Yvette Stryker

Yvette Francoise Marie-Therese Reddet passed away on July 17, 2024. She was 97 years old and proud that she was able to continue living in the home she owned in Benson with the assistance of some dedicated friends she called her “helpers.” Yvette Stryker LOVED Benson, North Carolina!

 Yvette was born in France on July 3, 1927 to Henriette Houtmann in the city of Nancy. She was a teenager when WWII began in Europe. Yvette fell in love with all things American beginning in September of 1944 when German soldiers were shelling the town of Vittel, France where she was living with her Mom, Grandfather, and half-sister. Yvette dictated an account of one of her wartime experiences to her late husband Emil and these were her words about that event.

 “September 12, 1944: At four o’clock in the afternoon, we heard strange noises in the circle and a lot of activity. Papa Reddet went to check and he was the first one to kiss an American soldier who was covered with dirt and dust. Tanks and all kinds of vehicular equipment were rushing and rushing, just passing our little square. The soldiers were looking tired and dirty, but most of them didn’t stop. The 112th Panzer Brigade of the German Army was on the way to Vittel, and they wanted to intercept them before they reached Vittel.” 

The same evening, about 20 kilometers from Vittel, there was a brutal encounter with the first 45 Panther tanks (the German Brigade had 90 of them). It was a terrible battle and for the first time the French Army thought they were going to retreat, which they did for a little while. From Vittel we could hear during the whole night the sound of heavy artillery, sometimes getting closer. It was frightening.” 

Despite facing many challenges of life in wartime and post-war France, Yvette’s strength and determination got her through the rigorous school of Nursing in Nancy and she successfully graduated with the American equivalent of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She worked for a while in France in what she called a “contagious ward” before she applied for a job in America. One of Yvette’s notable jobs was as a Nurse/Private Nanny to the children of Angier B. Duke. She loved them very much but children do grow up and she found another job later on caring for a child who became her step-daughter, Sylvie (Stryker) Keller.

Yvette is survived by her children Martine Meilland of France, Maurice (Caroline) Meilland of France, her cousin Jacques (Yolaine) Houtmann of France, her step-daughter Sylvie Keller, and numerous grandchildren, step-grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

Yvette’s viewing will be in Benson, NC at the Rose and Graham Funeral Home on Sunday, September 29, 2024 from 1-3 pm. She will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. with her late husband, Emil J. Stryker, Jr. at a later date. Condolences are possible via the Rose & Graham website and donations may be made to your favorite church home. If you can, please sing “I’ve Got the Joy” by George W. Cooke circa 1926; that was Yvette’s favorite song.