Meet the New Owners of Mockingbird Bay Resort

Hello everyone! So here it is… our story.

Meet Lee, Karla, Chris, and Ranae.

Our names are Lee and Karla Scharnhorst. We are one-half of the new team here at Mockingbird Bay Resort! This endeavor started as a joke when Ranae (my sister) first approached us. Kinda like, “yeah that would be fun, but we'll never do it.” We have always loved vacationing in the area. It's beautiful and peaceful and the lake is outstanding. I mean really… what's not to love! It was a few years until we finally had the chance to stay at the resort.  In 2023, we were fortunate enough to book 3 cabins we needed from a cancellation at Mockingbird Bay. We loved it here! It was a perfect setup for us, and we were hooked! After going home, and thinking about it more and more, we decided to call the realtor and get the ball rolling. Lee (my husband) made the call to obtain more information about the resort and then called Ranae and Chris (my sister’s husband). It took some time, but finally, everything fell into place, and we signed papers to purchase the property in October 2024. 

So, a little bit about us...

We came here from northeast Iowa. Lee worked for a cabinet company for 34 years, then for PepsiCo as a technician; fixing pop machines, ice makers, etc.- which is right up his alley.  I (Karla) had a daycare in our home for 30 years and loved it! But owning a resort in one of my favorite places intrigued me. This new endeavor sounded fun! So, we made the move and have no regrets! We miss our family and friends, but this makes for a fabulous vacation spot for them. 

Lee and I have two daughters, Morgan (Jason) and Taylor (Andy).  Morgan and Jason have two children, Brady (4) and Lucy (2). Taylor and Andy also have 2 kids, Scarlett (7) and Leo (5).  Hopefully, we will soon get them closer to Mountain Home.   

Hey everyone! We are Chris and Ranae Harrington, the other half of the team here at Mockingbird Bay. To say this was once a pipe dream is an understatement! This journey started so long ago. We’ve been coming to Norfork Lake for a little over 20 years now. You see, this Iowa girl, Karla’s sister, grew up going to the lakes of Minnesota. We grew up going to the lake each summer. I think she loved it as much as I did. 

When Chris and I married, we took a few trips way up to the Northwoods with my family. Chris loved the lake too!  So, we bought our first pontoon and kept it at our house in Memphis. We wanted to be able to take it anywhere. Well… it didn’t take long to realize Norfork Lake was our happy place. We’ve been meeting our Iowa family at this lake for summer vacations ever since. 

Chris and I met while working for a commuter of Northwest Airlines. I was a dispatcher, and Chris was a crew scheduler. After a time, we were both dispatchers. Chris went on to his dream job with the City of Memphis Fire Department. He’s been on the job for 21 years now. I have remained in the airline industry. I guess you could say I like telling pilots what to do.  I’m happy to say, I’ve spent 28 years in this industry. 

We started looking for houses at the lake purchase when we retired and that’s when we stumbled upon Mockingbird Bay’s Property for Sale post. The rest, we can finally say, is history. And our FUTURE!  We are all so excited about this new endeavor! 

We have four children. Cayton (college), Liam (who may or may not be moving with us to the lake), and twin girls, Avery and Brinkley (11). I don’t know who’s more excited about all of this. They have been such troopers with all the changes. 

This crew of 4 is beyond excited to get started in 2025! We have big shoes to fill following Frank and Loretta Zortman. They have been absolutely fabulous with everything! From answering endless questions, showing us the things we never thought we needed to worry about, etc. We love them and can truly say we now have lifelong friendship in them. 

In closing, let us tell you… You will likely see our family boats out and about from time to time. We love this lake so much! But rest assured that quality service and a great experience for our guests is our top priority!  We are looking forward to getting to know you all.

Give us a call and book your spot today!
870-491-5151

P.S. We are now a house divided. Lee and Karla are Tampa Bay Bucs fans. Chris and Ranae are Green Bay Packers fans. Kinda fitting, that the Battle of the Bays ends up at Mockingbird Bay!  

 

Coming Soon!