NOTE: The following letter was written to my mother, Barbara and her sister, my Aunt Beverly by their father, Edward J. Lindsey. It’s dated April 7, 1973, several years before his death at age 59.

Dear Beverly and Barbara!

I am leaving this letter with Harry & Marion to be given to you if I shouldn’t be able to make it back to you. This is something I have had on my mind for some time. I had hoped I would always be able to say good-bye if I were going to leave. Do not feel bad as we all have to go sometime. I do not want any tears as I have had a lot of enjoyment having you two girls. As Grandma used to say, “If you don’t have them to laugh over, you don’t have them to cry over!” I have had both and wouldn’t have had it any other way. You have both given me six wonderful grandchildren and I love all of you. I have always been sorry we have been so far apart, but one thing you will have to remember: we can’t keep our kids under our wings forever.

Well, to get back to the main reason I wrote this letter. I want to leave a little something to both of you that I don’t want anyone else to know about. In the fruit cellar there is a smaller root cellar with a wall around it. Inside it there is a storm wooden door. Underneath it, you will find a red box with a Skil saw in it. Take the saw out and you will see a card with a wire twisted around it. Inside it, you will find $4,200 dollars (how about that?) This was for my old age. There is no one that knows this money is there, so if you don’t tell anyone, no one will know and you will not have to pay any income tax on it… I hope it will do you some good…

NOTE: My grandfather continues a while on matters of his restaurant business and the two cottages he owned on Fourth Lake in Eagle Bay, New York, along with bank accounts and other financial issues…

I somehow hope I will be back and be able to do things better, but you never know. There are so many things I would like to say, but all I can say is I love you both and always have. Be good and take care of yourselves. Love to the children for me.

Love, Dad

CLOSING NOTE: My grandfather rarely expressed emotion, nor was he sentimental by nature, so this letter was rather unusual for him. However, it serves as a reminder that – almost always – fathers have a special love for their children. Happy Fathers Day…

© Jeffery J. Michaels / Plain English Publications 2025
(Quotations allowed with attribution to this blog)