Lakeside Series
2026 events:
Programs are Thursdays in the Marine Dining Room.
10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25 - Dr. Debbie McQueeney (Host: Elaine Mollenkopf)
“Unpacking the Pursuit of Happiness”
What would you say is the secret to happiness? In this presentation we will explore current psychological research in addition to historic visions of happiness. By connecting ancient philosophers and our founding fathers to our current views on happiness, we will discuss how our ideas of happiness have evolved. Is happiness about the pleasure promoted by media? Or about finding our purpose and following a value system? Are Republicans or Democrats happier? Discover the contribution of relationships and your circumstances to your level of happiness.
Debbie McQueeney is a semi-retired psychologist in private practice. She was a pioneer in the integration of behavioral health care into primary care in Kansas City, partnering with physicians, nurse practitioners and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City. She now enjoys the opportunity to spend her summers in Blue Heaven cottage.
8 p.m. Thursday, June 25 - Mira Rubin (Host: Bill Parkhurst)
“Shield of Freedom: Ukraine’s Ongoing Fight for Survival and Hope”
Mira Rubin, President of Shield of Freedom, will speak on the current state of Ukraine’s fight for freedom, offering both strategic insight and human stories from the war. Rubin will unpack what’s happening today, why it matters, and how international support continues to shape Ukraine’s resilience. This talk offers an opportunity to better understand the conflict and learn how to stand in solidarity with Ukraine.
8 p.m. Thursday, July 2 - Berend families (Host: Bill Parkhurst)
“Providing Free Life-Changing Surgeries in Guatemala”
Team Hope In Motion is a volunteer medical humanitarian organization that provides the gift of mobility through life-changing joint replacement surgeries at no cost to those in need in Guatemala. Each mission brings together skilled medical professionals and compassionate supporters to restore movement, independence, and hope to patients living with chronic pain and disability.
In just one week in 2025, Team Hope In Motion provided 98 free orthopedic surgeries to Guatemalan patients who otherwise had no access to this critical care. For many, the ability to walk without pain means returning to work, caring for family, and rejoining daily life with dignity. These surgeries do not simply change individual lives, they strengthen families and communities for generations.
Drs. Mike and Keith Berend of La Palapa cottage and Sea-Moor-Buoys cottage founded Team Hope In Motion and partnered with Faith In Practice in 2021. Team Hope In Motion has focused its efforts in Guatemala, working alongside trusted local partners to ensure patients receive safe, high-quality care before, during, and after surgery. This collaboration allows care to extend beyond a single mission week and supports year-round medical coverage for patients in need.
Today, Team Hope In Motion is a collaborative effort comprising volunteer surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, internal medicine physicians, and physical therapists who donate their time and expertise to restore mobility and independence for patients who otherwise lack access to surgical care.
The impact of this work is clear. Over the past five years, Team Hope In Motion has provided more than 333 free orthopedic surgeries in Guatemala. This number doesn’t include the additional lives impacted when the patients’ families and communities are considered. Every gift invested provides hope by sending surgical team members, covering the cost of critical medical supplies, and funding Faith In Practice to deliver continual care and coverage throughout the year. Financial support, prayer, and shared stories are vital to making these surgeries possible.
This year, Drs. Keith and Mike Berend, and Molly Berend, R.N., were in Guatemala March 21 to 28, restoring mobility, independence, and hope for those in need in Guatemala. Please join us July 2 for a presentation of our updated documentary. To learn more, visit teamhopeinmotion.org.
8 p.m. Thursday, July 9 - Marie Stycos (Host: Karen Bagwell)
“Taking Charge of Your Comfort at End of Life”
Have you considered where and how you want to be cared for as you approach your mortal end? Does your family know how you wish to be cared for in your final months, weeks, or days? Do you know what your options are? Why think about this now? You are invited to join the exploration and discussion.
Presenter: Marie Stycos, Mindful Passages LLC, 47 years a nurse; End of Life Educator; End of Life Doula; Energy Worker, Spiritual Seeker
8 p.m. Thursday, July 16 - Mike Nagle (Host: Bill Parkhurst)
“Feuding Founders: Collaboration & Conflict between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson”
The year 2026 will mark 250 years since the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. Among others, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams worked together to draft this founding document in American history. Their collaborative efforts shaped the nation in many ways, yet their relationship in the years following the American Revolution were complicated. Join West Shore Community College professor of history, Mike Nagle, as he chronicles the factors that led the pair to become bitter rivals during the era of the Early Republic with competing visions for the nation’s future and how they eventually reconciled in their later years.
8 p.m. Thursday, July 23 - Pamela Fennewald (Host: Bill Parkhurst)
“Sixteen Days on the Amazon River”
Pamela Ponder Fennewald, Buena Vista cottage, has been coming to Epworth “all my life.” She earned her degree in biology at Carleton College, where she met her husband, Michael. They adopted their daughter, Elizabeth, from China when Pam was 44. Pam earned her medical degree at Northwestern Medical School, and did her intership and residency at Cook County Hospital.
She spent 38 years in private practice in Internal Medicine & Geriatrics. Retirement has offered her the chance to explore all of biology, and after a course in tropical ecology, she was off to her dream destination, the Amazon River.
Pam and Michael live in Galveston, Texas, during the cold months, and at Epworth Heights in the warm months.
8 p.m. Thursday, July 30 - James Jensen (Host: Karen Bagwell)
“Transforming West Michigan: From the Diaries of Charles Mears”
No one man played a larger role in the transformation of West Michigan during the 19th century, especially along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, than Charles Mears (1814-1895). This presentation will review the life of Mears through extensive historical research including the personal diaries kept by Mears himself during several decades of the 19th century. From Ludington State Park south to the mouth of the White River, Mears played a major role in the improvement of nearly every major tributary into Lake Michigan. A special emphasis of this presentation will be the area surrounding the outlet of the Lincoln River; an area known today as Epworth Heights.
James R. Jensen retired in 2018 as the president of CherrCo, Inc. in Mason County after founding the company in 1997. He previously worked as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Gray & Company in Hart, Michigan.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in Mathematics and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University.
He has served for 10 years as President of the Mason County Historical Society Board of Directors. He is also the Treasurer of the Pere Marquette Memorial Association and is active in the Rotary Club of Ludington.
His primary hobby is doing local history research and developing presentations to share with the community. He has written over 200 local history columns for the Mason County Historical Society and the Ludington Daily News since 2018.
Mr. Jensen is a sixth-generation resident of Mason County; his ancestors first came to the county in 1850.
Programs are Thursdays in the Marine Dining Room.
Note a change in time with each event. See your Reminder for updates.
Organization members: Elaine Mollenkopf & Bill Parkhurst, co-chairs; Karen Bagwell, Dana Mollenkopf, Jim Rosborough