Coming home over old bridge always special

To the editor:

My grandfather was Clyde Vandivort. I believe he was treasurer of the commission that built the old Mississippi River bridge in Cape Girardeau. I grew up coming home over that bridge from the many places my parents lived. As a child, I viewed it as my granddaddy's bridge as if he had personally erected it rivet by rivet -- a miracle of achievement, a marvel to behold.

The Vandivort clan continues to gather in Cape Girardeau every Fourth of July. Although I long ago realized my grandfather was a player, not the driving force, and that the bridge was fast becoming a relic, no longer considered an accomplishment of epic proportions, my pulse never ceased to quicken when it came into view. Coming home will be less for me when it is gone.

KAY VEE RHOADS

Western Springs, Ill.