Susan Steele

Alzheimer's, Archaeology, and the Armed Forces Susan Steele

A tale of love.

Letters. Fragile pieces of history found in a drawer, tucked away in the corners of a desk, or tied with a red ribbon. Words on paper, folded, placed into an envelope, stamped, and mailed to points around the country, even around the world. Tangible reminders that tell the story of a family.

From the Armed Forces ...

He was a Sailor, traveling to the Far East on a Navy destroyer, crossing the equator to become a Shellback, longing to be reunited with the "purty miss" he left behind.

... to Archaeology ...

He was an avocational archaeologist, walking the plowed fields of Wisconsin, looking for ancient artifacts, working alongside the PhDs at MVAC preserving prehistory.

... to Alzheimer's:

He was a family man, sinking into the morass of an insidious disease from which there was no escape, slowly but surely losing himself until he went home to glory.

We read what is written; can we decipher what is unwritten? There are lessons to be learned from the lives of those who have left behind the legacy of the written word. May the story of my family, as told through the nearly lost art of letter writing, capture your heart and imagination.