Category Archives: World War II Letters

Happy Father’s Day (Mark)

Letter transcription:

MARK YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
6-19-43

Dear Daddy, tomorrow being “Father’s day” we forgot to send you a card in time to get it. Mother is going to send you a picture of David but it won’t be finished until next weekend. Since my tonsil operation John has had the weed in the garden and hoe around potatoes. I’m still working on my model air plane and if I get one finished I am going to hang it up in Pediatrics. David as you know has two teeth that are pretty well through. My 4-H club is having a picnic June the 22^nd and I think that I will go because I haven’t gone to any picnics this year. The weather is hot we don’t work in the garden now so I wrote you a letter for Father’s Day. Well that’s about all

Your Loving Son,
Markie

P.S. We’re all fine.

Mark (January 1943)

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/08/21/happy-fathers-day-mark/

Happy Father’s Day (John)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

JOHN YEGERLEHNER
E. DUNLAP ST.
KENTLAND IND.
6-19-43

Dear Daddy,

Since tomorrow is Father’s Day I am writing you a letter. I am sorry I didn’t think about getting a gretting off to you in time for you to get it tomorrow. I have had to mow the lawn quite a lot this spring because it has been hot and wet. Mother had David’s picture taken by a photographer. He had his mouth open and maybe his two teeth will show. David can pull up to sitting position and he can take a few steps when somebody is holding on to him. David woke before his map was finished and he is kind of cross. He’s just had dinner so maybe will take a nap.

Your loving son,
John

John (January 1943)

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/08/20/happy-fathers-day-john/

Didn’t Get His Nap (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
6-19-43

Dear Daddy – John & Mark wrote v-mails as Father’s Day greetings. I am going to send you another large picture of David as soon as it is finished – David didn’t get his nap out and was cross until after his 2 P.M. feeding – then I put him in his bed and after some play he has gone to sleep – wrong – he just began to sing – but we are all in the living room & he is alone in the nursery. Mark is at the piano trying to practice for another music lesson. He took one lesson before his tonsillectomy and is just getting ready to start again. He and John hoed and weeded some in the garden but didn’t finish so will go back this evening when it’s cooler. It hasn’t rained now for a few days and it’s hot today. I have been taking Bepron and Mother is taking it too and I believe it is helping her. I am feeling pretty good but take something off & on to keep fit. The heat wave last week-end was pretty hard on her. I have rec’d 10 letters this week – the last being June 5. Also got all three checks & paid the Ins. loan off. Had a letter from Glen and he wants your address – Someone he knows is where you used to be. Their baby is 5 mo. old and almost as heavy as David – but D. is heavy enough to suit me. He should weigh 20 lbs. by his 9^th month. All is quiet now. David has gone to sleep – John & Mark are readying & Mother’s mending sox. It is nice & cool here in the living room with a good breeze through. Greetings for Father’s Day.

Love Mother

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/08/19/didnt-get-his-nap-gladys/

Maybe Inspiration Will Come (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: June 18, 1943 envelope

: June 18, 1943, p. 1

: June 18, 1943, p. 2

: June 18, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut R. S. Yegerlehner
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Fran Calif
June 18, 1943

Dear Mother,

This is one of those times when it seems there is nothing to write about but maybe inspiration will come.

To begin with our mail has definitely had the brakes slammed on and nothing came yesterday but the Apr. 29 issue of the Newton Co. E. As I’ve said before practically all of the news were old but some items weren’t issued before thru any other source. Again there was the usual home on leave boys, and J. Edward was one of those. I guess I shouldn’t be

[page 2] too jealous because it requires boys at home as well as out here, and maybe in due time we’ll all get our chance to get the much coveted leave.

I never did hear what happened to John Simons when he was in the hospital and I’ve often wondered how A.D. Washburn is getting along. Of course I wonder about others also but those two just happened to pop into mind. I often see Mrs. Dye’s name mentioned and wonder if her husband is still where he was when I was home. It seems the

[page 3] length of time out is generally greater when one has duty at a place like that before passing along. If that be the case it will work better in my case, but all those things remain to be seen. Guess maybe you begin to think that I think more of coming home than of the war but that isn’t true only one does like to think of home once in a while.

Well, I’m all out of anything to write so will try to do better next time

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/2014/08/18/maybe-inspiration-will-come-roscoe/

Father’s Day Gift (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

: June 18, 1943 envelope

: June 18, 1943, p. 1

: June 18, 1943, p. 2

: June 18, 1943, p. 3

Kentland Ind.
6-18-43

Dear Daddy –

A real hot summer day & no sign of rain. We are going our usual Fri. washing – Mark weeded carrots this morning after baking class – he made a spice cake at 4-H this morning. We are going to sow some carrots & swiss chard this evening. I think we will soon have potatoes to dig. Ours did very good. I have about a tub full of spinach to clean – I cut it off so we could replace it with the chard. John helped with the wash work – his big job is to mow and he has that done for this week. He is good help in the garden if needed.

We had David’s picture taken this morning. The photographer who always takes Jimmy’s picture came here and took the picture. Dorothy Schurtter brought Stevie and had his taken too.

[page 2] I would have liked to gotten the picture to you for Father’s Day but it won’t make it by then – however you can consider it a Father’s Day gift – which is this coming Sunday. I have mentioned it before but you may not get the letter.

I sent in the ck to pay off the ins. loan. It was $243.91 – that inclues Interest $6.36. So we will be rid of any kind of payment of that policy after I pay the last prem. due this month. Now to get that loan off mine and cut down more interest.

I got a bottle of Bepron and Mother is taking it. I think it is helping her. She seems to have a little better appetite & not quite so weak. She stays up all day but goes to bed early. I think it is better for her to keep going as long as she feels like it. She doesn’t do anything but it’s better than for her to be in bed all the time. I am taking the tonic too. I feel good but think it will help to keep me feeling good.

[page 3]I see in the paper that Jerry Sondergrath’s have another girl – Judith Ann. That was one I didn’t know anything about until I saw the paper. One of Leo’s girls is working in the bank and the second girl works in the garage office. Mrs. S. told me the girls didn’t like to work in the office for their Dad, but those girls are taught to do what their parents want.

–Had to stop & feed D. – now I had to change his pants and stop working on the spinach – We have all been out on the terrace working on the spinach. Took David’s pen out so he would be better satisfied – He climbs around in his buggy so much we can’t work if he is in it. John doesn’t eat spinach so I let him quit helping – He is going to town to mail letters.

Love Mother

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/08/17/fathers-day-gift-gladys/

Allotments (Roscoe)

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: June 17, 1943 envelope

: June 17, 1943, p. 1

: June 17, 1943, p. 2

: June 17, 1943, p. 3

: June 17, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

June 17, 1943
Lieut R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. S.F.C.

Dear Mother,

I was correct yesterday when I anticipated no mail would come and it didn’t, but we have had lots of mail-less days so we can’t feel too badly.

Day before yesterday I did all the big gardening and this A.M. I noticed the various seeds were peeping up thru the soil. They sure start fast and I’m afraid just keep growing to tops. Even at that the lettuce should be OK. I’ll report on that in a week or so.

A day or two ago I wrote

[page 2] that I thought I would change the allotment but I’ve “changed up” my mind for this reason. When I get back I’d probably have to change it again because of living conditions and I would have to have these stopped and that might mean a month for you without funds. So when I get paid and have any excess I’ll just send it to you and keep out of the red tape of having the allotment changed. You see two allotments are all that is allowed to any one person s I can’t add another without dropping one

[page 3] that is already in affect. Of course I can do nothing at all until I can get paid and I don’t see any progress in that line as yet. I do hope you have enough funds to go on and from the last word you gave me it seemed you were getting on OK, but with not much of a surpluss. I’m not scolding I’m worrying whether you can get along OK.

By the time you get this it will probably be 4^th of July. Just doesn’t seem possible but my calendar surely doesn’t tell “fibs.” Having had all this

[page 4] summer weather it gets one all twisted regarding time.

Just paused to remove my shirt. The hot sweaty feeling is relieved somewhat by being bare and also helps the heat rash I have on my left arm. That stuff really is a nuisance around here but never is serious.

I often see in the paper where Ed Barce was home of the week end. That must be tough duty and I suppose he hits the bottle as much as ever. Another thing that surprised me was Hilda and Amelia working – bet it doesn’t last.

Well, guess I’ve gossiped enough.

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/2014/08/16//allotments-roscoe/

Gardening (Gladys)

1 Reply

: June 17, 1943 envelope

: June 17, 1943, p. 1

: June 17, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
June 17 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

No letters today but rec’d 8 Mon. and two yesterday. The latest date was June 5. The 100⁰⁰ ck. finally came. The letter you mentioned of May 16 hasn’t come yet. It was supposed to get here in a hurry. I got a permanent this morning – and not before I needed it. I went to the shop where the Kent. Const. Co. used to be. The operator takes only one person at a time and is very good in her work. Quite a relief to get work done in a place like that after the waiting one usually has to do elsewhere. I think several people around town have changed shops for that reason.

This being Thurs. afternoon the stores are closed. That doesn’t make much difference to me because I never have time to go to town every day. I like to work in the yard after the sun isn’t so hot – I worked one side of the shrubbery in

[page 2] front of the house yesterday but the east side was still too wet – It has rained so much this week I couldn’t do much hoeing. Mark is with Mr. Zell planting potatoes this afternoon. When it gets a little cooler I am going out & cut off the spinach & plant something else – maybe sow carrots. Also pull the rest of the radishes for something else. The radishes are all going to seed.

I scanned the Democrat for news items but didn’t see anything I thought would interest you. John is out with the lawn mower doing some edges he missed yesterday. David is out in his buggy – should be going to sleep but isn’t. Mother is with him. Mother has been under the weather since the heat wave last week-end and I am having her take Bepron – in case you haven’t forgotten – it’s Beef liver & iron – I am taking it myself. I feel good but think it well to take something once in a while to keep in shape.

Had a letter from your Mother – The boys down there are about thru planting corn. I think they are up here now.

I must go out and see about David.

Love – Mother

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/08/14/gardening-gladys/

Yen For Gardening (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: June 16, 1943 envelope

: June 16, 1943, p. 1

: June 16, 1943, p. 2

: June 16, 1943, p. 3

: June 16, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

June 16, 1943
Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. S.F.C.

Dear Mother,

Yesterday was the 5^th successive day that mail came from you, however, yesterday’s letter was dated May 10 – old but nevertheless still appreciated. I’m really afraid the mail has been so good that it is spoiling us very much and a week’s delay would seem years, but I guess there is no need anticipating delays.

I’d gotten so many seed and after the first experience my yen for gardening waned.

[page 2] but my conscience bothered me so yesterday I selected another spot – got some lime out of the supply for the lead and some sandy soil and went at the gardening with renewed zest. So at present I have lettuce, carrots, onion seeds and radishes sewed. If my present ambition holds I may do a little more this P.M. The soil here just isn’t like back in Indiana.

I take lots of ribbing about Indiana – mostly brought on by myself because of boasting

[page 3] for example one can always get an argument as to the quality of corn fed beef from Indiana vs. the grass fed, tough so called beef from Nevada. And in the end they generally remark – Just so much “corn” from Indiana. And also Kentland is a wide place between cornfields, all of which is in the spirit of fun.

I asked you once before about the last payment on my Hancock policy – Is it this June? That may have been in one of the letters that were still missing. And also about the amounts of Insurance loans

[page 4] on your policy as well as on mine. If we can cut out the 6% on those that will be a help. I don’t like to exclude bonds all together and if I can increase the allotment and also get some of my money out of hack, maybe we can do both, but that remains to be seen. I’ll repeat I’d like to get those things out of the way so it won’t be so hard when I do get back to practicing again –

Well that all for now

Lots of Love Daddy

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

Dr. Matthews & Dr. Cole (Gladys)

1 Reply

: June 16, 1943 envelope

: June 16, 1943, p. 1

: June 16, 1943, p. 2

: June 16, 1943, p. 3

: June 16, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
June 16 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

The 100⁰⁰ ck finally came – two letters May 12 & 13 came today. At that time you were not getting any mail but in the bunch of letters that came Mon. you had been getting some.

Mark and I went to Laf. with Arlene & Rosemary yesterday – I wanted to have Dr. C. look at Mark’s throat. He said it was in good shape – healed fine. I never saw Dr. C. look so haggard. He looked like he hadn’t had any sleep the night before. He always asks about you and usually talks some. Yesterday he did inquire about you but he didn’t say much else. He looked like he could

[page 2] hardly move.

Marie Steinbaugh is in the hospital for an operation on her breast. I suppose she had the same thing I had. However, it started paining very bad all at once and she went to see Dr. M. She said she wouldn’t go to any hospital but St. E. so Matthews sent her to Arnett. I think Dr. M. didn’t like it because I took Mark to Laf. for his tonsillectomy. I had been taking D. to Dr. M. for his shots. Its such a job to take a baby to Laf. and Dr. C. is so busy. However I went in & talked to Dr. M. about it and he said that it was perfectly alright for me to do that. I had to take D. in for his last shot last week and Dr. M. wasn’t very friendly – didn’t even ask about Mark – but this is the way I looked at the situation – I didn’t want to have it done in Matthews office because I would

[page 3] have to bring him home the first night and I didn’t want to do that. So if I offended I am sorry, because Dr. M. has been very nice to us. So much for that.

We had a session with the telephone co. this morning. The phone has been going blank while using it. So many times that has happened lately and this morning it wouldn’t even work. I sent John over to Zells to call in and it was supposed to be working. I made a call & while talking out it went – that time I went over to Zells and called in and asked them to please fix our phone. Then the service man got busy and at present it is in working order.

Now that the other check is here I will pay off the Ins. loan. I’ll have to write in and get the exact amount first, but that won’t take long.

Mark is building models this morning. We worked in the garden last nite and a good

[page 4] thing – It has rained so much the boys couldn’t do much weeding but yesterday evening it had dried off just enough so Mark and I got rid of a crop of weeds. Then last night it rained again so it’s too wet to do anything today. John should be mowing today, but he is waiting for the grass to dry some.

I saw Hilda Barce in Laf. yesterday. She said Ed isn’t in Kokomo now, but is on the move. Going from one recruiting station to another. Judge came Mon. and got the books you had, Ed had loaned you. He said he would bring them back.

Mother & David are out in the yard. He is getting sleepy. I just looked out and he is trying to climb over the side of the buggy.

It’s our chow time so must go see what we can collect together. I think I’ll have to use some meat stamp today – but we have plenty –

Love Mother

New Tent Mate (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: June 15, 1943 envelope

: June 15, 1943, p. 1

: June 15, 1943, p. 2

: June 15, 1943, p. 3

: June 15, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran Calif.
June 15, 1943

Dear Mother,

I did get a stamp for yesterday’s letter and was able to buy one dollars’ worth from a fellow so I’m pretty well set for a time.

The package of seeds came yesterday and the picture but the picture was pretty badly wrinkled. I thought you had sent the seeds in a regular air mail but coming as they did explains the delay. I’m going to make another try at gardening to see if something will grow in an

[page 2] eatable form.

My new tent mate – Dr. Thompson got several issues of Colliers, Sat. Eve Post and Esquire so our reading material has increased. All my old tent mates are scattered and now this Dr. and one of the dentists that used to be in Noumea are in the same tent. Funny how thinks keep changing from day to day. Geo is still in camp but his duties required that he live elsewhere and of course we have the medics off to themselves so that they can’t cause any harm.

[page 3] Several issues of the Newton Co. E. came also so I had to do some scanning to see if anything had been missed in the letters you and other people had written. I noticed in one issue that my address was now A.P.O. 43 and I also noted that this one and that one had been home on leave which sounds god and would be better if it would apply to other people I know. Patience will accomplish those things in time so why fret now.

I wonder if you listened

[page 4] to the radio news. We listened to KWID and heard ourselves mentioned. Sounds funny and also makes one feel he is going his duty by being a part of the thing. Wonder if the boys are still keeping newspaper headlines.

The moon is getting bright again and it sure does make things look pretty – shining on the ocean thru the palm trees but we like the dark nights better.

Well, hope we get some more mail today but I have a feeling 4 days in succession is the limit.

Love Daddy

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