Category Archives: World War II Letters

Happy Valentine’s Day (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: February 14, 1944 envelope

: February 14, 1944, p. 1

: February 14, 1944, p. 2

: February 14, 1944, p. 3

: February 14, 1944, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Feb. 14, 1944

Dear Mother,

You will most certainly have to pardon my absentmindedness about Valentine’s Day because it surely slipped my mind and I didn’t even tumble when the one came from the boys. It just all seemed foreign and a long way off or the wrong time of year or something. I know that sounds crazy but never the less true. So – Happy Valentine’s Day and all that goes with it.

I just happened to think of another thing you mentioned in your letters that I forgot to

[page 2] mention and that was the music lessons that John’s teacher was talking about. The $7.00 variety. How often would those have to come? Surely not once per week. I think he should have lessons more advanced but not that strong each week, but we can talk of that later. I hope talk and not write. That last sentence has no more significance than anything else I’ve written about coming home. So far there have been 4 Drs. leave here on the 18 mo. deal but others are past due and things seem to be at a standstill in so far as their orders are concerned. As it

[page 3] stands now there are three groups here who have been out longer than Cub 13. So you see we don’t just know what to think. There is however less than one month time for us as well as the groups ahead of us. We figure all the angles backward and forward and when it’s all said and done the whole thing adds up to only one thing – confusion.

There were mail bags in camp today. I saw them with my own eyes, but as yet we have heard nothing or seen no results of the sorting but hopes are running pretty high. I’ll let you know at the end of this if any arrives.

I did some laundry this PM.

[page 4] That was the first in a long time. I told you once the number of pairs of socks and trucks I had so I don’t have to wash so often but when I do – Oh Boy! I have been sending some of my most yellow trunks to the laundry to get that well known Gray out of them.

Just stopped to chit chat with the bridegroom & Lentz – nothing in particular as you might imagine. They both came in and bummed a coke – Tea time – possibly gossip time.

Well Dear I hope to P.S. some mail –
Love Daddy

P.S. Mail did arrive and I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. It was a landslide.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/12/08/happy-valentines-day-roscoe/ ‎

More Coal (Gladys)

3 Replies

: February 14, 1944, envelope front

: February 14, 1944, envelope back

: February 14, 1944, p. 1

: February 14, 1944, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Monday – Feb. 14 – 1944

Dear Daddy – Yours of Feb. 3 & 4^th came today – also Mark’s birthday letter. You letters made a good valentine – however your presence would be better but maybe it won’t be long. Mark was much pleased with the money order, but said it would be better for you to come.

Since the roads are still snowbound in places there wasn’t any school today. There was more snow today so there probably won’t be school for a day or so. I was able to attend music club at Foulkes, since the boys were home to keep David. Mark stayed home – John went with me to hear the Opera La Bohème. We had never heard Foulkes’ phonograph and decided it didn’t sound much, if any, beter than ours. Of course they have a much more elaborate cabinet. Theirs vibrates when it starts to play so it sounded a little natural, because ours gets a hum or buzz once in a while.

We got some coal today ($22.43) from the Lbr. Co., $9.50 a ton, but it’s the best and incidentally the only kind our furnace wants to burn. I called Chet Harlan and he was completely out of any kind of stoker coal but has a load of “Milco” on the way and promised to send us some as soon as it comes which he says should be Thurs. or Fri. I’ll take it too because we will use it, in time. John went to the basement to take a look around and he says the new coal made a lot of dirt – If the boys are home a day or two I think we will try to clean up a little down there.

[page 2] The Music Club chorus came here to practice on a new cantata they want to give in March. Their pianist didn’t come so John played for them. John weighed this morning on the office scales, now in the upstairs bathroom, and he weighed just 100 even – 5 lbs. more than I weigh. He got out this morning and shoveled snow, then it snowed more and by the time the chorus arrived the walk was covered again. Bob Schurtter hauled the coal this afternoon and mildly “bawled me out” because we didn’t have the drive shoveled off. I just ignored him. He helps Chet out when he (Chet) gets short of help and needs truck drivers. He often works on Sat. or holidays. He will be in the Navy as an ensign sometime – probably before school is out – then he won’t have to haul coal, etc. I would predict before the war is over he will be glad to haul coal again. Maybe I am wrong. – What am I ranting about? Maybe I didn’t like it because he said what he did about having the drive cleaned off. Anyway we have coal again and that is the main thing.

Sorry your Christmas box was so mutilated. The chewing gum wasn’t very good but all I could get at that time. I did wrap those boxed with heavy paper & card besides using cigar boxes. I used the same boxes so I could wrap them better.

Mark is waiting to take this to town so must get it finished.
Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/12/07/more-coal-gladys/ ‎

Mrs. Kindell (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: February 13, 1944 envelope

: February 13, 1944, p. 1

: February 13, 1944, p. 2

: February 13, 1944, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Feb. 13, 1944

Dear Mother,

Going back to the letters. I now recall what the $6.60 was for but until you mentioned it again I just couldn’t figure that one out. I started this letter just a little abrupt but on re-reading I find that was one point about which I wrote you before.

It seems from your letters that the pond must have served a very good winter playground for the kids and with Bob S. supervising the affair it surely was a fine thing. I guess you knew Mark wrote me of his fall.

[page 2] He expressed it in a rather unique way. He, from what you say, must like the great outdoors and all the sports that go with it. Although from what you wrote he doesn’t like his arithmetic so very well. I was surprised at John writing that he liked arithmetic so well, but on second thought that isn’t so strange because it is an exact science and that is more to his makeup.

I didn’t know Mrs. Kindell was ill and how should I if you didn’t know it. She used to have very high blood pressure along with her diabetes so I suppose one or the other or both were the causative factors. She was a nice old lady even though she used to be

[page 3] a little hard on my nerves on Thur. P.M. There have been a number of my old patients pass away since my leaving there but when one considers the time it isn’t out of the ordinary because 2 years ago this mo. I was examined or was it Jan.? Anyway it’s been just about 2 years.

I suppose Red wouldn’t allow Coke to be sick from what she said to you but it seems to one that he was in my office about 2-3 times each month. And he also went to Mayo Brothers and they found nothing wrong. That last paragraph was just an afterthought.

Well, Dear, that is about all I can recall now
So Lots of Love
Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/12/06/mrs-kindell-roscoe/

Grandma Ramp (Gladys)

1 Reply

: February 13, 1944, p. 1

: February 13, 1944, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
2-13-44

Dear Daddy –

Sun. evening and just back from a walk. Mark and I walked to town then over to Johnsons. Lucile said she would keep David tomorrow if I wanted to go to Music Club at Cokes but there isn’t any school tomorrow due to the snow on the roads, so I told Lucile the boys would be home to take care of D. – That is Mark will – John will probably go with me because Coke is going to play the opera La Boheme on their phonograph for the Music Club and he wants to hear it. This afternoon I took David and Mark and walked down the street – We called on Mrs. Krull then on the way back stopped at Funks. Mrs. Krull told me about her mother. Grandma Ramp was here with Mrs. Krull when she died. She wasn’t feeling very well and Mrs. K. asked her if she wanted a Dr. Grandma R. said “if you can call the Dr. you had when John was born,” who was Dr. Van Kirk – so Mrs. Krull called him. He gave her some medicine but told Mrs. K. there wasn’t much to do for her – she had pneumonia. She had been restless all day Wed. and the Dr. came in the evening and gave her a hypo and she went to sleep – and slept. Mrs. K. said she didn’t awaken after that. She was almost 88 year old. When Father Krull died about a month ago, Grandma Ramp wanted to go along to Ohio with Mrs. Krull and the family wouldn’t let her go. Mrs. K. said that made her mad and she

[page 2] didn’t get over it. She told them she was able to go on the trip – but they wouldn’t allow her to go.

While at Funks I said something about coal and Bill said if I couldn’t get any he would send us a load from the seed corn house. We have enough to last just a few days. I called Chet Harlan some time ago and he promised to send us some as soon as a car load comes in which should be now.

Funk’s had to change bedrooms with the children. Their nursery needed more room so the children now have the front bedroom. There is room for Donnie’s play pen (where he plays most of the time) – we folded David’s up long ago. When Joy gets too large for the basket there will be room enough for another baby bed in the nursery. They put the twin beds downstairs and with a bed table between and a chest of drawers the back bedroom looks roomier than the front bedroom used to look with the large bed. The only thing, Arlene loves to move furniture around and she can’t do that now in that bedroom.

The Music Club chorus is coming here to practice before Club tomorrow – so I’ll have to get some dusting done – with this coal dusting is necessary every day to keep the furniture from looking white. I’ll have help tomorrow since there isn’t any school.

Since taking the walk I have had some good sinus drainage – It feels all cleaned out now – It is getting around my bedtime – I am sleepy after that invigorating walk.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: ‎https://genealogylady.net/2015/12/05/grandma-ramp-gladys/

Ten Letters (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: February 12, 1944 envelope

: February 12, 1944, p. 1

: February 12, 1944, p. 2

: February 12, 1944, p. 3

: February 12, 1944, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Feb. 12, 1943 [sic]

Dear Mother,

I wrote in yesterday’s letter that I would add a P.S. in case any mail came – well it came but I got so interested in reading I forgot to add the P.S. There were ten letters from you, 2 from the folks and one from Ruth M. Yours ranged all the way from Jan. 7 to Jan. 29 with the Valentine from the boys included. That was what I call a real mail call. There was also a Christmas package from the Brewers for which I’ll have to write and thank them – It was a mixture of things: tooth brush, tooth paste, peanuts, cheese tidbits, English walnut kernels, two hankies and a pocket comb. Everything was in

[page 2] pretty good condition. The cheese tidbits were a little crushed but not bad and there was also two packages of cigarettes which were pretty badly crushed.

Now to your letters. I’m sure D. must have a slight throat irritation which probably won’t amount to much and so long as his temp. stays near normal I wouldn’t worry too much although it pays to be careful with those things in kids. The pictures were good but the one of D. has not arrived as yet. The clipping did however and I wouldn’t say that it was very good of him, but paper pictures are generally not too good. Chet V.’s picture was good but Art. K. looks like he was messed up like a dog’s breakfast.

The comments and the condition of Irene was a foregone conclusion even before I left there as I look

[page 3] back on the situation now. Maybe the Funks, the Statons and the Yegerlehners should take another vacation in Wisconsin. I’m sure it would help the Yegerlehners. It’s almost fate that another member of that group should need the benefit of a mental psycho analysis. I still feel that interest in family over and above finances. That applies of course to the latter. The former seemed to be a case of religion running away with family and I’m not being irreligious when I write that.

Watch your knitting – I don’t refer to the last paragraph. I mean actual. You wrote of how much you were planning on making and I’m afraid that might cause a few of your headaches especially at that certain period. If your breast is worse at that time I’m not so much

[page 4] worried but don’t let size be a factor in treatment. Have it checked on rather frequently and another biopsy if the Dr. thinks necessary.

I’m writing this letter later than usual because I had the duty and couldn’t write until I was off the desk. That makes me have the duty 3 times in one week. Twice for myself and once for Bob the bridegroom. Tomorrow I’ll try to reread your letters and write some further comment on them.

This being Lincoln’s birthday we had some little extra for noon chow. Grapes and nuts and I’m still cracking a nut now and then.

Well Dear your letters sure are a very good builder upper and I’m so tickled to get them –
Lots of Love
Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/12/04/ten-letters-roscoe/ ‎

Snowbound (Gladys)

1 Reply

: February 12, 1944 envelope front

: February 12, 1944 envelope back

: February 12, 1944, p. 1

: February 12, 1944, p. 2-3

: February 12, 1944, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-12-44

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Jan. 29-30-31- & Feb. 1 came today so I feel like writing a long newsy letter – however I won’t promise too much. John is out in the kitchen making preparations to bake a cake. Mark is in the nursery working on the floor with steel wool – David is asleep. He almost went to sleep in his high chair while we ate – He of course had been fed. He still needs help – spills so much on the way. He woke up last night before I went to bed and didn’t seem to feel just right so I put him in bed with me. I think he had a little tummy ache – I could hear gurgling noises, and he would waken after dropping off to sleep but finally settled down. This morning I said I felt like I had slept with one eye open.

[page 2] We are still snow bound. The back yard has drifts in some places feet deep. I want to take a picture of it this afternoon. Would like to put D. out I the snow for a picture but it is too cold to take him out. It was 1 below in Chicago this a.m. at 8. It is supposed to be colder tonight. Our coal pile is getting low and we may have to resort to Ind. coal again for a while until the Coal Co. gets some “Milco.”

I rec’d a valentine card from Jim. It had a stamp size picture of Jim for signature. The card has a picture of a little yellow haired girl with cubby legs watering the family tree – The verse is “There are a lot of Family Trees, Some pretty nice ones too. But there’s on other Family Tree, That’s grown a peach like you.” The boys were discussing the card and Mark

[page 3] said, “Mother you didn’t look like that when you were a little girl, look this girl has fat legs.” So much for my pins.

I finally got the kitchen washed after three hitches. The paint is beginning to show wear in spots from so much washing, but on the whole it still looks as good as new – nice & shining & clean.

I see in the paper that Blanchard Childress and O.E. Powell are new Rotary members. Also that June Swihart Wedgbury has a baby boy – She lives in Remington. Speaking of Remington – They have a Dr. now who doesn’t have a car and charges $5.00 a call when anyone gets so ill they can’t go to the office and the Dr. has to walk abroad in the town – of course a country call where taxi service is necessary costs $15.00 – You can guess he doesn’t have many calls. There was a woman Dr. there but she got married and is having a baby so had

[page 4] to retire from practicing at present. More local news is the election of officers by Chamber of Commerce – Bill Zimmerman, Pres., Chafee Shirk, Vice, and Ed Johnson, Secy., Harry Healy, Treas. The C.C. has decided to transfer the sponsorship to the Rotary Club, of the Boy Scouts. Chet Van Scoyck has been acting as leader due to lack of anyone else willing to assume the roll.

After all the “steel wooling” on the floors this a.m. I am going to have to dust – an endless job, but has to be done once in a while. I can see webs stretched around in different places so will have to swing the wall brush around, too. Getting Mark to keep at a job is a job in itself – I can hear him turning the pages in the new Colliers and know he has deserted his work. I will finish this and go and inspect his work, which I am sure isn’t finished. He wants to go to town and I’ll let him go so he can mail this –

“Love Mother”

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/12/03/snowbound-gladys/

Two Extra Letters (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: February 11, 1944 envelope

: February 11, 1944, p. 1

: February 11, 1944, p. 2

: February 11, 1944, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Feb. 11, 1944

Dear Mother,

Last night I really did myself. Wrote two extra letters, one to Joe R. and one to Geo. Wingfield. It was a tough fight but I made it without too much over extending my strength. By strength I really mean mental strength. I’m sure when they read those letters they will also agree that my mental strength wasn’t too much. I felt I just had to write Geo. and thank him for the Christmas present and

[page 2] Joe had a letter coming so he got a note.

There are plenty of rumors about mail but so far I haven’t seen anything that would indicate that the rumor is correct. We always gripe even if mail is a little slow but it’s getting to the place now where it is really serious. Especially air mail – I hope your mail is getting thru better than mine is. This last paragraph was a repeat last week if I remember correctly.

One of my friends here got a roll of films and borrowed a camera and he and I are going to dress up and snap each other. If they are good I’ll send them home

[page 3] providing we can pass them by the censor. I don’t mean we’ll try to put anything across but will try to get the background so that it will pass. I had one good one not so long ago. I mean one of the Drs. took one and I was going to get one but the developing co. lost the film and the Dr. is gone now so – and it was a good picture. Lentz has taken some but they are in color and he is sending them back to the States to be developed and you know how long that will take.

Well, if mail comes I’ll add a P.S.
Love Daddy

Prize Snow (Gladys)

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
2-11-44

Dear Daddy – Haven’t rec’d letters from you since Mon. and this is Fri. Your last was Jan. 29. We have had the prize snow of the season. Quite a lot of snow and wind which drifted the snow in some places until it is waist high. In the west side yard Mark walked out into a drift that was knee deep. I took some pictures of our home, Statons & Foulkes. John and Mark got into the pictures here. David was asleep so he missed, but it’s too much to try to get his picture in a snow drift. John and I shoveled the snow off the driveway and front walk yesterday and this a.m., it was drifted over again. John is out now working on it again. Mark has gone to the dentist – says he has a toothache. There isn’t any school today because the busses can’t get through. I don’t know how the town streets are but I suppose the Street Dept. is trying to keep the drifts cleaned off. Bart has been running pictures of service men in his paper – you guessed it – yours was in this week. But I don’t believe you will object – he didn’t say anything but how long you had been in service, etc. I see Jimmie Staton out playing in the snow. It is very invigorating out now, not too cold, but colder predicted for tonight. Just hope the cold wave doesn’t last too long – or that we can get more good coal. The way the wind blew when it was snowing, we had snow on the windows – the effect Arlene had with cotton at Christmas – you remember I helped her decorate one year. David is awake and ready for action.

Love – Mother

Staring At That Wall (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: February 10, 1944 envelope

: February 10, 1944, p. 1

: February 10, 1944, p. 2

: February 10, 1944, p. 3

: February 10, 1944, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Feb. 10, 1944

Dear Mother,

For the past hour or more I’ve been down on the bunk just thinking of what I might write you and I could do no good lying there staring at that wall so I decided to get up and start and maybe something would come.

I thought possibly I could put down my thoughts while lying there but often trying to recall what I was thinking I can’t seem to recall so I guess I was a total blank. I did read the morning paper. I had taken care of the news pretty well just before and after breakfast so started in on the want ads, public sales, legal notices

[pager 2] and other bits of printed articles. Some interesting, some queerly stated and some just plain funny. Much of their wording, etc., reads like our papers used to years ago. Even the Kentland papers seem to be more modern in statement. One never reads a paper but what there is a notice or two which states that such and such a man, no names, but a brief description who wishes to become acquainted with a certain type woman with marriage as the aim. And their ad about patent medicine are a scream. I can’t remember any just now but they are really heart rendering with the suffering which is going on needlessly.

This county as you might know, I didn’t, has state medicine and I’ve heard something about it from the lay individual as well as the Dr. and

[page 3] I can say the parties concerned are in a fog as to its merits and demerits. It came just about the time the war did so neither side has had a fair chance to win out. It seems that the Drs. are living and some of the patients are living so it can’t be a total failure on one side or the other. It is a little hard to ask the Dr. how much his salary amounts to so it’s hard to learn much – I do know this there are dissatisfied persons on both sides. However, that is something I don’t intend to get worked up about just now. If it comes it will just have to come and everyone concerned will have to make the best of it.

Lentz just poked his head in to inquire about the time. He informed me there was no mail again today – don’t know where he got his information but I’d say it

[page 4] was darn rotten information and not the least bit welcome. The mail situation is about like it was first when we left the States. There is one thing I’m always certain about, however, and that it that there are letters on the way because I know you are writing as regular as you always did. Lentz could have been mistaken so I’ll still have hope for another hour or two since it is only about 1500.

It’s time I should have my PM coke. I’m getting just like the natives only theirs is tea. I saw a group of men working on the road this AM and about 1000 they all stopped and had tea – eh what!

Well, I did get something written after all so solong love
Daddy

A White Haze (Gladys)

1 Reply

: February 10, 1944 envelope front

: February 10, 1944, envelope back

: February 10, 1944, p. 1

: February 10, 1944, p. 2-3

: February 10, 1944, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-10-44

Dear Daddy –

Another day without letters from you, but Mon. (7^th) had five. Maybe tomorrow will bring more. Winter is upon us again and at present it is snowing. I am glad the ground needs moisture. It is so gray and overhanging it looks like it could snow all afternoon. It is a very fine snow and will take a lot to cover the ground.

I started washing the kitchen walls this morning. I didn’t try to do the whole thing because I get too tired so I can see definitely where I quit. The dirtiest the walls have ever been. The unfinished walls are needing something but I think they should wait until spring – then some kind of water color. Ed Johnson painted the walls in that house with a watercolor and it looks very good. Lucile said it

[page 2] is washable, too. However, since it is so inexpensive it would be just as easy to repaint as to wash.

I was just looking out the dining room window and without wishing to make you feel badly, wish you could see the scene. It is a white haze across the prairie, a little wind – gently blowing white waves across Zell’s roof. It makes me think of one day while you were still at St. E. and we drove up to Kent thru snow just like this. As far as we could see, white haze. I can see a little squirrel running across the yard now, probably looking for food. I noticed an ear of corn in one of the tall evergreen trees that one of the squirrels no doubt put there. I looked for it again and it was gone.

Last night while preparing supper David had been fed and was on “the loose” – I had set a pan of lukewarm milk on the cabinet and he reached up and pulled it off – It was so

[page 3] funny – seeing him stand there with milk dripping all over him. He didn’t know quite what to do – I was so amused I just stood and laughed to myself – but Mark isn’t very subtle, so he laughed rather loudly and frightened David. Until Mark laughed David was not sure what to do, but then he started to cry. John was so provoked with Mark – he said it might give David some kind of phobia if frightened by the incident. He seemed not any worse for the wear when I got the milk wiped off. He is always reaching up for things. I am glad it wasn’t hot, and from now on I will be careful to push things back so he can’t reach them.

I stopped for lack of subject matter and thought I would rest a while but David soon woke up so I got up and put D. on the toidey, then dressed him and decided to re-arrange the nursery so he could climb up on the couch to look out the window. The couch had been sitting along

[page 4] the north wall. While in the process I saw John coming home. I asked him why and he said can’t you see – the snow I mentioned developed into a blizzard and school had to be dismissed so the busses could get thru. The snow is drifting, so there probably won’t be any more school this week. John said the second semester was dry anyway, and this little vacation is welcome right now.

Virginia Zell is braving the snowstorm to go to the P.O. and is going to take this along so must get it finished. I scanned over the Dem. This morning to glean any news that might interest you – just in passing Frances Moynihan, now Sgt. In W.A.C. is to be married Feb. 11 to a mess Seargent. You remember her – the girl there was so much about when we came to Kent. John Krull was home for Mrs. Ramp’s funeral. He has gone back to Camp but Gladys remained here. She has been staying in Waycross, Ga., ear the camp. I see that the Eilers who married Helen Woodruff is back. I missing seeing anything about his discharge but he has one I suppose or wouldn’t be back here.

Love – Mother