Custom Search     Susterka Lake     Oh yeah! I remember many summers spent at Susterka Lake. From Elementary school ...through my High School years... every summer that was the place. The Casino, the tower, the old 3 meter board, the basket room and the logs. My father would buy a season pass for me and I would ride my bike there every morning and wait for it to open. In the years to follow I would work my way in. Don was really good about that. Pick up on the beach, in the Casino and later it would     be basket room duty or life guard. Didn't see much of Bill but on occasion he would venture down to the casino area. The logs... remember the logs. Early in the morning when I would first get there the turtles would sometime be sunning themselves on the logs. Until you got too close and then in the water they went. Later ,of course, the big stone and cement wall was put in just past where the logs were. I remember losing my class ring there... jumping off the 32 ( as it was called ) and watching as it slowly drifted from my finger. They would drain the lake every year and luckily it was found. Not enough room for my memories here... I loved Susterka Lake.... Says Bob Winkelmann I have       fond and happy memories of Susterka from the 50's and 60's. My two older brothers taught me to swim there when I was pretty young and surprised my mother with a demonstration. Her not knowing that my brothers had taught me to swim,   they threw me into the deep water and my mother almost had a heart attack and was pretty panicky. It wasn't funny to my mother at the time but my brothers thought it was hilarious. I really learned to love the water and looked forward to going there for an afternoon of fun and sun well into the 60's. Says L. G. Van Assche I worked as a lifeguard for Don until I went into the usmc in sept62 Says Tom Visited the Lake several times back in the 50's. Didn't have the nerve to jump off that tower tho. had a classmate who did and ruptured a ear drum. Quite a place and very popular. Says Brent I moved from the downriver area to Ypsi Twp. My Grandfather (Praise God is still living and at the age of 89) used to ride on the running boards of Model T's from Wyandotte to Susterka Lake to ''pick up chicks'' as he says. I knew nothing of Susterka Lake until he came to visit and took the scenic route from downriver to Ypsi along Huron River Dr. My Grandfather has told me many stories about Susterka Lake and once the weather improves I plan to ask the current residents if I may bring him to the lake to reminisce. A few years ago I was privileged to see the home and grounds on a garden tour and it was breath taking. Says Cindy Rudzik Hello, I was a wrangler at the stable next door to the lake. I lived with Bill in the barn. I had some of the best times of my life. Gary and Larry hung out with me sometimes. I was there when Mickey King dove of of the 32 ft. platform. I will always have that place in my mind, but moved back to TN. And if it were not for the cold weather, I would probably make a life there. Hello to all that remembers me. Tookie Says Tookie In the mid 1960''s, I was a memember of Dick Kimball's Univesity of Michigan diving team. We used to work out at Susterka Lake where Kimball had constructed a ten meter diving tower from painter's scaffolding. Other members of that team included Micki King who went on to win the Olympics in 1972. My wife and I now live in Iowa City, Iowa Says Bruce Brown I was a LifeGuard at Susterka in 1957. Don taught me more about Guarding then the classes at the high school. A lot of first's in my life were at Susterka. Family moved away later that year and never say the place again. What a great summer. Pizza party every night and diving off the tall tower at midnite, on my back. Says Stuart My Great Grandfather, Anton Susterka, was the creator of ''Susterka Lake''. He started this swimming place in the early 1900's. My father met my mother in the mid 40's there and that's where I learned to swim. I will never forget the good times my family had there. Anton sold the property to Lissa Bastedo's father, Don, in the early 50's. Today the property is owned by Mike Suliman. All the buildings were taken down, but the small pond is still there. Says Brad Susterka Hi Lissa, Yes, I remember Susterka Lake well. I had on my very first two piece bathing suit when I swung out over the lake on those fantastic rope swings. As I hit the water, the top of my suit came off. I almost drowned trying to find and get my top back on. LOL. I am not sure how long ago you have been back to the Belleville area, but Susterka lake has all but disappeared. It is very overgrown and very little evidence of a lake remains. Suzanne Says Suzanne Todd Susterka Lake was owned by my family until the 1980's. It used to be the hot spot in the Belleville area. All my friends came to Susterka Lake for their summer fun. I now live on Maui in Hawaii. I guess I have traded one great spot for sun and fun for another. I want to say Hi! to everyone in Belleville. I may get back there some day. Have a great life. Aloha,Lissa Bastedo Daughter of Don Bastedo of Beleville, Michigan. He was the bomb. Says Lissa Bastedo          Map Detailed Map Marinas Marinas on or near Susterka Lake Weather Local weather forecast