[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CHRISTOPHER B. ELSER

 Mr. GRAHAM of South Carolina. Mr. President, Christopher B. 
Elser of Camden, SC, died on the afternoon of April 18, 2004. 
Christopher, a student at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, 
died from stab wounds he received from an early-morning intruder who 
entered the room where he was sleeping. Christopher had spent the night 
in a fraternity brother's room after a party so his friend would have a 
quiet place to study.
  Christopher was a junior in the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and 
Sciences at the University. He was also a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon 
fraternity and played soccer his freshman year. He was known as a 
consummate gentleman, both on campus and off. As one of his fraternity 
brothers said, ``We all strived to be gentlemen, but we never had 
anyone embody it as much as Chris.'' His memorial service on April 19, 
2004, drew more than 1,000 friends and family members to honor his 
life. Their numerous stories and memories further cemented 
Christopher's status as a gentlemen and also demonstrated the 
tremendous positive impact he had on everyone he met.
  At an early age, Christopher developed an affinity with the 
thoroughbred horse business, nourished by his father's occupation as a 
thoroughbred trainer and consignor. As a precocious 10-year-old, he 
began his tenure on the Stable Crew at the August Yearling Sale in 
Saratoga, NY, serving with young men twice his age. Until his death, he 
worked in Saratoga for two weeks every August and was known for his 
infectious smile and inexhaustible spirit in both his work at the sale 
and in numerous after-hours adventures.
  Christopher's memorial service in Camden, SC, was held outdoors at 
the Carolina Cup Steeplechase Museum on April 23, 2004. In an 
atmosphere reminiscent of his easygoing fun-loving demeanor, 
Christopher's friends and family gathered to celebrate his 20 years of 
life. As tales about his life unfolded, it became clear to all present 
what had made Christopher so special: his love for life. This trait 
brought more than 100 people together to honor an extraordinary young 
man's life and to mourn his untimely death. After the service, friends 
and family ate, drank, and told more stories of Christopher and, as he 
would have wished, there was more laughter than tears on this 
beautiful, South Carolina morning
  Christopher is survived by his father, Kip, his mother, Rhetta, and 
his sister, Taylor.

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