Staff Blogger: Jessica Kidd, Advancement Manager

Mabelle Seitter Elsasser first came to Lakeside in the early 1920s with her par­ents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brother and sister.

Being raised in a Methodist family, Lakeside was an important part of their family vacations.

Elsasser shared her fondest memories of the Chautauqua community with her daughter, Elizabeth Brahler.

Elsasser would often reminisce about the educational lectures and the family connections.

Brahler, along with close friends, first came to Lakeside in 1974.

After one short afternoon, Brahler felt the same connection to Lakeside that her mother felt. She was determined to return more frequently.

When asked about what she loves most about Lakeside, Brahler shared that she enjoys the freedom that youth experience at this spe­cial place.

Brahler added, “It’s the pro­gramming and being able to stand in front of the stage and dance, Patio donuts, ice cream cones, the Rhein Center, miniature golf, the lake and splash pad.”

During evenings at Lakeside, her fam­ily would decorate their golf cart with glow sticks and wear glow necklac­es while driving around singing.

“Lake­side is where we feel my mother’s spirit and the obvious place to leave something permanent to commemorate her,” Brahler explained.

As a way to honor her mother and provide fellow Lakesiders with a sense of security and orientation, the campus maps in the pedestals were purchased from the family’s special gift to the Lakeside Fund.

The maps were manufactured through Pannier Graphics, located in Gibsonia, Pa.

Pannier Graphics is known for produc­ing long-lasting products in a responsible and environmentally-friendly manner.

The company has been certified for providing materials that are free of lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. The ink that is used is non-toxic.

Lakeside Chautauqua graciously thanks Elizabeth Brahler and family for their generous gift in memory of Mabelle Seitter Elsasser.