A Tipsy Rooster and Horse Whispering

A Letter from the Farm

Florian and Lucille Yeaton’s farm in Mercer, Maine. Two years after Florian’s death in 1972, the old barn was replaced with this new one. Joseph family photo

Born in 1894, Florian Yeaton—the author’s maternal grandfather—was a dairy farmer and gifted horse healer. He rehabilitated his first team of traumatized horses at age 12. Joseph family photo

Florian Yeaton hauling Sandy River ice. Photo courtesy of Mercer Historical Society

Following her husband Florian’s death in 1972, Lucille Yeaton—the author's maternal grandmother—lived alone on the family farm until her death in 1986 at the age of 96. Joseph family photo

Jenny Hilton taking a message from Bea, the Ma Bell operator. Hilton family photo

Florian and Lucille Yeaton’s farm in Mercer, Maine. Two years after Florian’s death in 1972, the old barn was replaced with this new one. Joseph family photo