Wednesday, December 6, 2000

Owned first day camp in area

Margaret “Peggy” Steele Werner, former co-owner of Sebago Club, the first day camp in the St. Louis area, died Nov. 11, 2000, of infirmities at her home in Miami, Fla. She died shortly before her 98th birthday. She had lived in St. Louis for more than 50 years.

Mrs. Werner and her husband, the late L. Matthews Werner, opened Sebago Club in 1923. The club served as a recreational camp on Saturdays and weekday afternoons during the school year, and as a day camp during the summer for children from privileged families in St. Louis.

The couple eventually formed Sebago School in St. Louis. In 1959, they closed the club on Warson Road and moved the school to Miami, where they operated it for several years.

The Werners also operated Camp Ironwood, a summer camp for boys, and Camp Arrowventure, a girls camps, both in South Waterford, Maine.

Mrs. Werner was a past president of the League of Women Voters in St. Louis.

As a young women, Mrs. Werner danced at the St. Louis Municipal Opera. She gave ballet lessons at city parks to work her way through Washington University’s School of Law. In 1924, she graduated from the school with a bachelor of laws degree.

Among the survivors are two sons, Marlin Spike Werner of Hilo, Hawaii, and Wallace Meade Werner of Bridgeton, Maine.

The body was cremated.

Memorial contributions may be made to any charity for children or adolescents.