Even though she is the middle child in her family, Tracy Brookshier is in charge of everything that is going on at Papa’s Cabin in Middletown.

That’s why she’s known as the “Boss Lady.” It is written on her business card.

“That’s exactly what they call me,” Brookshier said.

Brookshier – along with her two siblings and husband – is running a business in which visitors can enjoy a peaceful vacation in Montgomery and Pike counties. They can rent a cabin, go fishing or have a wedding.

On Aug. 26, Papa’s Cabin held a grand opening that included 150 visitors.

“That morning, they were calling for rain pretty much all day, so we were worried about that,” Brookshier said. “But by the time we got started, it kind of stopped. We had a little bit of a rainstorm that evening. For the most part, we had a pretty good turnout.”

Papa’s Cabin is named after Terry Burnett, the father of Brookshier, Lesli Fox and Chris Burnett. He died on May 12, 2022. After Terry Burnett’s passing, Brookshier, Fox and Chris Burnett inherited the 40-acre property that is located five miles from Middletown off Highway M and tried to find ways to keep it.

“When he passed away, we didn’t want to sell the place,” Brookshier said. “We had a lot of memories here. We love it out here. Unfortunately, there was a mortgage payment on it. So we were like, ‘How are we going to continue to afford it?’”

Brookshier said even though Papa’s Cabin is open for business, there is still more work to do on the property. She, Fox, Chris Burnett and husband Steve have spent many hours renovating the cabin and fixing up the wedding venue.

“We’re hoping that it takes off,” Brookshier said. “We’re not in it to get rich off of it. We just want to help offset the mortgage so we don’t have to sell the place. Then, we still have the opportunity to come out here and fish and do the things we didn’t do when dad was around.”

Papa’s Cabin will hold a wedding in October. Brookshier said she came up with the idea of having a wedding venue when one of her friends was looking for somewhere to get married.

“They were looking for somewhere out in the country with water and wanted to do it outside,” Brookshier said. “I randomly thought, ‘You guys can get married out of dad’s place. We’re not doing anything with the place at the moment.’ That’s when a light bulb went off. I thought, ‘Hmm, this could be a wedding venue.’”

The cabin has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Brookshier said the original part of the cabin was built in 1930. Her father bought it in 2003.

Brookshier said one of the main goals for Papa’s Cabin is to share it with other people.

“Dad was a big fan of people coming over and fishing and coming in and hanging out,” Brookshier said. “He was a people person, especially when it comes to kids and fishing. He loved us getting our grandkids out or people bringing their kids over and going fishing and everything. He loved being able to share what he had with others. That’s what I think excites us the most.”

Brookshier, Fox and Chris Burnett are from Bowling Green. Brookshier works in graphic design and marketing for the Pike County Health Department.

For more information on Papa’s Cabin, call Brookshier at 314-971-5886.