Sue A. Hoffman's Testimony

Have you ever had a “slap in the head” from God? A personal, attention-getting “thump” of His presence so real that the only possible explanation is that it was God? For me, it has only happened once in my lifetime in the most unusual place.

It was Flag Day, Thursday, June 14, 2001, at 4 a.m., and I was spending some “personal time” in the bathroom as I was beginning to get ready to spend one more week with my students before the summer break. I was flipping through the June 9 issue of World Magazine looking for something to catch my interest, when I came across an article with a picture of this HUGE Ten Commandments monolith. I had never seen anything like that before. The one-page article, “Road Kill and Stone Tablets” by Gene Edward Veith, had me mesmerized. Before I was even finished reading through the story, I got that “slap” that nearly knocked me over.

The article was centered on a court case regarding the Ten Commandments monolith on public property in Elkhart, Indiana. The fact that there were these monumental stone tablets anywhere amazed me in general, and that I had never heard of them was even more astonishing. As I was reading, I knew exactly what I had to do — I had to not only find out more information, but I had to go FIND these monoliths — touch them, take pictures, and find out the stories behind their existence. I was given an assignment from God — pure an simple in my mind. Now I had to convince my family that I was “directed” to write a book entitled In Search of God and the Ten Commandments.

I immediately started writing letters. I had no idea in what direction I was going — I only knew that I had to know everything. I was in constant conversations with anyone who would listen about the logistics, the possibilities, and the promises of things unknown. I have a great family, a great job, and now God had given me a mission, a journey, a quest so to speak. I thought I was going to write a book about monoliths and Americana, and then my search led me to the man who started it all, Judge E. J. Ruegemer in Alexandria, Minnesota, and the mission took a slight detour.

Just when you think you know what you are doing, God steps in and shows you His way. Judge Ruegemer, who was 99 years old when I first met him, made it very clear to me when I asked what I should do with all the information that I was given regarding the Ten Commandments monoliths. He said, “They should know about the Ten Commandments.” I was very honored, and humbled, as I forged my way through the copious amounts of documentation regarding the Judge and his family for their continued support and generosity. The more I learned from them, the more I realized that we have to get back to our beginning and what our forefathers had in mind for our nation.

It was less than two months after I had met Judge Ruegemer when the most unimaginable thing happened — September 11. Our nation truly needed God and all of His promises, and it looked like we were going to grow closer to Him. People were openly praying in public and caring about each other. There was a hope mixed in with the pain and fear. And sadly, as time moved on from that horrendous day, we have moved further away from God. “One nation under God” has been removed from the Pledge of Allegiance in the public schools on the West Coast, and the Ten Commandments monoliths are being removed from our court houses.

My goal is to continue to learn everything that I can about the history and whereabouts of the Fraternal Order of Eagles’ Ten Commandments monoliths, and then to share that information through writings and pictures in order to preserve that small piece of our American history. Unfortunately, many of the records that have contained information regarding the initiation, ordering, placing, and dedication of these monoliths have been lost, destroyed, misplaced, and otherwise have become obsolete. Many of the articles written show inconsistencies. It will only be with the help of others that come forward with copies of articles, letters, pictures, dedication programs, etc., that I will be able to continue In Search of God and the Ten Commandments.