Category Archives: Foster

Siblings

[Photographs from the private collection of the author.]

A Family of Three

Roscoe, Gladys, and John Yegerlehner, 1932 (Photograph from the author’s collection)

Sometimes, even when you think a project is finished, the project isn’t done! I’ve been sorting through the digital images I have stored over the years, from scans of old photographs to my contemporary collection of iPhone photographs. When I posted the collection of pictures of my great grandmother holding my uncle John a few days ago, I completely forgot the above photograph. It belongs in the same pile.

The weather was certainly mild in late February 1932! The 28th landed on a Sunday that year. The perfect day for a family get-together and presumably attending church. Roscoe and Gladys moved frequently in the early days of their marriage. He worked in Clay County teaching school. The setting isn’t rural enough to be Clay County. I presume the photograph’s location to be Terre Haute. In 1932, Emma and James Foster resided at 719 Harrison Street, Terre Haute. When the photographs were taken, James’ divorce from his first wife Gladys was about to be finalized (March 1932). I am also making the assumption that the automobile belonged to Roscoe and Gladys. He bought his first car a year or two before he married Gladys.

719 Harrison Street, Terre Haute (Image courtesy of Google Maps)

If Roscoe, Gladys, Emma, and Jim were standing at the curb, looking back at the house when the photographs were taken, their house would not have been visible. By panning the angles in Google Street view, a large tree obscures the view of the house directly behind the family! Notice the newly planted trees in the background behind Roscoe and Gladys. However, by moving back down the street a house of interest is detected. The two-story house behind Gladys’ head has a gable window as well as roofs of two different heights.

Harrison Street, Terre Haute (Image courtesy of Google maps)

Emma and Jim’s house is the first house on the right. The tree obscures the house directly across the street, but the house with the two roofs and gable is visible to the left of the tree.

Have you searched for an ancestor’s home using Google yet?

A Funeral

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Another three photographs create a grouping in my collection. Since everyone is dressed in black—at least they seem to be in the black & white photographs—I assume the foursome attended a funeral. Again, the time frame appears to be the mid to late 1920s. None of the women are wearing jackets, but the ground is covered by a light layer of snow. The tree limbs are bare. The photographer is unknown (since they never make an appearance). The petite woman standing next to Gladys is believed to be her Aunt Minerva, fraternal twin to Gladys’ mother Emma. Minerva’s dress is old-fashioned compared to Gladys’ stylish frock. The longer skirt hem and squarish collared neckline hearkens back the the World War I years. James (Jim) and Emma stand in the background. He was quite tall; his shoe can be seen on the ground next to Minerva’s feet. While Emma stands on the lower step—her boot just visible behind Gladys’ legs—creating the illusion that mother and son are the same height.

Gladys, Emma, & Jim Foster, with Aunt Minerva (Photograph from the author’s private collection)

I do not know whose funeral generated these photographs—especially since the mood is not particularly somber. Gladys smiles in both pictures. I have not discovered a Foster or Lawhead relative, living in the Terre Haute area, whose death occurred in the late 1920s, who would have prompted such a reunion. Perhaps I will someday…

[Photographs from the author’s private collection.]

Sunday in the Park

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Another group of photographs in my possession likely dates from the spring of 1929. I did not acquire them together, but spread out over a few years. Until I started looking at each photograph closely—sometimes better achieved once a photograph is scanned—I did not realize that they were taken on the same day. Or at the very least, Gladys is wearing the same dress. Because of the quality of the photographs, the different angles, lighting, and her hat, it may be hard to tell that the dress is the same. The feature that stands out the most is the sleeves—a fitted upper sleeve with a gathered, more voluminous lower sleeve controlled into cuffs at the wrists.

In the five photographs, Gladys is captured alone and with both her husband, Roscoe, and her brother, James. My gut feeling tells me that the outing took place in the spring before Gladys and Roscoe married—perhaps an engagement photo shoot. They married on 25 May 1929. Gladys wears a ring on her right hand (the only one clearly visible in any of the photographs). While an engagement ring is traditionally worn today on the left hand prior to marriage in western cultures, that has not always been case. The band appears simple so it may or may not be relevant. Skirt hems rose during the 1920s, and the tight fitting bell-shaped hats, known as cloche hats, remained popular throughout the decade.

YEG1929 - Roscoe & Gladys (Foster) - Terre Haute, Indiana

It appears that the threesome had fun taking turns with the camera. Unfortunately, it appears that they didn’t find a stranger to take a photo of all three of them together!

Wordless Wednesday – Gladys in a park with a mysterious building

Another Photographic Series

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[Emma (Lawhead) Foster holding her grandson, John Yegerlehner, 28 January 1932, Terre Haute, Indiana, photographs privately held by the author.]

Sometimes we know when photographs are taken. In this case, my grandmother probably labeled the photographs, as the one of the far right refers to Emma as “Mother.” I do not know the occasion for the photographs, but the photographer (again most likely my grandmother) took several. We think nothing nowadays of taking picture after to picture to get the correct shot, to make sure everyone is smiling, eyes are open, etc. Not so in the previous centuries. Film cost money, and you didn’t know what you shot until the film was developed.

FOS1932 James L. Foster with John - Terre Haute, 1932-02-28

James L. Foster, holding his nephew, John Yegerlehner, 28 January 1932, Terre Haute, Indiana, photograph privately held by the author.

If the photographs had not been dated, the automobile provides a great clue, especially to all the old car experts out there. Emma’s dress—although we don’t see much of it since John is in the way—does give some clues as well. Gone is the dropped waist of the 1920s. Seated on the car’s sideboard, the top of Emma’s dress blouses over a waist (left). Soft pleats may also be visible at the hip line (right) as well as a longer skirt. These are clothing characteristics of the 1930s. A great place to look for everyday clothing styles of the 20th century are the Sears catalogues, found at Ancestry.

Sears catalogue, Fall 1931 (Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

©2018 copyright owned Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2018/01/22/another-photographic-series/

Photographic Clues

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[Photographs of Gladys Foster and unidentified female, early 1920s, Terre Haute, Indiana, from author’s private collection]

These photographs of my grandmother were taken in Terre Haute, Indiana, in the 1920s. Only these three survive in my collection, and who knows if more were taken? The clothing and hair definitely say 1920s. The length of Gladys skirt indicates the earlier part of the decade, before skirt hems rose to knee length. Born in late 1905, Gladys would certainly have been in her late teens or early twenties when the pictures were taken. The company name on the window provides a fantastic clue for when the photograph might have been taken.

Terre Haute city directory, 1924, Foster listings (image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

I already knew that my grandmother worked as a stenographer before her marriage. After high school she attended some kind of secretarial school. The whole Foster family (with the exception of the eldest daughter Lydia who had married and was deceased by 1924) can be found in the Terre Haute city directory. They lived at 2046 N. 8th Street. Gladys’ entry shows that she worked as a stenographer at Pierson & Bro. I could conclude that the photographer was taken about 1924, possibly on her lunch break with one of her co-workers.

As an added bonus, I found 2046 N. 8th Street on Google Street view. Fortunately, this house still exists (light brown in the center). (One of Gladys’ later residences was torn down and was replaced by a freeway!)

2046 N. 8th Street, Terre Haute, Indiana (Image courtesy of Google Maps)

Momento Mori

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This month our family lost one of its oldest surviving members. My father’s oldest cousin. The first grandchild of James E. Foster and Emma (Lawhead) Foster, my great grandparents.

Indiana birth certificate, 1914, “Waneta” Geneva McCammon (Image courtesy Ancestry.com)

Born in 1914, Juanita lived a long life! It was a life filled with tragedy early on. Her mother died when she was not yet five. Her only full sibling, Wesley, died in a car accident on his way to school, aged 11. Her father remarried and produced a large family with his second wife. Jesse McCammon survived until his 101st year, but his daughter surpassed him by celebrating her 103rd birthday last November.

I never met Juanita in person. I corresponded with her a few times after I discovered who she was. I even helped, in a small way, to bridge an introduction between Juanita and another first cousin whose branch of the family had disappeared for 50 years. Juanita shared some lovely stories of my grandmother and my great grandmother Emma. After Juanita’s mother died, she spent parts of her childhood living between her two sets of grandparents.

Gladys Foster with Juanita and Wesley, 1918 (Image author’s private collection)

My grandmother, Gladys, was only ten years older than her niece so they were close when they were younger. When my uncles John and Mark were young, Juanita came to stay for a while to help take care of the boys, while Gladys ran her beauty parlour and Roscoe attended medical school.

I am most grateful to Juanita because she left me a legacy, beyond her letters and stories. Her DNA. Several years ago, unbeknownst to me, her family asked her to do an autosomal DNA test. I use this data on a regular basis. Most likely, without really knowing it, Juanita has helped me to solve several family mysteries over the last few years. I will be forever grateful for Juanita’s willingness to take a DNA test. Rest in peace, dear cousin!

Lovina

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[Editor’s note: This is the last letter in the World War II collection, and the last from the 1940s. There are many, many hundreds of letters from the 1960s and beyond. I am currently working to finish the next volume of World War II letters titled Lots of Love, Daddy. This volume covers the letters written during the fall of 1942. I will currently be taking a short break from daily blog posts in order to finish the book. Stay tuned for more information regarding the book’s release and the next batch of letters from the family archive.]

May 1946, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Monday morning [undated likely Spring 1946]

Dear Gladys and all,

Well it is raining again this morning. Rained about all day yesterday, the ground is awful wet[?] don’t know when the men will get their crop out. The river was out last Sunday over everything. Mary Hixon came down on Friday was going home on Sunday afternoon. She stayed till Tuesday afternoon. She said she didn’t want to drive through water. She said it was the first time she saw the water out. I was so sick on Friday and Saturday while she was here. My back and side hurt so awful I went to the Dr. Saturday afternoon. His medicine look just about like what Roscoe gave me I’ll have

May 1946, p. 2

[page 2] to go back today. I just hate to go, always have to wait so long I waited from 1 to 4. I thought I’d growed fast to the chair I was so tired.

Pop is taking the ashes out of the furnace. It looks like we have to have fire all summer.

The strawberries are rotting in the patch didn’t have very many yet. Verna Zurcher was operated on last Tuesday. She nearly died before they took her out of the room they give her too much dope. She is getting along all right now. Clarence and Clara were to see her yesterday they were in Terre Haute, attended the Baccalaureate service of the nurses of the Union Hospital. Verna Z. is at the Union. Clarence wants us to go with them to the commencement Friday evening. I told him I didn’t know till the time came to see how I felt. Wilma will have

May 1946, p. 3

[page 3] to go till this fall sometime she was off so much when she had that itch on her feet and hands we didn’t wash it’s too rainy. Is Mark’s arm all right? – I hope it is I must get to work get the house cleaned up and get dinner I haven’t cleaned any house yet. Maybe I will sometime if I get to feeling better and Pop will help some.

Hope your all well everybody is well and wadding mud
Love Mom

Pop got his medicine. He wants to know how much it was.

© 2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/08/01/lovina/

Barbara Moore

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[Editor’s note: Barbara (Mothersill) Moore was the wife of John B. Moore. He was a university professor of economics and served in the Navy during the war. Roscoe and Gladys knew the Moores while they were living in Missouri. This letter actually appears to be two letters. The first letter may have been written prior to Christmas 1945 as John was released from active duty in February 1946.]

May 13, 1946 envelope

Letter transcription:

May 13, 1946, p. 1

Thursday

Dear Gladys,

Please forgive me for not writing sooner and for the haste in which I write now.

Yesterday the last boys left and very soon the school will be closed, and I hope John will be out of the Navy. Just how long it will take to get his orders I don’t know. He hopes to have them soon after Christmas. When and if he gets out, we will go to the Univ. of Mo. to finish his P. H. D. or phd whichever it is, the very next move we make.

There is just Wells and John

May 13, 1946, p. 2

[page 2] here now. Wells might to leave soon. We have been [tp] your old house just once since you left. The Weathralls have been very busy. Eleanor has been working in John’s office since Ruth left. Ruth is now head of the Red Cross in this District. Some stuff. Has a car furnished and everything.

Please excuse this letter. I know there is a million mistakes but I’m in such a hurry.

Poor little R.A. has such a bad cold and feels tough. John has one also and I have a little one.

Please let me know right away how large you want your tablecloth. Maybe in the very near future I can finish it.

It’s just about the same kind of a day that it was a year ago. R.A. is a year old. I know you must be very happy to be together in your own home again. Lots of luck and good wishes.

Barbara & John

May 13, 1946, p. 3

[page 3]

May 13, 1946

Dear Friends,

This is really terrible of me not to have written to you long ago, but really and truly I have been as busy with my own kid as you are with your three. Of course I know that doesn’t speak very well for my management, but then you know that ever was any good anyway.

How have you all been? I certainly hope doing better than we have. We all have had terrible colds. R.A. the worst ones I ever saw a little one have. He has very large and bad tonsils and adenoids. I hate to think of going through what we have this last four months, until he is old enough to have them out.

Mary 13, 1946, p. 4

[page 4] I took R.A. and went to St. Louis to visit, the week before Easter and stayed till the Tuesday after Easter. Mother & Dad were there, staying at the Roosevelt Hotel, so they got me a room. We got the see most of our old friends, and I got to show them R.A. I’ve just been [?] to do that every since R.S. arrived. This was my last chance. The Folks were leaving for Minn. Soon and I knew that we would be leaving for parts unknown in the fall. My brother and his wife received their little girl not long ago, and she is a darling. Two years old, blue eyes, blond hair, short and fat. Butch thinks she is wonderful and is now, very much, one of the family.

Here is a bit of news we are

May 13, 1946, p. 5

[page 5] very happy about. Last Thursday John got a telegram, asking him to come to Denver Colorado Univ. for an interview. He left and got back Sunday. There were to let him know as soon as the Dean had approved. Monday morning he got word that the job was his if he wanted it. So we are about to find ourselves on our way to Colo. in the fall. The whole set up is a nice one and we are very happy about it. Now our worry is finding a house. Our family is considerably larger than before and we will have to have a large place. Mother Moore is quite thrilled, as she has some friends and a sister not far from Denver.

My Mother is a little anxious

May 13, 1946, p. 6

[page 6] about our going, as she is afraid it’s too high and will affect my heart. What do you think about that Doctor? You know as much about my condition as anyone. John talked to several people while he was there, and they didn’t seem to think it would make any difference. Would really like to have an answer from you though.

I hope by now you have your tablecloth altogether and that it is plenty large. I would like to have had the time to finish it myself, but just couldn’t. I’m sure you found it larger when pressed. Please let me know how it came out.

Did the Doctor’s office ever get finished? That certainly was a terrible thing to happen. We were very sorry to hear it.

May 13, 1946, p. 7

[page 7] Mother M. and I have been sewing like mad. I had to have several house dresses. R.A. had to have overalls. Mother M. had to have house dresses, afternoon dresses and slips. While I was in St. Louis, I got one new dress, material for a housecoat pink and while material for slips and Aunt Min. had just made herself a [?] formal, and didn’t like it, so she sold it to me for the price of the material. When I got it home I didn’t like the neck or the sleeves, so made it over. It sure was a job, but I think it’s very pretty now.

Did you hear that Eleanor is expecting? I never was so surprised. They are in K.C. now. He has a mine job. Eleanor’s brother was here to see us not long ago. He will be here in school next fall.