Yvonne's '59 Letter, Waterloo

Waterloo, 12/20/59

Dear Emilienne,
Dear Arthur,

I received your letter Thursday the 17th. Your letters are always a pleasure, especially to leam your news. We are happy to know you are all in good health and hope you all remain so for a longtime. Over here things aren't quite the same. We are still gneving after having lost Mom [this year]. She died six months ago on July 2. She had left with Octave on June 25 to go to the sea in the trailer home. The following Thursday at 8:30 in the morning she passed away. She suffered an embolism. And at only 8 am that morning she was yodeling to her canary to make it sing, as was her custom. So she died a pleasant death and did not suffer. An ambulance came and she died en route to the hospital, she was taken to the morgue at Ostende. I leamed of this at 1 o'clock and arrived at Ostende at 4 o'clock where Octave told me exactly what happened.

You can understand this was quite a blow to me. I haven't been well since. She was 81, but she didn't seem to be old. For her vacation I had given her a perm, 2 dresses and 2 robes. She loved the sea and was in good spirits when she left. Typically, she and Octave would take the car to Ostende and watch the boats arriving and departing. From Bredine, where they would camp, to Ostende, is only 10 mmutes by car. So there you have it, Emilienne and Arthur. To lose one's mother is just so sad. For Octave it was so much more difficult because he was there with her when it happened. Octave has been on vacation often with friends. He's earned it. We now have to pay the inheritance tax on her estate. I'll keep you informed.

Aunt Alida has also died, a month or two before Mom. Of the family, only Aunt Ermeline [sp?] remains. She came to see us with her daughter, who is married, and her granddaughter. I [illegible] to dear Robert who will be a father for the 5th time. Offer my congratulations as well to the mother. Arthur tells me that you will receive your pension. You've earned it, it's only natural, since the two of you will be able to fish and cuddle. Maurice was operated on. He suffered a double hernia. And for awhile, he's been having problems with his kidneys. He's gomg back to the clinic 1in Louvain for observation. I'll keep you posted. That's all for now. We send both of you our warmest regards.