Tag Archives: Clarence E. Yegerlehner

Visiting Relatives

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – in David’s handwriting]
March 20, 1961

Dear David:

I think I forgot to tell you to add another $2.00 to your bank account, (GM dividend). I deposited it for you when it came, but haven’t written since then. I am a little tired today, but not as tired as I thought I would be. I have just about replaced everything and have washed all the extra bed clothes, so by tomorrow I should be ready for the club luncheon and meeting in the afternoon. The only thing left is food. I put the steak into several packages and put it in the freezer and the ham also. For some reason my apple pies didn’t get eaten and now we are working on them. The Clay City relatives and the Mutchlers left around 4:30. Uncle Floyd and Aunt Ruth and Steve stayed a while longer. When they got ready to leave Floyd told Ruth she had to drive home. He had taken a long trip on Saturday and only had two hours of sleep Sat. night. Mark and Shirley stayed long enough to feed Becky her supper. I put her in her pajamas and when they left Shirley had a bottle to give her on the way.

I have some tax business to work on, so must get with it. Can’t keep them waiting (they gave us ten days to answer a question and it has been almost a week since we received the letter).

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/19/visiting-relatives/

Lovina

1 Reply

[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/

A Letter From Mom (Lovina)

1 Reply

September 22, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

September 22, 1945, p. 1

Sept. 22

Dear Roscoe,

Well how are you? Hope you [are] well and can come home soon. I baked a cake this morning to take to the church tomorrow. They have the homecoming. I don’t feel very much like working. I’ve not felt very good for a while. I had rheumatism or something in my right ankle about all week. I could hardly walk but is better now. Pop is out fixing fence.

September 22, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] They round Doyle Cordell. They say he is alright and well. Willis is with him. I don’t know where he was but he is Manilla now. You might get to see him when he comes through there and Hershel Steiner is on his way home. He was in Okinawa. He wrote the 5^th of this month he would leave the 7. He is in the 34 Batt. Minnie told me yesterday evening his folks didn’t know where he was till now. Don Kirkling was gone so long before Minnie heard from him. He was in Norway and Scotland.

September 22, 1945, p. 3

[page 3] He thought he would soon be back over here. Ralph is laying the brick for his hen house. Clarence has some of his soybean down. It’s been so cloudy and rainy can’t put them up. If we know you were at Kentland last Sunday some of us would of come up. I have my canning all done. We haven’t had any frost yet but it’s been pretty cool. I must get my dinner ready, want to go to town this after

September 22, 1945, p. 4

[page 4] noon. We had our dinner for town.
Love Mom

[Editor’s note: Doyle Cordell was reported missing in March 1943 while serving in the Philippines.]

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/05/31/a-letter-from-mom-lovina/

A Family Tragedy

1 Reply

After May 2nd, 1944, the letters go silent for a week. While Roscoe and Gladys were writing letters to each other further north, in Clay City, Indiana, a family tragedy was taking place. During the day, Roscoe’s oldest brother Sam fell off the back of a truck while working on his farm. He fractured his skull during the fall and died several hours later. At this point, it is unknown whether or not Roscoe, Gladys & the children traveled to Clay City for the funeral. Romaine, the daughter of Ruth (Yegerlehner) Mutchler, does not recall attending the funeral, although she does remember the sadness which accompanied the tragedy. With gas rationing and other travel limitations in effect during WWII, it is hard to say whether or not the family did go. However, the lack of letters would indicate that Roscoe and Gladys were together.

SAMUEL A. YEGERLEHNER

CLAY CITY, Ind., May 3. – -(Special)- – Samuel A. Yegerlehner, 53 years old, died at 8:30 last night at the Clay County Hospital from a fractured skull sustained Tuesday morning when he fell from a truck two miles east of Clay city. Mr. Yegerlehner is survived by the widow, Esther; the parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Yegerlehner of clay City; two sons, Paul and Earl of Clay city; one sister, Mrs. Ruth Hutchler of Wilmington, Ill.; four brothers, Clarence and Ralph of Clay City, Roscoe of the United States Navy at Great Lakes, Ill., and Floyd of Bluffton, and one grandchild. The boys was brought to the Schoppenhorst Funeral Home and will be returned to the residence in Clay City Wednesday afternoon. Short funeral services will be held at the residence at 1:30 o’clock Thurdsay afternoon followed by services at St. Peters Reformed Chruch at 2 o’clock with Rev. Bredeweg officiating. Burial will be in St. Peter’s Reformed cemetery.

YEG1940 - Sam, Esther, Earl, Paul & Leanna

Samuel, Earl, Esther, Leanna and Paul Yegerlehner, c1940s

Walk to Town (Gladys)

1 Reply

April 19 & 20, 1944 envelope

April 19 & 20, 1944, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
4-19-44

Dear Daddy –

I wrote one letter this morning but thought I would start one this afternoon while I was thinking about what I wanted to write.

I took David out for a walk and he kept going until we were on Main street so I got the paper & a few articles I needed at the drug store. I saw Coke and she wanted to know about when you would be home. Said they wanted to see you, etc. I asked her about Dr. Baer and he is a MacIntyre. They live in a town close to Great Lakes, but it isn’t Lake Forest. She told me the name but I don’t remember. Maybe it was Highland Park. I am not sure. At any rate coke wants you to see Dr. B. He is a Commander now. I saw Alma and she said the evening we tried to call them was the only evening they were away from home, and on Wed. evening

April 19 & 20, 1944, p. 2

[page 2] before you went to G.L. they didn’t go to the show, but were downtown. We just didn’t see them.

I stopped to see Mrs. Krull and she says the suits wouldn’t make over for John. Says she wouldn’t tackle the job and a tailor would charge $15.00 to do the job. I was wondering if Ralph or Clarence could use a suit or two. Mrs. K. just made one of Nick’s old suits over for Dorothy. I wish I had used one of yours for myself instead of buying the one I did. I still would like to have a black suit and could take the pin strip and have one made for myself.

I stopped at Johnsons and Jimmy had been sick. I saw someone sitting in the living room and opened the door and David ran in. Lucile came and said Jimmy had been sick but was feeling better and temp was normal. He was quite sick last night and had a temp of 104 4/10 (rectally). He had a convulsion last night

April 19 & 20, 1944, p. 3

[page 3] but seemed perfectly normal today. The Dr. thought he might be taking measles or something but evidently not or he would be breaking out. His throat was sore and the Dr. swabbed it. David was with him Sun. & Mon. afternoon and Lucile thinks he was starting a temp Mon. so if he has anything D. has a good chance of getting it from being with him Mon. Of course at the time Lucile didn’t know he had a temp, but we were in the restaurant together and before that she had Jimmy out here, and when she started home from the restaurant with Jimmy, said he got fussy and she had to carry him home. I hope he doesn’t develop anything. Are children who are subject to allergies more apt to have convulsions than others? The thought just occurred to me, because of Jimmy and the Wilson baby, Michael, was like Jimmy when he was small (covered with eczema) and he is subject to convulsions. Or is it due to the high temperatures?

April 19 & 20, 1944, p. 4

[page 4] Bobby came up with 25₵ and asked Mark to buy him a plane to build so Mark is at Funks now making Bobby a plane. John asked me if he should go to a party Sat. nite, since you were planning to come home he wasn’t sure it would be the thing to do, but I told him he could see you Sun. and I thought he should attend the party since he stays home most of the time.

It is 6 PM by the living room clock, so that means chow time for David. He should have a good appetite after walking to town and back. I thought maybe he had walked too much and John said, “Do you realize if he had been home he would be walking around here all the time?”

Thurs. a.m. – the mail hasn’t been delivered yet – I am finishing this for Mark to take as he goes to school. It is cloudy this morning and looks very much like it will rain anytime. I did have ideas of washing some but now have a good excuse not to.

Love Mother

P.S. Highland Park is right.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/01/24/walk-to-town-gladys/

Dear Brother (Clarence)

2 Replies

: November 8, 1943 envelope

: November 8, 1943, p. 1

: November 8, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Clay City Ind.
Nov. 8, 1943

Dear Brother,

No excuse for not writing now since weather conditions won’t permit gathering corn. Have cribbed about 360 bu. and most of balance is to[o] moist. The fall season has been pretty good at that. Wheat looks good but some soy beans are still to combine.

Well how are you getting along by this time? O.K. we hope. The reports concerning the war on all fronts are sure sounding good and let’s hope they continue. Kenneth has started flying a few weeks ago and seems to like it fine. He only weighs 190 lbs now. He is located at Springfield Mo. Wilma likes her work in nursing. At present she gets to come home Saturday noon until Sunday 7 P.M. However, I don’t think it will last very long as they are rushed quite a bit.

You can see that you are getting a new writer so it rather deprives me of some news. No need telling it twice. I’ll try and not put off writing so long next time. I was so busy this summer that I just couldn’t find time to write even to Kenneth. The girls had to do that. (over)

Pa & Ma are feeling good. They were at Kentland, Wilmington & Chicago last week while Floyds were here. They visited Uncle Silvester. He had been very low but is pretty good I guess now.

It is 9:00 o’clock now so I guess I’ll have to go to bed. May try a little duck or goose hunting in the morning since the snow blizzard has set in. I killed 8 ducks a couple days ago, & sure would like a chance on a goose. Well here’s hoping that the strife will be over very shortly and all can return to civilian life. Write when you can.

Your Bro
Clarence

This letter was delayed until we got your new address until Nov. 10. Ground froze a little but I think it will warm up a little now. The sun is trying to get thru.
C.Y.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/06/22/dear-brother-clarence/

Uncle Roscoe (Duane)

1 Reply

[Editor’s note: Duane was Roscoe’s nephew, son of his brother Clarence. In 1943, Duane was 12 years old. He makes a statement which made me cringe as it is clearly racist to the modern, 21st century ear. However, in 1943, remarks such as these were commonplace. We cannot rewrite history but accept it for what it was. This letter was included with one that Clarence wrote on November 18th.]

: November 7, 1943, p. 1

: November 7, 1943, p. 2

: November 7, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Clay City, Indiana
November 7, 1943

Dear Uncle Roscoe,

Mark never had such a time in his life when he was here about 2 weeks ago. We went shucking corn. He started to shuck an ear. It was emp There wann’t any there & he said “Aw shucks an empty one.” He was at Uncle Ralph’s the day before & they gathered pumpkins. Mark said he wanted this one, theyed come to another & Mark said he wanted that one until had had about a dozen. I guess (over)

[page 2] he finally got one picked out.

Say, did you ever hear the tale of the frog. – He didn’t have any. You probably aren’t up to date on this one. Why don’t Hitler have a Suit Case. – He lost his “grip” in Russia. The only bags he’s got are under his eyes.

We don’t have such a good basketball team this year. I don’t know so much about it yet cause we have just played 1 game. We lost 18-31 to Switz City.

Boy it’s raining pitchforks & negro babies here. It’s been raining about all day today & yesterday. Carolyn don’t feel very well. She has sore throat. Daddy says she ought to

[page 3] have her tonsils taken out. I think she’ll have them taken out next summer. This

This fountain pen writes better after it was filled.

I am collecting post cards. I have from 15 different states including from District of Columbis. 37 post cards all together. I would like very much if you could send me one. I have just started this lately.

As ever
Duane Y.

P.S. If it isn’t to much trouble.
P.S. I didn’t get my this letter mailed. It’s Mon. evening & there is a snow blizzard. Over the radio they said 2 people had fro died in the northern part of state.

Cooking Utensils (Gladys)

1 Reply

: November 13, 1943 envelope

: November 13, 1943, p. 1

: November 13, 1943, p. 2-3

: November 13, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
11-13-43

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Nov. 4 came yesterday but none today. I had a little throat bug, so in order to nip it as soon as possible went down to Dr. M. He swabbed my throat & told me to take sulfadiazine. I am allergic to sulfa at times but decided I could itch a little in order to get my throat well. So far I have taken 5 tablets & no reaction. My throat is better today but still feels scratchy. I have been lying down this afternoon because of taking the sulfa. I feel pretty good but know one should go slow when taking any kind of sulfa. This morning John stirred up a choc. Cake, a batch of oatmeal cookies and I made two pumpkin pies. I sent

[page 2] one pie to Zells. I used their cookie sheet & baking pan. The cookie sheet I have makes things burn and there is such a scarcity of cooking utensils now doubt if I could find a new cookie sheet.

Mark has gone over to Zells now to help Mr. Z. load trash on his trailer. He is going to haul for both of us. Bun Walkup was supposed to come weeks ago & haul clinkers and they have piled up now to the place we have to have them hauled. I haven’t started putting them in the furnace yet – there are so many by spring I hate to start that so soon.

Had a letter from your Mother. She had rec’d yours and told me your new address & was hoping you would see Herschel. I had written her two days ago telling her about receiving your message and she no doubt rec’d it about the time I rec’d hers. She said Carolyn had a bad throat & that Clarence was going

[page 3] to have her tonsils out in the spring. I knew when we were down there she needed something done – she has such a nasal tone.

John is listening to Notre Dame & North Western foot ball game. He understands it. He & Mark talk foot ball a lot. That being the big game here they are interested.

David is in his bed playing with his toy kitten. Trys to say kitty – does pretty good job too. The way he drools, he keeps his front wet if he doesn’t have a bib. Now he is throwing everything out of his bed. Betty Zell came over and he waved bye-bye to her. He does that sometimes. I got some Libby baby food – a combination of vegetables – pumpkin, tomatoe & green bean – believe me it doesn’t taste bad – any way he eats it. Mark took him out for a while after his dinner. It is nice & sunny, cut pretty crisp. Mark hung some things out on the line & they froze so it has to be below freezing for that.

[page 4] Mark has been planning our Thanksgiving dinner – (on your birthday). Wants us to bake a chicken and pumpkin pie. Other than that I don’t know what he has on his mind. So many people now say David looks like Mark. Mrs. Zell says he looks just like “David.” I think so too however at times I can see he looks like John, the Mark – but mostly like you.

John’s class made up a box of gifts to send to Ina May Walkup. She just returned from a hospital in Chicago where she had surgery done on her neck. Her head was drawn to one side.

I understand Bill Zimmerman had to take his physical Oct. 1 – he is still in the store – I don’t know whether he was rejected – but haven’t the “nerve” to ask them – I have an idea he was – don’t you? Bob Schurrter (ag teacher) was to have joined to Navy but he is still teaching.

I think David needs dry clothes both top & bottom so will take care of our young son.
Love Mother

Back in Kentland (Gladys)

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
10-24-43

Dear Daddy – Just home from C.C. about 2 hours. Four letters were here of Oct. 13-14-15-16. As soon as we got home had to feed David & put him to bed. He wouldn’t stop crying so I went up to see about him. I brought him down to let him eat some toast while we ate supper. I found the reason he wouldn’t go to sleep – he couldn’t get his thumb for his long sleeper sleeve. I took him back up & he went to sleep. We stopped to see Dave & Marie on the way home. Dave isn’t very well. Goes to the Clinic in T.H. for treatments. They found a spot on his back that was causing neuritis. He will have to write you the details. I think he doesn’t look very strong. When we got home Mr. Zell had our fire going so the house was warm. He told me we had lost three citizens since Wed. Judge Cummings, Willard Sprawl and Shorty Virgin. Floyd showed all his movies last night. The ones he took in Apr. were in Technicolor. They were fine. The colors were splendid in all of them. The pond across the road from Ralph’s house made good background for the pictures taken there. They were going to take pictures of David Sat. or Sun. but they said it wasn’t light enough Sat. & today we left before they came out and it was pouring down rain. We had dinner at Clarence’s today and left as soon as we could after dinner. I wanted to get an early start for home.

Love – Mother

Thirteenth Month (Gladys)

2 Replies

: October 23, 1943 envelope

: October 23, 1943, p. 1

: October 23, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Clay City, Ind.
Oct. 23, 1943

Dear Daddy –

Today is David’s 13^th month. We are visiting with Esther & family today. When Leanna was ready to come Imogene, Ruthie, John, Mark, David & I went down and brought her & Linda. Linda is a very healthy looking young lady. Is on pasteurized & Karo. It seems funny for them to go to town and buy pasteurized milk since I have been here but your Dad just milks one cow and she is a Jersey and since David is sensitive to rich milk I thought it would be better to get the pasteurized. However I boil it – remember you said to boil it until the baby is old enough to boil his own. Ruth & Floyd brought their movie camera & want to take some pictures tomorrow if it’s sunny. It is raining now. Ruth took some of J. & M. & Sam’s new dog but David was taking a nap & didn’t get in that picture. They (R. & F.) are coming out tonite and show all their movies. Mom asked all the families to come tonite & see them so we will probably have a house full. After dinner Imogene showed us their wedding gifts. Her brother is in Hawaii and sent her a luncheon set from there.

– – – We have been to town, stopped at Clarence’s on the way home & now back home. J. & M. stayed to play monopoly with Dwane. Clarence’s went to T.H. today to get Wilma. She gets every week-end off so far. She likes her work. I asked her when she would get her cap and she said Feb. We are to go to Clarence’s for dinner tomorrow, then start home soon after dinner. I want to stop in Brazil on the way & see Dave & Marie. So far we have visited all the relatives (except Clarences & them tomorrow). Everyone thinks David is quite the boy. I saw several people in town – I thought I would see more but we were too early today & it was raining.

[page 2] Dot Salter Hoffman had a roll of 116 film she sold me so now I can take some more pictures of David & the rest of us. Ruthie said she would try & get me some so maybe I can manage pictures once a month now for a while.

David is in the baby bed playing with two sauce pans grandma gave him, having quite a time & jabbering like he really is saying things.

I must get this finished and get busy – Have to get David’s milk boiled for supper,
Love Mother