Lillian Yeager

Lillian Yeager was truly an angel to all who came in contact with. This page has been set up for her family and friends to write memories of her. Please click on any comment section to leave a memory. Dr. Lillian Yeager December 23, 1943 - May 23, 2006

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

The Electric Slide



Some time ago my mother stated that if she passed, she wanted people to celebrate her life instead of mourn. Her favorite dance was the 'Electric Slide'. On the evening of her funeral, my family (both the Yeager and Martin side) went to my mother's favorite hangout, Jerry Green's. Jerry dedicated the Electric Slide to my mother and we all got out on the dance floor. I know my mother was looking down in joy! Here's the video!

posted by MYeager @ 2:38 PM  

17 Comments:

  • At June 09, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Crump and I were out of town when your mother Lililan died and did not learn of her death until our return. We knew of her condition - and it was still a shock to realize she had gone on. She was a generous, loving person. We were blessed by having her a part of our lives adn will miss her physical presence, as your surely do.

    One thing that brings me comfort is remembering that she's just gone from her physical form. Her life/soul still is, and I can continue to love and appreciate her eternal essence.

    You're a young woman to be without both mother and father (we both worked with Steve at JCC in the 70s). But knowing both of them, I know you've been 'well planted' and prepared for what lies ahead.

    We'll think of and pray for you and Lillian often - at least every day we walk hear her house.

     

  • At June 09, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    It was a joy to sing in one of the lovliest and most meaningful funerals St. Matthews has had. Your mother was dearly loved and highly respected by all who knew her and you too! Please rest now in the thoughts that daily you are being prayed for and that you will be given strength enough 'for this day'.

     

  • At June 09, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    It is with great sadness that I write about Lillian passing away. You probably do not know me, but I knew about you through my time spent with Lillian. It is with great sympathy that I share my condolences about Lillian's death. To celebrate Lillian's life I would like to share my expereinces with her, who I consider a great friend and a supportive friend. I feel that this note is impersonal, but I will be in California until next Thursday and regret I will not be able to attend the viewing and funeral.

    In February 1998 my family died in tragic circumstances. I lost my wife and children. Several months later Lillian came by my moffice at IUS and suggested that we go for lunch. It was at that time that I learned about the death of your father, and we found common bond of how to deal with the death of a spouse. Widowhood is very different than divorce. We talked about many things, including staying in one's old home, and about children, including you. She was very proud of your successes.

    This common bond resulted in a seris of meals together. Another topic we spoke about was travel. Although losing a spouse is terribly hard, being single later in life can be a benefit, such as being able to travel. We would frequently talk about where each of us had been or where we were going soon. Lillian knew how to live lfe and mix her professional life with personal enjoyment of life.

    Early on I learned of Lillian's work toward her Ph.D. I was excited for her and like to think I provided some encouragement for her. I do know we discussed the various problems tha twe all get working on graduate work and was personally excited when she finished. Lillian could be modest about it, but I knew that it was something that had to be celebrated. So my graduation gift to her was a great dinner at Vincenzo's where we shared a bottle of excellent champaign in celebration. A Ph.D. is difficult for anyone, and Lillian doing it at her stafe of life was an inspiration.

    During the last few years, we had not gotten together much. I remarried two years ago and I was happy Lillian was at my wedding. I do know though, I will miss her, both personally and professionally. Loss is a difficult thing, but with time the pain becomes less deep. At that time I hope you will remember how great a person your mother was and how much many of us appreciate her.

     

  • At June 09, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I am writing to express my sympathies for your loss. Lillian was a colleague of mine at IU School of Nursing. I have known her for more than 15 years. Lillian provided leadership in important ways. I know she directed the campus nursing program in New Albany, but she really influenced the entire school. She was the author of the "Yeager Report" a document that clarified the roles and relationships of the system school. In the preparation of that report, Lillian was calm and patient, and very diplomatic as many interests needed to be harmonized. It was long and hard work, but she gave generously of her time. Those of us who have been faculty for a long time know the impact of that report.

    I also know Lillian because she contributed a chapter of a book that Judith Halstead adn I co-edit. Lillian and her buddies Diann DeWitt and Jane Kirkpatrick developed the chapter for the first edition and revised for the second. We were just going into revision for the third edition, and Lillian was still willing to participate. We will all miss her contributions again, but will acknowledge her and her work in this edition as well.

    Most of all, I remember Lillian as a delightful, calm and competent person and nurse leader. I had just seen her several weeks ago at a nursing even in Indianapolis, and will take comfort that I can remember her friendly and smiling face.

     

  • At June 09, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Your mother was a remarkable person and we are all saddened by her death. May you find peace and comfort from her memory and love for you.

     

  • At June 09, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Please know that I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Lillian was a very special person who made such a difference in the lives she touched. I feel very privileged to have know such a wonderfully caring and compassionate woman/colleague. She has touched my life and I feel very blessed for that.

     

  • At June 09, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Your mother was a truly inspiring person, one whom we can recall consistently when we need an example to help us in our lives.
    I first got to know her a number of years ago when she and I were asked by Bishop Reed to serve on his reconstituted Department of Evangelism and Congregational Development. Bishop Gulick was right in saying she was always completely present and attentive to you when you spoke with her. When she first greeted me on transfer to St. Matthew's two years ago, I very much felt like I was being welcomed home by an old friend. I was particularly grateful for her outreach at a difficult time in my life. Ted was also right in saying she never despaired in the face of despair. She always dressed the pain of her illness with a smile. We will all miss her powerful and consoling presence. I know that you will miss her terribly. Joan and I will keep you and your family in our prayers.

     

  • At June 12, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    David and I have been in London and returned home late Sunday evening. We were not able to be at your mother's funeral for that reason. Singing in the choir with your mom was a joy for me, and she will be greatly missed by all of us in the choir. May we extend our deepest sympathy to you and your family on your loss. Your mother was dear to all of us at St. Matthews. May you rest peacefully in the thought that we as believers will join you mom in heaven someday. May your faith sustain you and give you comfort.

     

  • At June 12, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Continue to be brave and self-directed. Remember you are still your mom's best accomplishment. Upon arriving home I read what you and Alanson said in the program and was comforted. I forwarded those thoughts to my cousins. I feel better. Thank you.
    Official President of the Michelle Yeager Fan Club.

     

  • At June 14, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    It was witha deep sense of sadness that I learned of your Mother's passing. I had been traveling and was not aware that your Mother had died. I was stunned at the end of the Eucharist the other day that to receive this very unhappy news from my colleague Cheryl Dawkins. As staff to Executive Council of the Church who worked with the National Concerns committee on which your Mother served, I had the opportunity to know her for all those years that she served the Council so magnificently.

    Your Mother from our first meeting impressed me as a woman of courage, intelligence, and compassion. Some folks have a demeanor that says it all. Your mother had such a demeanor. I knew a bit about her involvement with the Church, but little else. However, getting to know her was a joy. Her openness was refreshing. We all shared in her journey toward what we all hoped would be recovery: but she had a way of letting us know that she was coping. Her courage was amazing. I think that my shock of learning of her death was probably greater because even when she told us at the last Council meeting that cancer was back, she was serene in conveying this tragic and then went about being as vibrant a member of the Council as ever.

    This truly good, handsome woman who was your Mother was our friend. Her radiant personality, her inherent good sense, and her generous spririt will always be remembered. She was a credit to her church and to all of us who believe that the mission of the Church is do to justice and walk humbly with our God. What an incredible legacy. I do hope that you and your family will take immense comfort in this knowledge.

     

  • At June 14, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    It is with sadness and joy that I write this note to you. The sadness comes with losing an outstanding woman, a woman of such dignity and stature who gave of herself to so many others. A women I would like to immulate. The joy comes from celebrating this woman's very faith based and disciplined life with a quiet courage that comes from an inward spring of confidence of life. Such courage is an underground river, flowing far beneath the shifting events of her experience, keeping alive a thousand little springs of action. I will never forget the first time I heard Lillian speak to the parish after returning from the 2000 General Convention in Denver, CO. Being on the Executive Council she articulated her passion for the issues discussed and voted on, giving us a clear understanding of the greater church and its direction. Your mother honored me with lunch at the University Club in the winter of 2005, my first time to dine there. Lillian shared with me her feelings of what I was giving to the parish and to Habitat. She made me feel so special that day. A great lady who will live on forever.

     

  • At June 15, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    It was a joy to work with your mother these past coule of years. She truly was an inspiration. May there be an abundant comfort for you as your walk into this changed relationship with her. You are in my prayers.

     

  • At June 17, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Please accept my deepest condolences over the recent loss of your Mother. She was my professor and clinical instuctor at IUS in the late 80s. I distinctly recall our very first hospital assignment at Floyd Memorial. She gave me what was undoubtedly the sickest, most complex patient on the unit. This required her extra time and instruction to methodically go through what I needed to know and also combat my increased stress. It became apparent that she'd given me this patient because of her confidence in my abilities. He died later that week. I never forgot Lillian's kind, patient, careful instructions and I never forgot that patient.

    Another time after pharmacology class, she dropped by and I don't recall what prompted the story, but she proceeded to tel us how she obtained her degree. She said that Alabama's universities remained segregated and the state was being forced to send its black students to out-of-state schools to obtain their graduate education and she chose the school in Detroit. I grew up during Jim Crowe laws and observed more than a few strange occurrences in my youth, but here was a story of true grit and courage standing before me and I saw in one raw moment the effects of racism and how one lady turned the tables on them all and fought to complete her education.

    Truth be told, I've always been in awe of your Mother. I tend to be quiet and ladylike in and age of brashness and 'in your face' and she was an example that you could still be effective and forceful and maintain your ladylike dignitity. I saw her just two weeks before she died at a luncheon honoring alumna at IUS and I said to myself, I need to pay Ms. Yeager (now Dr. Yeager) a visit and personally tell her what she has meant to me. But in two weeks she was gone. And there's a lesson there too. She was a great lady, in the truest sense of the word. Please accept my deepest sympathy.

     

  • At June 17, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Your mother was one of the most sincere and gracious ladies we've ever known. She is a constant inspiration to be all we can be and to count our blessings. Our lives are richer for having known her.

     

  • At June 17, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    We were deputies together for our diocese and on the committee to elect a bishop. But we had been friends from way back. By the time I asked Lillian if she remembered where we first bonded, it was past the time she could think or respond well. I wish I could remember just when it happened. Lillian picked me out early on to come stand with, be with, in crowds that were all-white and strangers to her (at funeral visitations, for instance). She was key on our parish Health Ministries committee, of course, and maybe one of our connections was the medical world. She helped me with presentations on end-of-life issues and she knew I was comfortable with medical and bodily detail. Maybe that was the reason she asked me to be her health surrogate. When we went together to her last doctor's appointment, I started to wait in the waiting room while she had her examination but she had a nurse come get me so I could be with her through it all. An amusing thing was that when the young physician asked her to "lay down," Lillian replied that she already was "lying down." I don't know if she caught the humor/irony of that grammatical one-upswomanship but it was just another incidence of her "elegance," even in speech. I asked her on that ride to the doctor's office what she would like by her bedside if she ever got to the point she couldn't speak and her primary concern was "be sure my feet are warm." During her last three days in the hospital, we saw to that.

    I suggested the Chicago clinic for her consideration and I introduced her to my spiritual director who does energy healing as another of her chrisms. I don't know if the Brock Integrative Cancer Clinic did Lillian any good but I think she saw Maureen every two weeks. I think both helped her by giving her options and, as you know, she was a great one for options, particularly for staying alive. Lillian invited Tom and me to her Ovarian Awareness dinners at the Olmsted and we were proud to be there one year, with Barb Ellis, as she won yet another award. They gave her survival awards as did so many organizations. She may be proudest of the award I. U. gave her just weeks before her death (right after Kanuga).

    She died on my birthday and the anniversary of her fifth year of survival. Two birthdays ago, my birthday fell on a Sunday, and when Lillian heard about it, she showed up after church at my house with flowers. When I went from Suburban Hospital to Whole Foods to get her the lobster bisque she thought she wanted, I also got some peonies. Hospitals aren't allowed anymore to collect vases so the nurses gave me a rather lovely urinal for a vase (another subject for laughter in her room among those wonderful, accomplished, beautiful friends of hers). Those flowers smelled so good.

    When I left the room one day (Juanita and Patsy were there), I kissed Lillian goodbye (she was trying to sit on the edge of her bed to eat a tasteless meal) and told her "All your friends are chiefs." They laughed. It was true. Her friends (plus Michelle and Juanita) are marvelous, beautiful, competent, articulate and, oddly, not all knew one another.

    Lillian was, as you know, "gathered" in herself but my best memory of her will always be at her sixtieth birthday party when this old lady (I'm ten years older than Lillian) just had to line-dance with everyone else and I could see, through the other dancers, across the floor, an exultant Lillian in red unleash her dancing abilities. She was energetic and free in her graceful but exuberant dancing in a way I never saw her off the dance floor. I remember being so grateful to see her joyful. May she live on in the realm of joy.

     

  • At June 18, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    To Michelle may God keep his arms of protection around you and your family. From Theresa Bailey of your mothers from Bainbridge. friend from birth.


    Theresa Bailey Wright (Auburn, AL) - 2006-06-11

     

  • At May 12, 2007, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Michelle,
    I still think of your mom and and I know many of her OAK friends still talk about Lillian and I still have the beautiful picture you gave out at the funeral up in my bedroom. I often look at her and remember her grace and beauty.

    Today a year later, she is still in my heart and always will be. I hope that you are continuing to do well, your mom was always so very proud of you.

     

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