[Editor’s note: While organizing more of Gladys’ correspondence, I found a envelope of letters from the spring of 1966.]
Letter transcription:
Dear David & Bonnie –
11 a.m. Thurs. After running a temperature for at least 24 hours, the Diclomycin must have chased the bugs away – at 10 o’clock the temperature was normal. I had called Dr. Gery this morning and we were ready to send Dad to a hospital in Lafayette, but after the temperature break we decided it wasn’t necessary. However I am to take a specimen to the laboratory when I go for my therapy in the morning. The cause of his trouble is a kidney & bladder infection. He had not told me he was having any difficulty, but I learned all about it when I got home yesterday and found him home and in bed. He isn’t going to do anything until next Tuesday – all appointments have been cancelled for the rest of this week. I went to bed late – got to sleep at about midnight and was taking temp and getting him some breakfast by 6 – which as you know is a little early for me – so now by 11 o’clock I feel a little done in, so think I will have myself a little siesta to restore some of my (pep – vigor – you name it) so called strength. Arvella is going to bring mail, etc., to me at noon. So I should get an hour in if the telephone doesn’t disturb me. Dad has not answered the telephone so you know he doesn’t feel good. Will keep you informed as to his progress. Save that article, and when you translate the letter return to me.
Love Mother
Letter from F. Ryser [translated via google translate – errors are my own]:
Dear Mrs. Yegerlehner,
Thank you for writing from March 19, 1966.
I am glad for them that they have succeeded in doing a European trip. I will gladly meet your wishes and provide you with supplemental brochures such as hotel price lists of Basel. I hope you will enjoy it in Switzerland.
With great respect
F. Ryser
©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/03/26/the-doctor-is-sick/
Genealogy Lady 
“He had not told me he was having any difficulty…” Yes, that was very like him!
“a little siesta to restore some of my (pep – vigor – you name it) so called strength” 🙂
Your grandmother was quite the letter writer. Have you counted the letters? It seems like a staggering amount.
I haven’t counted the letters because there are so many and I am still sorting through them! I am currently working on a folder that holds letters from the early 1970s. I know I have another folder from the 1980s in another storage container, too.
Wow, lots of letters! Are you planning to share them all? I’m just wondering if you have a date at which you feel it’s too recent to share publicly?
I am still working on sorting my letters. I’ve come across a few that I think shouldn’t be shared and I am very conflicted about that. One is a letter my Grandpa wrote to my Grandma (years before they married) about his best friend. It’s quite long and negative. It sounds like the friend was considering backing out of an engagement and leaving his fiancee in a mess and my Grandpa was really mad about it. That one seems pretty straightforward – I don’t think it should be publicly shared, especially since I think the marriage happened after all. But there are others that my Grandma wrote on the envelope “destroy” but never got around to destroying. Then there are others that she tried to censor with a heavy blue marker but you can totally read what she crossed out. Did you include everything?
So far, I have included everything, every letter, every detail. I am very hesitant about the letters in the mid-1970s as that is when my parents divorced. I have many of my dad’s letters from that time. He wrote a weekly letter which was mailed to various family members. As I creep closer to when I was born (which is very close now), I am definitely hesitant. Then again, the letters are written by Gladys so they are mostly concerned with what they are doing, not necessarily what we were up to.
Good luck deciding!
Thanks! Same for you! It’s hard but I also struggle with “it isn’t my job to edit history.” These events happened and I don’t want them to be forgotten.
I think the same thing. One of my big struggles is that my grandparents only had sons and they are pretty protective of their mother (who is deceased). I don’t want to cause any family strife. Sigh. I imagine it will become easier when I actually start sharing the letters.
I think it is easier for me since mostly everyone in the letters is dead, except my dad, my brother, an aunt, and two of my cousins. My dad has been my number one fan for this project.
That is great! The other part that is tricky for me is that I was given everything by my uncle, not my own father. I feel more of an obligation to seek his approval for how I use everything. It’s probably not the least bit necessary, but it’s still how I feel.