Tag Archives: David A. Yegerlehner

Another Blizzard (Gladys)

Letter transcription:

MRS R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
1-19-43

Dear Daddy – Another blizzard and no school today – Probably hard for you to believe we are having such weather. If you get all my letters maybe you will get a fair idea what it is like here. I wish you could see the way the snow is drifted across the front yard today – It looks like rock formation. The boys are playing pick-up stick this A.M. David is asleep. Just had both pablum & milk. Weighted 13-6 this morning. He is holding things now. John calls him the “personality babe” Had a wire from Glen that they have a baby boy named him James L. – They are living in Winnemucca Nev. now. Had one letter this A.M. – Yours of Jan 11 – I am anxious to see the new necklace – The lace box you mentioned hasn’t come yet – Neither has the uniform money. I am taking sulfadiozine for my sinus infection. Have been taking treatments but the thing won’t clear up with spraying & irrigation. Never had such a time with it. The baby’s cold hangs on too and I think it’s because of my condition. However he hasn’t felt bad – and I do hope he doesn’t. Mother is knitting him a pr of bootees. Oh for spring and warm weather again.

Love Mother

Homes - 508 E. Dunlop Street, Kentland, Indiana, 1942-12-20

The house after a previous snowstorm

©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/11/06/another-blizzard-gladys/

A word from Mark (Mark)

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Letter transcription:

MARK YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND, IND
Jan. 18, 1943

Dear Daddy, everything is just fine. But we have all been sick. Today I was playing with Davie and he hit me in the nose, as hard as he could. It was so funny that I laid down on the floor and laughed till I cried. In my grades at school I made A+ In spelling, A+ A+ A+ I band C+ in Arithmetic, b+ in English. That is all I can think of

Mark

©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found at:https://genealogylady.net/2013/11/02/a-word-from-mark-mark/

Book of Me – Prompt 10: Unexplained Memories

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The Book of Me – Written by You is a weekly blog prompt created by Julie Goucher of the blog Angler’s Rest. This is a fifteen month writing project to highlight my life so that I will have something to leave behind for my descendants. Week ten’s prompt is Unexplained Memories.

Do you have an unexplained memory or memories?

Items
Places
People

Things and times you can remember, but not sure how they fit into your past.

I really don’t have any unexplained memories that I can think of. So instead of this week’s prompt being easier or more reflective for me, I found it rather frustrating, mostly because I want to write and I have nothing to write about. Instead, I shall share a memory that I have that I know happened but the adults involved deny it occurred.

When I was six, my parents experienced a life shattering event. After years of denying his feelings, my father decided that he needed to accept who he was. This was during the mid seventies and the world was very much different then. One of my favorite childhood albums was Marlo Thomas’ Free to Be You and Me. This message resonated throughout the house on many levels. It was much harder to come out of the closet then as it is today. After ten years of marriage and two children, my father chose to finally come clean. Amongst the family papers that I have now become steward of, I have copies of my parent’s divorce papers as well as letters that were written to and from my father from different family members. I always cringe when I read the divorce papers. My mother sued for divorce citing “intolerable cruelty.” My father is a gentle and kind man. I have never known him to be cruel or intolerable. So it hurts when I read those cold, legal words. Even during this turbulent time in my family’s history, my father (in one of his letters) tried to explain how my mother was suffering. To her, it was if her husband had died.

During this time, we were living in the Methodist parsonage in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. The house had a basement with stairs that led down from the kitchen. One of the improvement projects that my parents had done on the house was to finish part of the basement. The front half of the basement was a den or family area with old couches and chairs. On this particular day, the day of my memory, my parents were having a huge row in this part of the basement. Since I generally don’t even remember my father ever yelling, most of the noise must have been coming from my mother. My younger brother and I had heard the argument upstairs and had snuck down the steps to see what was going on. He was only three so I sincerely doubt he remembers these events. I recall that we sat there for a while listening and then quietly tiptoed upstairs before we were discovered.

Years later I mentioned this event to one or both of my parents. No one had remembered that this had happened. Or they denied it in order to protect me. Since it was such an emotional and traumatic time in our lives, I am not surprised that no one recalls this particular fight.

Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/11/02/book-of-me-pro…ained-memories/

Our street was a sheet of ice (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS RS YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
1-17-43

Dear Daddy – Sunday evening and the family in bed except me and waiting for D. to take his 10 PM before I turn in. Mayrose’s brought Mother up today. The weather was fair for the trip and it is snowing some this evening and when the boys came home from Youth Fellowship said was so slick they couldn’t stay on their feet. I noticed cars going very slow. Our street was a sheet of ice yesterday. The ice is so thick some children skate on it going to and from the pond. I hope it is better by morning as I need to go to town and I don’t want to walk. Since having this sinus trouble I try not to go out in the cold air any more than necessary. It is better this evening. Should clear up soon now. I hope it doesn’t continue indefinitely. John and Mark are both up and going again but John still has a little stiff neck. He was able to take care of the furnace today. Mark is as lively as ever. They have the electric train hooked up in our bedroom and have been playing with it this week-end. I suppose they will leave it there until I get tired walking around it. Mark has been trying to think up some of the things David will get into when he begins to get around. John says he isn’t going to worry about such things. Thanks for the letter about your trip and I might add, you do a good job telling things.

Love
Mother

©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/11/01/our-street-was…-of-ice-gladys/

Last day for regular air mail (Gladys)

1 Reply

: January 15, 1943 Envelope

: January 15, 1943, p. 1

: January 15, 1943, p. 2

: January 15, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
1-15-43

Dear Daddy –

Today is the last day for regular air mail to men overseas, so after this I will probably use mostly V-mail. However at the rate you have received my letters I don’t believe they went by air. I will write a few regular & the rest V-mail. Will have to use regular for pictures. It was announced over the radio that the restriction to send boxes out is for Army & does not apply to Navy or Marine.

We are having more “weather.” It began to snow then sleeted a while now it is clear but we have more snow to shovel.

Mark went back to school today but John is still lying around with stiff neck. He has missed two days of school. He seems to feel well otherwise.

[page 2]Dorothy White called this morning and wanted to know if Dr. M. could borrow your microscope. She came out and got it. Dr. M. is buying a new one and has turned his old one in and is temporarily out of one. She said Dr. sent you a box and was wondering if you would get it. I told her now that the Christmas mail is delivered I thought you would get it.

Dorothy wanted me to ask you what it was you used to give Nick when he had the pain in his elbows, etc. You told him it was caused from going out in the cold from the hot kitchen. It was a white tablet. If you can remember let me know and I’ll tell them. So far the Johnson baby has been doing some night crying. Of course coming home in a week doesn’t help matters.

[page 3] I suppose they will get the little fellow regulated after a while. They are a little late with their child experience. We had ours before we had time to settle into a “groove.” Of course David has been good and staying in the hospital 2 weeks I think helped. He seemed to know when to sleep. I see Link is driving their car around with Irene & Jimmy on a sled in back. Bobby Funk has his sled out too. We have had plenty of sledding & skating weather. We just get rid of one snow when another one comes along. I suppose this kind of weather will last till spring since it started at Thanksgiving. I think Thanksgiving was the last time I hung clothes out in the yard. Probably will be some time before I do again.

It is about time for D. to have a bottle & the rest of us to eat too.

Love
Mother

P.S. These letters the boys wrote somehow didn’t get mailed when written.

©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/10/29/last-day-for-r…ir-mail-gladys/

When it rains it pours (Gladys)

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: January 14, 1943 Envelope

: January 14, 1943, p. 1

: January 14, 1943, p. 2

: January 14, 1943, p. 3

: January 14, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Jan. 14 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

I didn’t get the line added to yesterday’s letter so will just start another and put both in same envelope. I don’t make a habit of this but we were so late getting home from Laf. last night I didn’t get my letter on the night mail as I sometimes do. The old saying about raining and pouring seems true. John had a stiff neck this morning and had quite a time getting up but finally made it. He is much better but his neck still is a little sore and he moves around very carefully. He and Mark have both been home today and are getting pretty noisy. I think they can both go back to school tomorrow, but I thought another

[page 2] day at home would do Mark more good than going back to school. He is feeling about normal now. It is warmer and I think he can be turned out by tomorrow.

Had a letter from Mother today and she said she would come back up. I am going to call her and tell her to come on the bus to Laf. and since I have to go down tomorrow will meet her there. I think since Thelma has gone to Norfolk to live she feels a little left out in T. H. Not that she saw much of Thelma, but she knew as long as T. was in T.H. Jim would come back when possible and now that she is in Norfolk he won’t try to come so often – Mother thought Jim was coming back for Christmas and she stayed in T.H. for that reason but instead of Jim coming back Thelma went there – and stayed.

I had a letter from Jim, he had written on the back of their camp – “Bee Lines” – official publication of the “Seabees.”

[page 3] I talked to Agnes Molter again today about that tax business and when I get straightened out over this sinus infection will go down to the office and she is going to write you a letter about that 1941 tax payment. She still insists that we let that payment go – but I’ll let her do the explaining and also about 1942. She wrote in about that payment we didn’t make and received a reply – but when I talk to her will get it all straight.

My sinus is still draining and the drainage isn’t very good tasting. I am going back tomorrow and get another treatment. Also I am going to take the Baby down to Dr. Cole and let him check him over. He feels pretty good today – hasn’t any temperature but coughs some. It doesn’t bother him while he sleeps, but I will be glad when he gets rid of it. I think he is as good as John or Mark but I am afraid we are more apt to spoil him. However he still lies in his bed or on the bath table and watches his hands for long periods at a time.

[page 4] Dorothy is here and is getting ready to go to town so will let her mail this for me. She is going with me to Laf tomorrow. She was telling me the Johnson baby kept Ed up the first night they were home from the hospital. Ed was in the restaurant for breakfast and a little sleepy.

This is Thurs & she has to take food home to fix for supper – the proverbial Busman’s holiday.

Must close –
Love
Mother

©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/10/27/when-it-rains-it-pours-gladys/

Was That Mean? (Roscoe)

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: January 13, 1943 Envelope

: January 13, 1943, p. 1

: January 13, 1943, p. 2

: January 13, 1943, p. 3

: January 13, 1943, p. 4

: January 13, 1943, p. 5

Letter transcription:

1/13/43

Dear Mother,

About the middle of the P.M. wind blowing moderately and the sun hot. That covers the usual items of the news in short order. This A.M. I got your letter of Dec. 15, one from Ira Dixon written Nov. 28, a Christmas card from the Joe Mullen family and a letter from Hicky Reinhart. That was better than no mail at all but still not good. Your letter was a little short due to the J.A.M.A. add which I did nothing about. Guess they’ll have to get along without my 8⁰⁰. I wish you would however contact Dr. Mathews and pay my Co. Med due. It should be about 11⁰⁰. Maybe I should pay that – but I just asked Fred and Dr. P. what they were doing and they both said to hell with ‘em. So maybe it won’t be necessary. If you see

[page 2] him you might ask him what the other boys are doing. Only I just happened to think I guess I’m the only one – Since Dr. Oppenshaw didn’t belong to the Newton Co. Society. You might ask him what the Jasper Co. or the Iroquois Co. boys are going – that is if it’s handy don’t make a special effort.

In your last letter Mark was better and I presumed D. was also since you didn’t mention his case in that letter. As I told you before that (sickness) in the family is the biggest worry here and of course that is why mail means so much. Well there is no use to worry and as that won’t help. You have no reason to worry about our welfare here because we are all doing extra well in the good ole summer time.

I’m still working on this shell thing of yours and don’t expect it for some time as I just work in my spare time and when I’m in the mood and since I’ll be here for some time – (as far as I know-) there

[page 3] isn’t any real hurry.

Our show tonite is The Navy Blues. It sounds as if it could be bad or good but I’d hate to bet in either direction. Maybe I can add a line afterwards.

These necklaces that I’m making – you don’t have to wear them if you don’t want to. They are a curiosity but not a thing of beauty. So just because I made it is no reason that you have to wear it. Hope that is clear. In fact they probably won’t stand too much wear.

It is now after the show and it was a good navy show if true but the things they do just aren’t according to the way I heard it.

Fred got some pictures today of his boy and he was remarking how much he had grown. I couldn’t let him get ahead of me so I said that my boy had grown also. So I got your picture we had taken when we I was home and had them look at

[page 4] you and then at D. pictures. Was that mean? Anyway it was true.

The mail this P.M. was better. Your letters of Dec. 16 and 17 came today – along with a greeting card and letter from the folks and one letter from Floyd. I can’t kick about as to the amount but would like some a little later. I am just wondering if you went home Christmas.

I know you have lots to do because even with one child lots of my Mothers used to have trouble keeping up and you have everything so I know you have a job. I really feel guilty having what you might call bankers hours, and you with all the responsibility of the home and D. but under the circumstances I can’t do anything about it – This is not of my choosing as you know but we hope

[page 5] and pray thing will turn out for the best. And what a home coming when it does come. So much for that.

I’m all out of shells and the thing I’ve made won’t go over my head so I’ll have to make another trip to the sea – and maybe I can find some more coral. The kind I sent before is hard to find for it is just freshly broken loose, but I’ll keep trying when I do have a chance to go out again.

I can think of nothing I’d like that you might send so don’t worry. I think all the Christmas packages came. I wrote Funks and thanked them and wrote the Sisters so that answers again your questions.

So Solong good night and lot of love,
Daddy

Lt (jg) Yegerlehner MC USNR
Receiving Station
U.S. N.A.B.
C/0 F. P. O.
San Fran. Calif.

©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/10/26/was-that-mean-roscoe/

In case you missed some of my previous letters (Gladys)

4 Replies

: January 13, 1943, p. 1

: January 13, 1943, p. 2

: January 13, 1943, p. 3

: January 13, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Jan 13 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

No letters today but probably some tomorrow. There wasn’t much mail except some adv. & my O.E. S. dues notice. In case you have missed some of my previous letters I will relate briefly about things. I had a strep throat – and the little bug wasn’t satisfied to stay in my throat. I suppose it was one of the same family, but traveled up to my sinus. I went to Dr. Ade and had treatments, thought I was about out of the “woods,” then Sun. the left side of my face began to ache and also drain – the drainage kept up and I thought would be cleared after so much discharge but that didn’t end it. It just kept draining and I called Dr. Ade today. He said I should come down and have it washed out. I went down and he punched a hole and washed the left side and what stuff came out. No wonder my face hurt. He said it would need another treatment, and I am to go back Fri. Also I am going to have Dr. Linp x-ray those teeth in the morning to double check on any possible tooth infection. Also if I can’t get this thing

[page 2] cleared up pretty soon I am going down to the hospital and stay a day or two but hope that won’t be necessary. I am not running any temperature and feel well enough to be up but can’t seem to shake this thing. Then too the baby has a little cold but no temperature. I talked to Dr. Cole while in Dr. Ade’s and he said if the baby should start running a temp. to bring him to the hospital, so don’t worry about us as I have written before will go to St. E. if necessary – but I don’t want to go unless it is necessary. Mark went with me today. He didn’t have any temp. today but I thought I would keep him home this week since it is so cold and he was pretty sick, Sat., Sun. & Mon. He still had a little temp. yesterday but very slight. As I told you before about him, he got his from wearing wet clothes all evening. When he came in wet I told him to go change & he changed his pants and left on his wet underwear. John has kept well thru all this and has been my right hand-man. He deserves a medal for distinguished service. He is very patient about what he does but he was not very tolerant with Mark over his illness. Said if Mark

[page 3] would have changed his clothes as he should have done he wouldn’t have been sick. However I told him not to scold. Now enough about our aches and pains. It is still cold but the highway is cleared off so driving isn’t dangerous. I’ll just about use up my ration tickets if I keep making these trips – which I hope to soon be thru with, for this purpose, I still have 16 gal to buy before Jan 21 and this is the 13^th.

Clarice kept the baby for me today. She was home doing ironing & mending and has said so many times she would like to keep him, and he is so good I don’t mind leaving him there when necessary. I wouldn’t make a habit, or leave him to go to parties, etc.

Last night we were listening to Fibber McGee program and they were visiting a hospital. They went up an elevator that sounded about like the automatic at St. E. – then Bill Mills the orchestra leader, was the patient they were visiting, pressed the button for the nurse. They asked him why and he said he rung for a nurse so they wouldn’t be disturbed for an hour. At the end of the program a nurse came in and Billy said, “You didn’t need to drop everything you were doing and rush in here.” I really got a laugh when I heard that elevator.

[page 4] John & Mark have gone to bed and David isn’t awake yet for his 10 P.M. bottle. I am now putting raw egg yolk in the formula & he also takes pablum, Vit C tablets & Oleum percomorph. He is too big now for the basket. I have the baby bed Mary Parttens sent me in the den but am going to move it upstairs for him to sleep in at night and fold the studio couch out and use that for him during the day.

Bart put your address in the paper. He didn’t put New Caledonia and Bob H. wrote you a letter just c/o Fleet P.O. San F. He thought you might not get it so wrote another after he got your last.

Haven’t had any recent word from Floyd & Ruth so don’t know what the situation is. It is hard to keep track of them they are traveling so much. I would like to see the movies he took of us – wish you could see them too – Well, I’ll get some good pictures taken and sent to you.

It is time for me to go to bed so I’ll add a line in the A.M.

Love Mother

I am by myself this P.M. (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: January 12, 1943 Envelope

: January 12, 1943, p. 1

: January 12, 1943, p. 2

: January 12, 1943, p. 3

: January 12, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Jan 12, 1943

Dear Mother,

I’m by myself this P.M. as Fred & Dr. P. are out for the an airing as well as some business. So I might have to work right in the middle of this in case something popps up.

This A.M. I got a call to go to the Commanding Officer’s office for a telephone call, and that was a thrill because that hasn’t happened in about 7 mo. (We don’t have telephones here like in the states). Well when I got there they said the number was the Red Cross so I immediately thought something was amiss. But what they wanted to tell me was – that my answer back to you had been delivered. That was the answer I sent after I got the telegram

[page 2] about the arrival of D. So you see things don’t travel very fast. Then I got a V-mail letter form you dated 9-21-42. In it you told me you had received 5 letters and that you had sent 12 stamps. Those have never arrived. The only stamps I ever received from you were in the Christmas box and those were stamped envelopes. That mail was a little old but appreciated just the same, better than any we are getting now.

I went over to the seashore this A.M. to pick up a few more shells – didn’t have enough – but I know where to go so didn’t spend much time – Just ran over and picked them up.

Dr. Loop was in again today – just for a short time. He wanted to get some things we have in our store.

[page 3] One In one letter I believe it was Sun. I gave you the income since I joined the Navy. I don’t remember what it was I gave you before – but this amount is the official amount. This will be sent in as taxable. I’ll repeat it again. $1317.79 The other amount that I gave you – I figured myself so it may not have been correct.

What is Indiana like now with all the rationing? I can’t imagine how things would be with only 4 gal. of gas per week. Coffee cut down. Meat cut down. What are people doing? Or can you tell any difference? Possible people have written me of those things but I just haven’t heard about them yet. Meaning no mail. I wasn’t going to say anything about that but I just couldn’t seem to write without bringing it in some way. I’m just wondering

[page 4] if our mail is getting that way. Sure hope it is because I know what it is not to have letters now and then.

I’ll finish this after the show – That is I we have one – Later-

The show was “I can’t give you anything but Love Baby,” but the title was misleading. It was a mixture between gangs and lovers – funny but very light in the plot. There was also a Donald Duck feature and of course those are always funny.

Well, I’ve got to get the address below so solong love Daddy

Lt (jg) Yegerlehner MC USNR
Receiving Station
U.S. Naval Advanced Base
Noumea, New Caledonia
c/o Fleet P.O.
San Francisco Calif.

Will try this again (Gladys)

5 Replies

Letter transcription:

MRS R S YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
1-12-43

Dear Daddy –

Will try this again. The boys have been using V-mail and I used just air mail but since you asked for this, here ‘tis. We are all better today. Mark has to stay in bed but he has only a slight temperature 4 points in the red. I told him if he kept quiet this afternoon he could get up in the morning. John will be glad of that because he has been waiting on him and doing his work and Mark’s too. David is on his bath table but isn’t liking it too well. He usually likes to lie and kick, but I just put him back in his bed and now he is ‘singing.’ The way he moves when he is awake makes me think of perpetual motion. I don’t know how cold it is today but the storm windows on the south upstairs were frosted over. I noticed Zell’s south windows were frosted too. The J.A.M.A. came today. Do you want that renewed? I asked you once or twice before but no answer. Got a letter from Uncle Wes this A.M. He said he sent you some maps and was sending an atlas. Lucile Johnson came home from the hospital today – Jimmy Ed is a week old but they are so crowded over there (Watseka). I stayed just a week longer than she did. I sent Jimmy Ed a gift and wrote her a letter and she answered. Said she thought she had better write letters before she comes home. Catty Wilson is going to stay with them for a while. At one week J.E. has gained 5 oz. and at that rate he will soon be a heavy weight. My right sinus is OK but there is some infection in the left but it keeps draining all the time, so maybe it will soon get cleared up.

Love Mother