Category Archives: Foster

Those Two Neighbors (Gladys)

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
8-12-43

Dear Daddy – Yours of Aug. 3-4-5-6 came today and John’s birthday letter & $2⁰⁰. He has written you. Mark wrote you a v-mail Apr. 13 & addressed it wrong & it was returned today – will put it in John’s letter. It is hot today – was cool & cloudy today but now the sun is shining and we are all feeling sticky – all, but D. I don’t believe he minds it much. He just had his 3 P.M. meal & is in good mood. John is practicing the oboe & Mark is out pulling weeds along the driveway. Dr. Cole said he would come today or Sun. but so far he hasn’t come today. Mother is feeling a little better I think – Dr. C. told me to give her Vit. B. shots and I started Tues. If he comes today will have him give the next one. This hot weather makes her feel worse. Dr. Cole said he didn’t think she had carcinoma. He didn’t have x-ray done due to her frail condition but had the lab analysis of her stool. A week from Sat. Dr. Cole said he would take the cast off of David’s leg. He has been good as could be all along. It seemed a shame to put such an extensive cast on for just a crack but I can see it was the right thing to do. Arlene came up and brought Mother flowers this a.m. She has been so good to come & see Mother all along. Zells have been solicitous too – I am glad for those two neighbors – they certainly have been good to us. Mrs. Z. helps out so much when I have to go to Laf. for medicine or take David to the Dr.

Love Mother

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/12/04/those-two-neighbors-gladys/

Clothes Line Broke (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 11, 1943 envelope

: August 11, 1943, p. 1

: August 11, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Aug. 11, 1943

Dear Mother,

As I stated in yesterday’s letter, there wasn’t any mail. It wasn’t too disappointing because after three straight days one hardly expects mail on the fourth day.

One thing you mentioned and I didn’t comment upon was the bill you were going to send Lloyd Tilton. I think that is OK provided you paid Geo. The bill we owed him. You wrote as if you had paid it but you never did say for sure. It would be swell if those things could be collected but I’ve given up hope long ago. I just want you to keep the records so those people can be remembered later on, but why worry about such things now.

This is getting well on with the time of the cast for D. I’ll bet you have a time keeping him off that foot and I doubt if a little weight on it will bother too much. This will of course get there too late for you

[page 2] to get much relief and I suppose you have almost worried yourself sick trying to keep him quiet – but Mother must not worry too much less her features be spoiled – beauty I mean. I’ve had many comments on your pictures. However as you said in most of the snap shots the camera was moved and the pictures weren’t clear, but I can still see you haven’t lost your beauty. I’m not try to be funny – I’m very much in earnest so don’t get me in the dog house with the Mother of my sons.

There is one little wee suggestion I might make for your mother – Ten drops of HCL in water with or after meals – yes, the same that you take for your eczema. Don’t however do it if she is getting better but if her stomach still bothers you might try a dose or two.

This is Wed. and the rain has kept our clothes wet so I’m going dirty because of lack of dry clean clothes – one fellow’s clothes line broke and you should see his sheets & other white clothes –

Space all gone – Lots of love Daddy

Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/12/03/clothes-line-broke-roscoe/

T-Bone Steaks (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 11, 1943 envelope

: August 11, 1943, p. 1

: August 11, 1943, p. 2

: August 11, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug 11 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

No letters today but had up to July 31 this week. It is hot today – but there is a good breeze. We picked green beans yesterday and canned 8 qts. today – we aren’t thru, but I had to stop & do some other things – one being to feed David – Mark now has him out in the buggy. Sammy & Buddy came to play with Mark. I told Mark he has to take care of David – all three boys are walking up & down the street (sidewalk) – Mark pushing the buggy. At present John is practicing – He just finished sorting music. The new piano bench wouldn’t hold all he had – so he decided to sort out all he doesn’t use & put it away. I have been so busy with the canning & David’s routine I haven’t had time to go upstairs today – I changed the bed before I came down this a.m. so could get the washer going early – John and Mark do the running up & down for me.

[page 2] Buddy was here for dinner. He said they were going with Funk’s on a trip. I suppose they will go some place in Wis. Bill has been so busy with the detassling this year. When it was over Arlene said he was worn out. They kept the boys at the Fairgrounds and this was the most they had had so far. There was a write-up about the camp in Prairie Farmer. They had a broadcast one day from the camp on the dinner bell hour. Bill’s job (one of them) was to see that there was enough food. There was a start of diahrea and he was worried about that, was afraid it would go thru the camp, but got it checked. Mr. Nelson is here now helping on a new elevator for the corn. It is almost due south of us, where the other buildings were built last year.

I sent John to town to get some meat this a.m. – he came back and said the only place he could find meat was Ford’s and they had two T-bone steaks – I sent him back to get them – the two cost .76¢ and took 16 points – We have a few can of salmon on hand so had salmon for dinner – I have some bacon & hens in the locker but won’t use them now – the meat situation may not improve so will save in case it doesn’t. We have beef promised from Parttens when they butcher this fall but might need some

[page 3] before then. Don’t worry about us and out meat problem, because we will get along. I still have chicken your Mother brought up. She may come again and if she does will have her bring more.

Kenneth is home on furlough and he drove the car to take John to T.H. – John said when he got off the bus in Laf. there were two girls who were meeting an uncle and they said “Hello Uncle Roscoe – “ Somehow he laughed about in incident. No offense whatever – I just mentioned it thought you might laugh too.

Mark & his company are in the front yard having some tall arguments. The children like to tell moron jokes. They are always coming in with something new about the little moron. Mark sometimes gets his riddles mixed up & tells us the answer first.

It’s 4 PM and more beans to work on and other things to do so must get busy.
Love Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/12/02/t-bone-steaks-gladys/

A Favorable Answer (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 10, 1943 envelope

: August 10, 1943, p. 1

: August 10, 1943, p. 2

: August 10, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Aug 10, 1943

Dear Mother,

Your letter of July 27 came yesterday – That makes 3 days in succession that I’ve received mail from you so I hardly expect any further mail for several days. I hope I’ll be agreeably surprised but I’m afraid not. Yes the one letter that was most important – July 17 with the check was missing. I suppose it will be a month or more in getting there and you seem to need it rather badly but your regular checks will be there Aug. 1^st so maybe that will help until this other comes tagging along.

You said D. was getting along swell in the cast – moving around

[page 2] etc. That cast probably won’t slow him down one bit. And about the criticism I think I expressed myself in yesterday’s letter so you know how I feel and further more I’ve repeated it several time – I think the boys have a wonderful mother who is really trying and getting results – more than she can see right now but results which will show themselves in years to come. So don’t criticize yourself for things that happen.

I know Commander Frerricks Frericks Frerricks (That is the correct spelling) had written the boys but I did not know what he was going to say. Really I think that is one person I was able to pull the wool over – because I believe he did think I was OK, and still does I hope. I wrote to his daughter (21 years old). She is a collector of Hotel Letter Heads and a fellow gave me a letter head of a hotel

[page 3] in Hawaii, and I wrote a little note on it and sent it to her for her collection. He told me when I was down to see him she was engaged – The boy in question had written him asking him the fatal question and he had given a favorable answer.

Well, there is a fellow waiting to do some work so will have to stop right now but maybe can fill up the space a little later –

Lots of Love (in case I don’t get to add more)
Daddy

Got thru sooner than I expected but now I can’t think of anything to say –
Hope you mother is improving. I feel so helpless about making suggestions
Again lots of Love
Daddy

Frerricks address is Navy 152 F.P.O. San Fran Calif

Lt. Roscoe S. Yegerlehner, mostly likely in the Solomon Islands

Lt. Roscoe S. Yegerlehner, New Caledonia, 1942

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/12/01/a-favorable-answer-roscoe/

A Fine Boy (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R. S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
8-10-43

Dear Daddy – No mail today – but 3 up to July 31 came yesterday. In yours of July 30 you wrote about leaving a year ago and I rec’d it Aug. 9 – the day you sailed. It doesn’t seem sometimes like it can be a year then other times it seems much longer. We will just mark off each day as one day nearer to coming home. The Burgees were today. Gus is working for Kent Dairy at Gibson City and they were visiting here today. Lucile wanted to weigh the baby – she is 4 ½ mo. and weighed 13-11 with clothes on. A little smaller than David at that age. They said to tell you they thought David a fine boy. He showed off for them – as he can do so much of the time. He has another tooth thru today – that makes 4 – another is almost thru. He is taking a nap now. It is hot today and I have had him in the yard a lot. I put him down on a cover but he would crawl off on the grass. He is tired today from the trip to Laf. yesterday. Mark went to a 4-H meeting this afternoon – John had his piano lesson here – he wanted Miss Smith to see the piano. She tells John she thinks he will be a composer – she has him play his pieces for her. I listened some to his lesson and he really is in advanced music – Mother is about the same today – The heat is hard on her – but there has been a cool breeze in her room all day –

Love – Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/30/a-fine-boy-gladys/

David’s Accident (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 9, 1943 envelope

: August 9, 1943, p. 1

: August 9, 1943, p. 2

: August 9, 1943, p. 3

: August 9, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Francisco, Calif.
Aug. 9, 1943

Dear Mother,

Your letters of 24, 25 & 26 came – The one you wrote while in the Hospital with D. and the latest after you had taken him home – It’s too bad a thing like that had to happen but from what you say I can’t see but what it was an accident and no one to blame. It’s just one of those things. You remember the time Red Brewer fell – no one would call that carelessness and I can see no reason why that could be called carelessness just because an adult was not carrying him – anyone can stumble – You will not the person who criticized first was the person who probably needed the most criticism about her children – So pay no attention “by them.” No doubt it is a little hard for you to take however because of the pressure you are under from your mother being sick, the responsibility of the home and boys and then the added pressure of the accident. Don’t feel too badly because I’m sure from the

[page 2] way you described the break it really isn’t serious. The most disheartening thing of the whole business will be seeing D. in the cast but don’t feel too badly about that because kiddies get used to casts much more readily than grown ups. The worst thing I see about the thing is the extra work it will make you in keeping him bathed and in the handling you have to do for him. It will no doubt slow his walking and don’t be alarmed when the cast is taken off because you will probably be able [to] see a marked difference in the size of that leg – due to a lack of exercise, but in a few months times hat should right itself completely – as I figure it he has been in the case now a little over two weeks and by the time you get this the cast will be removed. The boys won’t be in school as yet and they will be a help thru it all. As I see the whole thing it isn’t serious and probably won’t slow D. down to any appreciable extent so the thing to do is be thankful it isn’t any more serious. I know you have taken this attitude, and I’m certain the boys have a mother capable of meeting those situations but and

[page 3] I’m just sorry I can’t share the troubles more fully with you but this war is a little bigger than families. So much for that.

You will find a m.o. enclosed – It’s made out to you but – here is the story – while Commander Frericks was here he bought beer on numerous occasions and I always helped him drink it and offered to pay my share but he never would take it – he insisted I send the money home to the boys. I had never been able to purchase a m.o. until this a.m. so that’s that. It’s to be equally divided between the boys – when they receive it I think it would be nice if they (J & M) dropped him a line thanking him – Maybe that is asking too much for possibly you will have to do the writing. I’ll send his address in a day or two and you can do as you like about having them write.

I hope I’ve made myself clear about D.’s accident – please feel that I don’t blame anyone and I know things will come out OK. I know the boys have a wonderful mother and I know now she didn’t mean she wouldn’t send anymore pictures for there was on in yesterday’s mail of her and several

[page 4] of the boys – and one of Virginia Z. Thank a lot for them and Lots of Love from Daddy

Virginia Zell holding David

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/29/davids-accident-roscoe/

Hives (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 9, 1943 envelope

: August 9, 1943, p. 1

: August 9, 1943, p. 2

: August 9, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug. 9 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Back from Laf. I didn’t get the letter I wrote yesterday mailed so will put this in with it. This a.m. yours of July 29 – 30 & 31 came and Mother’s too. It was very encouraging to have your letters about her. I felt so discouraged about her when I wrote yesterday – but I feel she is at least holding her own. I took D. to see Dr. Cole today & talked to him about her. He said to bring her down but I told him she couldn’t stand the trip – he said he would come up to see her Thurs. or Sun. He said to keep the cast on David two more weeks then bring him down & would cut it off – he seemed to think it would be all right – said to keep just some protection around the crack. I told him David does about everything, pulls up, stand, sits etc. He shakes his bed until the bolts fall off –

[page 2] John’s bus didn’t come in until 5:45 so Arlene & I had plenty of time to shop. She went along to see Dr. C. and help me with David & shop. She is 5 months along now and has only gained three lbs. She was so pleased about it – hopes she won’t get so large this time.

I shopped some today – bought two prs. of shoes & 1 pr house slippers – I wanted to shop for shoes while I wasn’t in a hurry and found a black pr. & brown pr. that just suited my taste and fit. So many people wait until the last day to use their coupon and then rush the stores. I was in Laf. the last day the 17 coupon was good and all the shoe stores & Depts. were full with people standing waiting. Had to get J. & M. some school pants – school start Sept. 1 – and they had to have pants. John got a new pr. of shoes before he went to Grandma’s – he outgrew two pr. so Mark took them – that means he will have enough to last him several months. I didn’t neglect David. I bought him a new suit to wear when he gets the cast off his leg – He has new suit, shoes & sox for the occasion.

[page 3] I enjoyed your letters so much today – especially the 30^th & 29^th – of course I always enjoy all of them but you answered the 7 you had rec’d from me in the 29^th & the 30^th was a resume. Please don’t worry about the picture comment – to show I didn’t mean it I sent some of myself in the last bunch I sent. I have part of a roll taken & want to take the rest tomorrow, if there’s sunshine, and I suppose there will be. There was lots today – It has been awfully hot today – We would go into the air conditioned stores, then out again – and you know what happens – just like going into an oven.

I have to write your Mother that John arrived safely, etc. – also want to send Ruthie M. a note – I can’t think of anything else – oh yes – while in Laf. I had a coke then later ice cream – due to the intense heat we felt like we needed some cooling – and I got hives – They would raise up like mushrooms & just itch – at first I didn’t know what was the matter – I said there aren’t any bugs in town to bite me – I had one welt on my hand and on observing it decided I was having hives – My system is a little on the allergic order now – so will have to watch my eating –

Love – Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/28/hives-gladys/

Anxious (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 8, 1943 envelope

: August 8, 1943, p. 1

: August 8, 1943, p. 2

: August 8, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran. Calif.

Aug. 8, 1943

Dear Mother,

As you will note this is Aug. 8 and that really is some date for a few of us to remember. I wrote you a letter about 8 days ago of more or less retrospect of the year’s happenings to date – That letter could just as well have been written today but it seemed to be more appropriate at that time. In a big general way it has been a good year as far as the war is concerned. The enemy has been pushed back on all fronts in the Pacific and of course the European phase is also going good as far as news reports go. If things can just keep going during the next year

[page 2] maybe this thing won’t last too long.

Your letter of July 23 came yesterday. It was good that you could get a leave for Jim. I’m sure it will help your mother as well as anything. Jim must be pretty tired just staying in one place for over a year. Of course, he switched to Camp Peary but it has been more or less the same, I guess it hasn’t been too bad for him however, because Thelma has been near by and he was is also able to enjoy some of the benefits of modern civilization and these things are of value but maybe we don’t appreciate them until after being deprived of them for a period of time. He no doubt is anxious to get out of the country and after being out

[page 3] for a time will be just as anxious to get back. You see I can talk from experience. I was anxious to get going and I’m just as anxious to get back and swab jobs with someone else who would like to see what he can see.

Let me again remind you not to work too hard nor worry to[o] much about things because that is hard on your health and that is the biggest worry I have out here – The health of you and the boys – I’m of course concerned with your mother’s health the same as I would be of my Mother & Dad, but it’s very much different when it comes to you and the boys. Well I’ve said my say.

Love Daddy

Perhaps this is one of the photographs from Dr. Lentz's roll of film

Roscoe, summer of 1942

Sulfa (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 8, 1943, p. 1

: August 8, 1943, p. 2

: August 8, 1943, p. 3

: August 8, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug. 8 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Another Sunday afternoon about gone. Seems I am about as busy as any other day. Last Sun. I didn’t get time to sit down & write. Mark has David out in the buggy now so thought I would take the opportunity to write. It is hot today but there is a cooling breeze most of the time. Mother ate a pretty good dinner but says she doesn’t want any supper. She looks so thin and pale today – Seems to me she looks worse today than usual. I will see Dr. Cole tomorrow and give him a report. If she would go I would take her back to the hospital but she says she couldn’t stand the beds & pillows. She is so thin I can understand why she wouldn’t be able to rest there. I told you a long time ago about the lab finding in her stool (strep, Staph & B-coli). She thinks the sulfa turned her against food and she doesn’t want anything to eat. Of course she can’t get better is she doesn’t eat, but she says she eats all she can.

[page 2] I am going to take David to see Dr. Cole tomorrow. He will probably reinforce the cast around the top – It certainly takes a beating – the way David gets around. I am to meet John. Your Mother & Dad are going to take him to Laf. T. H. & he will come to Laf. on the bus.

Mrs. Roberts was here last night. She said she had word from Joe and he had diahrea & last 7 lbs. She still doesn’t have any idea where he is. He sent his trunk back home and she has it now. She said it had a very musty odor. She said she couldn’t get beef in Watseka and their children wouldn’t eat pork. I had a sirloin steak – (Mark & I decided to be extravagant while John is away) and enough round steak for Mark & I today – so I gave her the sirloin. We don’t have steak very often because it’s hard to get and expensive. I have chicken to fry yet that your Mother brought up so thought I could get by without one steak.

I found last winter that I am allergic to sulfa – when I had the sinus infection – The other day I skinned my thumb on the furnace door – and by the way had been indulging in new tomatoes so had some breaking out on my fingers – and the

[page 3] place I skinned was broken out – I put sulfa powder on it and got a minor complication – the sore healed but that sulfa powder made my exczema so bed I can’t bend my thumb yet. It is better but I know now not to put sulfa powder on an irritated place again.

Eddie Ray Wilson sat down on a piece of broken glass and cut himself – It was so bad they had to give him ether to sow it up. He has had a time this summer. Margaret Kruman was here today & said Susan Clark caught her heel in the bike sprocket & injured her heel to the extent that she may not be able to walk on it. – Now I shouldn’t have written that because I didn’t have first hand information and when Ruth Parttens was injured the story was she wouldn’t walk again & Dr. M. said there was nothing to that. I didn’t mean to cast any reflection on Margaret but I don’t know where she got her information.

Dorothy keeps promising to bring their movie camera out to take some pictures of D. but so far she hasn’t shown up with it. Floyd & Ruth have taken pictures of him twice – at three & six months. They wanted to get him at 9 months but couldn’t make connections –

[page 4] I think you can almost see him grow in the pictures I have sent. I can’t weigh him until we get the cast off his leg – and that will be two weeks yet. He weighed 20 ½ at 10 months – I don’t know whether he will gain or lose by his 11^th month – I thought he might gain – but he is about as active as he was before – I think he works just as hard – Maybe harder. He is a busy little fellow most of the time.

I told you once before – Arlene is having another baby in Dec. She has Donnie off the bottle and he isn’t a yr. old yet. She says he eats more than Bobby does. Mark has been building planes for Bobby. Bobby was up here this afternoon – He is as cute and witty as ever. Arlene thinks Donnie will soon outgrow Bobby – and at the rate Donnie is going he may.

David’s two upper front teeth are so near thru I think one edge on both will make it thru today or tomorrow.

The cricket are singing all the time now – I think the old saying is “6 weeks till frost when they begin to sing” – but you can’t always depend on old sayings – as hot as it is today I can hardly think of frost.

Love Mother –

Climbing the Stove (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 7, 1943 envelope

: August 7, 1943, p. 1

: August 7, 1943, p. 2

: August 7, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Aug. 7, 1943

Dear Mother,

In thinking over your letters that I tried to comment upon yesterday. I remember one interesting incident I forgot to mention and that was D. ability to climb. It does seem a little odd that his mother would let him climb upon, of all things, here her stove. I thought the thing pretty cute. I’d have like to seen him myself. I sometimes wonder if he is spoiled much but I’m certain not too much wh with the mother he has – Of course she may give him a little range now and then but in the end he probably gets it in the end if he becomes too much opinionated for the best of society.

Yesterday after writing you I sent John

[page 2] a two dollar bill for his birthday. Hope he gets it in time. I must remember to send D. something in time for his birthday just the same as the other boys although he probably won’t appreciate it so much.

No need for this warning but just a little reminder about the coal situation for the winter – I think you told me you were keeping the bin full at all times.

Some of our officers who came out with us seem to be getting restless about going back to the States. Of course, I am also but not to the point where I become obnoxious about it. I just figure that when the times comes OK but I don’t know that there is a thing we can do to hurry it along only keep more or less contented and the time will pass more rapidly as I have often written before. I’d just as soon stay a little longer

[page 3] now and then have a little longer time in the USA when I do get back. There are lots of men who have been out lots longer than I so I don’t feel I have too much to complain about. What with all however I’d certainly like to be back – I hope you understand that.

Stopped for lots of conversation about the war, its course and affect and of course we have the whole plan all worked out in our own way but it might not be the way it goes nor the way other think, anyway it doesn’t bother to do some talking on our own.

Well, guess I’d better slow down and so something else
Lots of Love
Daddy