JAMA cover from 1883

My grandfather subscribed to the Journal of the American Medical Association, otherwise known as JAMA. As a doctor, a subscription to a leading medical journal would be an obvious reality in his life. To a genealogist, it is a little view into the everyday life of our ancestors. How many of us know what newspapers our ancestors read or the magazines they subscribed to? Would one of my descendants be interested someday in knowing that in the past I have subscribed to TV guide or People magazine? Currently, I receive Threads and Piecework, two magazines that focus on sewing and historical handcrafts like knitting. Will my granddaughter find that torn review from a People magazine I saved regarding Battlestar Galactica, tucked away among other mementos? Or will she find the newspaper saved after the Twin Towers were destroyed in 2001?

What surprised me is that my grandmother would bother to read JAMA. I guess though, if I was looking for something to read, I might pick one up and flip through it, especially if it was lying about the house. It might also create some topics of conversation with my spouse. And in case you were wondering, the August 29^th edition (in 1942) of J.A.M.A. contained articles ranging from “Dermatology in the Army” to “The Menace of ‘Silent’ Ovarian Carcinoma”.

On August 29^th, Arlene Funk gave birth to her second son Donald. He was a classmate of my father’s throughout their school days. I believe Donald is still alive and I hope to locate a current address soon to try and contact him. His older brother Bobby died in 2011.

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Aug 29-1942

Dear Daddy,

The rain seems to have all cleared away and it is sunny and hot today-typical August weather. I am staying upstairs and have been comfortable so far. I feel pretty good as long as I stay in bed-still have a good appetite so that is in my favor. I get up and move around now & then but not for long because I soon get all in but after I lie down again I feel rested. I am still knitting on John’s sweater. That gives me something to do. The J.A.M.A. [Journal of the American Medical Association] came today but since

(page 2) that is rather deep reading it doesn’t do me much good now. I’ll save it for you. I read and knitted too much yesterday and got a headache so thought I wouldn’t do so much eye work today.
I talked to Louise this morning over the phone and she hadn’t heard anything from the hospital. Arlene went down about midnight Thurs. and this is Sat. I am anxious to hear and hope for her sake she gets through pretty soon. It has been so nice and cool this month-and now weather like this when she has to be in bed. She probably won’t mind so much, just so she gets over it all.
Clara couldn’t come today and since she hasn’t run the Bendix

(page 3) and it is such a nice sunny day, John is doing the washing. Mark is washing dishes. He has been about an hour doing a few breakfast dishes. Clarice told me that some of the 8^th grade boys were taking Home Ec. this year. I told John he was taking his in a practical way. He does a very good job of cooking. Well, next week he will be in school and won’t have to do so much domestic work.
Had a letter from Ruthie today. Floyd still has to go to Bluffton every week and is very busy now. They like their apartment so much after having lived in the other place so long. I wish I felt like going over and spending the week-end but I will have to wait a while for that.

(page 4)Nothing more has been said about the Blue Island job so they will be in Flora. for a while.
–News flash- Arleen has a boy, weight-over 9 lbs. Baby was born sometime this morning. Louise just came up to tell me. She is having a time trying to answer all Bobby’s questions about why his mother isn’t home. Said she hadn’t told him about the baby, she is going to leave that to Bill. I know how he asks questions-because when he comes up here he bombards us about anything he happens to think about.
Will give you more details later.

Love

Mother