Untitled - TDL Sales

My name is Suzi Kwon Centobie. Both my parents
are from South Korea where they met. My
mom was a beautiful, popular and smart girl
from a wealthy family. She was president of her
high school class and spoke at her high school
graduation ceremony. Conversely, my father
was quiet and studious. It seems his respectful,
introverted countenance won my mom over. Both their parents wanted to give them the best
education possible, as many Koreans do. So, they
came to the United States as college students and
married shortly before graduation. My dad likes to
talk about how their wedding cost them only $100! They eventually settled in Chicago for work. In 1975, my parents, three siblings and I were on our
way to a family vacation in Hot Springs, Arkansas. On the way, my parents wanted to stop to see
two of their college friends, Mary Etta and Joe
Layden who lived in Bonne Terre. We ended up
driving through Terre du Lac and my dad fell in love
with the place. It was so beautiful. We saw deer
wandering around in the woods. We loved the
lakes and water skiing. My brother, who was on the
high school golf team, and my parents all loved
the golf course. The rest of us liked the clubhouse
where we could play billiards, workout and swim at
the pool.
I remember when my dad asked us, “Would you
guys like to have a vacation house here?” We all
cheered and exclaimed, “Yes”!” In 1975 my parents
built a small home near Lake Carmel. At the time,
Terre du Lac was going through bankruptcy. My
dad saw the business potential in this 5,000-acre
private development and took the TDL project to
his management and spearheaded the acquisition. After dealing with over 26 attorneys representing
creditors, banks and Fred Weber, Inc., the
restructuring was agreed to and TDL, Inc. came out
of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. CIT Corporation of New
York City agreed to provide a $9 million line of credit
to Terre du Lac, Inc. In 1977, my parents bought a lot on Lake Capri. While the new house was under construction, we
lived in the Solar Home on Champs Elysees, the long
one-way street which runs through much of Terre du
Lac. It was the first solar home ever built in the state
of Missouri. I remember being so proud and telling
my friends we lived in a solar home! I went to college at the University of Illinois in
Champaign-Urbana. TDL was only a three-hour
drive away. Many a weekend I would come down
with a car full of friends. We would water ski on Lake
Capri, then my mom, who is an excellent cook,
would cook for us. Sometimes my dad would take
us to the Club for a great meal overlooking the
mountains outside the large picture windows of the
dining room. We learned to fish off the dock in my
parents’ backyard. Terre du Lac stocks all the lakes
annually. We LOVED Terre du Lac.
The Clubhouse became known as the best dining
destination available between South St. Louis
and Cape Girardeau. There was a dinner dance
every Saturday night with a player piano at the
bar for entertainment. My dad created the motto,
“Terre du lac, Where Every Day is a Weekend.”
Today, my dad is an avid golfer. He is often found
on the driving range practicing and improving his
golf skills. None of that would be possible today if
my dad had not made his long-time dream come
true. In 1981, he designed and built his own 9-hole
golf course. He imported the finest golf course
grass, Mid-Iron Bermuda tiff, from Tifton, Georgia,
and sprigged it on both the 9-hole and 18-hole
golf course.
With the desire to continue to improve TDL still
intact, in 1994 my dad donated 6.01 acres of prime
real estate across from the Clubhouse to the TDL
Association for community use. Today, the Pavilion,
kid’s playground and park now exist. Community
activities such as the Easter Egg Hunt, the TDL Fall
Festival and outdoor movie events are held on a
regular basis.
My dad has been COO and CEO since the acquisition to
present, almost 40 years now. In 1976, the Clubhouse was
completed by TDL, Inc. Chef Klaus from the Bellerridee
Country club was brought in as the first chef. Anyone
who purchased property in TDL automatically became
a member of the TDL Club. The first golf pro was Dave
Douglas, 14 time winner on the PGA tour and member of
Championship US Ryder cup team. In 1977-78, Bonne Terre Savings and Loan Association
opened a branch on front entrance commercial property
which is currently occupied by First State Community
Bank. One of the largest state Arts and Crafts shows was
held in TDL, emceed by John Auble, the TV newscaster
from Channel 4 in St. Louis. Dignitaries such as radio
celebrities Jack Carney and Jack Buck frequented
TDL. The Tex Bernanke band performed often at the
TDL Pavilion. Numerous fund raising events held at the
TDL Skyview golf course were attended by the Big Red
football players and Cardinal baseball players. The
NCAA mid-west golf tournaments were held at TDL. Rental Chalets were built to accommodate group and
corporate outings at the Country Club and golf course. Today, Terre du Lac has over 1,300 homes,
occupying between 3,200 and 3,500 weekenders,
retirees and full-time residents. It has three water
wells with a fourth under construction, two storage
tanks, and two major sewer treatment plants. There are over 80 miles of roads; 25 miles paved
and 55 miles gravel. Amenities include 16 lakes
for swimming, boating, skiing and other water
activities, 27-holes of golf, a swimming pool, tennis
courts, pavilion, campgrounds, picnic grounds, a
baseball field and multiple outdoor parks including
one with a 2.8-mile bike/jogging lane around its
perimeter. My dad loves to watch the deer, quail and all the
wildlife run free in TDL. He still believes Terre du Lac
is one of the finest developments in Missouri. Many
would agree that Terre du Lac is the best kept
secret in Missouri! The development has its own
private police and fire department, with a guard
station at the front entrance. The clubhouse is
beautiful. The views out the large, floor-to-ceiling,
back windows of the dining room with a view
of the mountain landscape were and remain
spectacular. Last year, my husband and I decided
to move out here. My husband could not believe
the type of home we could buy at such a low cost.
We purchased a home in a private community
on one of the largest lakes on a 1.25 acre lot, 40%
larger than our home in the San Francisco Bay
Area, for about one third the cost! The views out
our back windows are stunning, not to mention the
sunsets over the lake. Almost daily we see deer
wandering around our property. My main incentive for moving here was
that my parents were getting older; my
dad wanted to sell off the rest of the land
that he owns and retire. I wanted to see
him stop working and enjoy life more.
My husband’s main incentive to move
here was the type of home we could
buy, the money we would save, and the
improved quality of life. In California, a
large chunk of our income went to our
house payments. Although I do not work
full-time for Terre du Lac, Inc., I try to help
my dad as much as possible. Terre du Lac is still one of the most
beautiful, peaceful, and affordable
places to live in the surrounding areas. You can buy a lot here for as little as
$2,000 and build your dream home. You
can scope out available lots, or find plat
maps of the entire development, via the
TDL website at www.BuyTDL.com or call
the Terre du Lac sales office at (573) 3583378. Ask for Geneva Cseak, the Sales
Manager.
Property Owners who move here, rarely
ever leave.