You can reach Sue at (314) 452-3685 or (314) 726-2032. You can write to her c/o Rose Holt, 905 Barnard College Lane, St. Louis, MO 63130


It's Rose, again with a quick update. The days go by in a blink of the eye, and Sue and I haven't had a chance to sit down together to update.

Catrina had her surgery yesterday, is doing fine, and will come home today.

Den's condition continues to deteriorate. Because he took so many falls in recent days, Sue has now hired a nurse to sit with him overnight to make sure he doesn't try to get out of bed. He has been moved to a private room, has quit eating for the most part, and sleeps pretty much all the time. His situation is grim.

Sue and I made a very quick trip to the lake on Wednesday to meet with her insurance adjuster about water damage to some ceilings. Brother Joe came, with the famous dog Pepper, and had lunch with us. Coming home, Sue and I got into some awesome rain. The trip, which normally takes about 2 1/2 hours, instead took 3 1/2.

Joe, with much encouragement from us, took on the project of collecting family history sufficient to place tombstones at some neglected gravesites. Our paternal great grandparents (Grandmother Felin's parents) and two of their daughters are buried at Welch Cemetery in unmarked graves. Joe had the tombstones made and was to oversee their installation at Welch yesterday. He had wanted to have the stones in place for memorial Day, but the company doing the work missed that deadline. Joe is going to send us a photo when all the work is complete, and we will post it here.

For this project, Joe has incurred expenses of around $850. Sue and I chipped in $200 toward the cause and encourage other Dear Readers who appreciate Joe's efforts (and can afford it) to do likewise. Joe Felin's address is: 801 North Lone Pine, Springfield, MO 65802. He told us he got seasick looking at so many records in mocrofilm format.

And that reminds me that he also told us about his and son David's purchase of a sailboat. Joe and David don't yet have lifejackets, but Pepper (The Dog) does. Joe says he and Captain David Felin will sail the vessel on Fellow's Lake, but Pete says it will be on a local pond.

Joe also told us that Pete had indeed sold his Jeep Wagoneer on e-Bay, a happy ending to a fun story.