to come to this country. But she overcame this resistance and wrote to Carlo, who said she would be welcome in Copake… Margrit arrived here in May 1968 at age 39 and could dive into everything! She had arrived at a special time—she joined in the planning of Fountain Hall, and the Place of Black Elk was dedicated in December of that year…
The building of Fountain Hall, one of the first Camphill stand-alone halls, was important for the whole movement, and many visitors from other places came for the opening just before Michaelmas, 1970. Margrit felt it was the High Point of the Village—a time when the stars were in the right places! Of course, it was Margrit who would become the caretaker of the Hall and teach this community how to care for it and how to celebrate within it. She said, “It was really mine. I grew into it.” Margrit sees the Hall as central to her work in this Village and is happy to have this celebration here. Penelope Baring recalled the beautiful rose silk tapestry Margrit wove that hung behind the Crypt altar. Margrit’s care for the Hall remains unequaled. It was a wonderful task – she said, “I seemed to be just made for it!”
…Margrit said, “It was an inspiring time with Carlo at the helm.” From 1972 – 1973 were the seven art retreats which Carlo led for people chosen from the region. Margrit said she was totally not gifted in any art, and she knew Carlo asked her to join as she was good at organizing. But she felt her care for the Hall flowed out of the work of the Art Retreats. She also feels that much of what we do here artistically—even the drawing on newly paved roads—comes from the deepening of the arts that happened in the retreats.
…A profound culture grew here in relation to funerals. Margrit helped Christoph Andreas Lindenberg put together the Camphill Book of the Dead. It became apparent to her that the children who died, described in Dr. König’s “Christmas Story,” were the ones to open the gate to the Spirit Land.
In 1979 there was an international Movement group meeting here to consider how to go forward when things weren’t going well at Triform. In the Village it was decided for everyone to consider why they wouldn’t be able to go to Triform. Janet McGavin was living in the Village at the time, and she said, “I will go.” This made Margrit feel able to say “yes” as well. The Seidenbergs then also said, “yes!” It was quite a karmic stew!
After about two long years, everything human began to sort itself out in Triform. Then Channa fell down the stairs one night and was laid up. Margrit fell apart soon after. Hans said to her, “You must leave.”
Marianne Saunders in Camphill Liebenfels in Austria had always offered Margrit to vacation together, so Margrit went to Austria. Marianna and Gisela Schlagel were going to an Idriart festival in Tbilisi’, Russia, so Margrit joined them…After the Tbilisi’ festival Margrit returned to the Village and lived in Deerfield with the LeBars but was attached to Juniper with Paul and Jonitha Hasse. After Renate died, Margrit moved to the Studio. She was aware of the history and tried to keep it as it had been. She hosted many guests there, including Sergei Prokofiev.
But Margrit thought she needed to share a space with someone else in order to continue working off some of her corners. So, she and Sylvia Bausman shared Balsam for several years before Camphill Ghent was ready for its pioneers. Sylvia had long planned to move to Ghent, but Margrit assumed she wouldn’t move and even asked the Village if she could continue here. But Christina Bould visited Camphill Ghent to determine which apartment would be hers and came back to Margrit full of excitement. She said, “Of course, I wouldn’t go without you!” That clicked with Margrit who had been trying to envision her life continuing in Copake.
Of course, for the Village the opening of Ghent was a tremendous blow and sacrifice – nine Community Members who had upheld the free Spiritual Life here left in one fell swoop—along with eight adventuresome villagers. For Margrit it was a step out of the Valley into the world.
Moving into Magnolia, Christina and Margrit were like housemothers—welcoming others, planting bushes and trees, establishing traditions with newcomers. After living in Magnolia and Sunrise with their views of the sun setting, she requested and is now in a room where she can see the sun rise.
Margrit has been happy to be a part of a new Camphill place trying to welcome and connect with people from outside the community, people who aren’t Camphillers or anthroposophists. This brings up a quality of Margrit’s that people have frequently mentioned—her interest in other people. Margrit is a bridge-builder of great skill…
Margrit remains interested in how to strengthen this unique area – Columbia County. A year or so ago she drew lines on a county map connecting Copake to Triform, to Hudson, to Ghent, to the Christian Community and back to Copake. She found it a very beautiful, almost regular pentagon, surrounding Harlemville and the Hawthorne Valley School…
The spiritual law that there is no matter without spirit and no spirit without matter describes Margrit’s devotion to Camphill.
by Joel Park, Camphill Academy Collegium
