Tag Archives: Dr. Matthews

Flowers (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: October 14, 1943 envelope

: October 14, 1943, p. 1

: October 14, 1943, p. 2

: October 14, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran C.
Oct. 14, 1943

Dear Mother,

Yours of Sept. 24, 27, 29, 30, Oct. 1 & 2 came yesterday. I’m at a little loss to know why 24, 27, & 29 were all post marked Sept. 29. Probably was a little slip up some place along the line and doesn’t make a great deal of difference. In one of those letters the 7 months pictures and the letter you wrote way back there were present. I can’t understand that either but I guess these P.O. in the field have a lot to do.

So glad you got the flowers – I just knew this friend wouldn’t fail and I don’t feel badly about sending that amount of money. You should get another bunch of flowers along about your birthday from another fellow. In case you don’t get those all I can say is happy birthday. What I meant to say was I’m taking this opportunity to wish you a happy birthday because I can’t send anything – not even money in time and I didn’t send any sooner because I didn’t have any and won’t until the last of the month. So I have you get the flowers in time.

[page 2] I’m sorry your mother’s condition fails to improve. If it isn’t a carcinoma it has to be a hardening of the liver and the treatment of either is futile but I still think it is carcinous and the Gall stones have nothing to do with the condition. I’m afraid you are going to be pretty short financially because you only had a little over $150 so early in the month. You hadn’t mentioned before about paying the hospital as you went along which I think is a good idea if you can but it if cuts you so low that you can’t make the rent & insurance stall them off for a while – don’t ask Jim for more than half the expenses and I guess Glen isn’t able at this time to aid in that respect. I’m sure the finances will work out OK so don’t let that worry you.

Now about you – Your invoice sounded good but let me warn or prepare you – In sickness an individual who is responsible for the care of sick will often go on their nerves – Then when it is over if proper care isn’t taken a relapse or let down is evident and that is what you have to guard against. Get plenty of rest – sleep and let the house work go for a while. Your indigestion is probably like what I had when

[page 3] Openshaw, Mathews, etc. were out of town and I was run ragged remember. Don’t blame the strep you had last winter too much. Of course you might have a recurrence but you didn’t have a strep the year before and one got you last year so just because you did have that last year is no reason to expect one this year.

100 pounds, dark hair, Green eyes, 5’4”, pleasing features, a little slim but just my type. Do keep healthy Dear – just as if you won’t try?

The one year old pictures were good and but don’t try to send the movie films. Of course I’d like to see them but don’t take the chance of losing them and I don’t know the size nor the size of our machine here. Where is the pressure coming from for D. hair cut? Don’t tell me just let me guess. I won’t express myself on the subject. You probably know how I feel. Isn’t that a big help?

Those letters are such a big help when they come in as late as those yesterday – Thanks and lots of love
Daddy

P.S. I received a letter from the fellow who sent the flowers and he told me he had done so. He is from Reno, Nev.

[Editor’s note: The fellow from Reno, Nevada was mostly likely Roscoe’s former tent mate, George Wingfield, Jr., who was transferred a few months previously.]

YEG1943-05-15 - David on stoop with tulips

One of David’s 7th month photographs

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/04/11/flowers-roscoe/

Waiting For Coal (Gladys)

1 Reply

: September 26, 1943 envelope

: September 26, 1943, p. 1

: September 26, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Sept. 26 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Sun. afternoon & spending it at the hospital. Glen & I came down this morning. Yesterday when I was here Mother seemed so low I thought we had better be here as much as possible today. I stayed last night until nearly 10 o’clock. She gets weaker all the time. It doesn’t seem possible for her to get any weaker and last. The dietitian came up this afternoon to see would like for supper but she said she didn’t want anything at all. She seems less drowsy today than she did yesterday. If you have the letter I wrote yesterday I told you how awful she looked then. I haven’t talked to Dr. Cole today but think he isn’t giving much medicine now except for sleep.

Glen is some better – at least able to come with me today. I had Dr. Cole give me two prescriptions for him yesterday & it seems to be helping some. They are still waiting on Mother’s condition to go home. Think they should go now but hate to leave.

The old home town isn’t what it used to be. Last night when we got back to town I thought I would stop at the groc. store & pick up a few things – well, it was only a little past – well not quite 11 – and you remember how the crowds used to mill around the streets till about midnight. The only store I found open was

[page 2] the Morgan place and they were sold out of bread – what I wanted most. The streets were deserted and everything closed. Nick’s were still open but Sat. night is about the only time they stay that late. I don’t know what those people do who used to hang around town so late.

I saw Sister Amelia yesterday & she said to tell you hello for her. Also saw Sister Juventia and she was asking about you & said she missed “you boys” – (who doesn’t). Alma W. said Reed was wishing “that little devil” was back. He needs to see a Dr. & won’t go see anyone – guess he is waiting for you to come back. Mrs. Plummer came out on David’s birthday & brought him a gift. She goes to Dr. M. for shots and she said he asked her about us. I haven’t seen him since I brought Mother down here to Dr. Cole. Dr. M. was out of town when David was hurt and out of town when Mark cut his hand so I can’t help it if he doesn’t have the latest on us.

It is nice & sunny out today but chilly. This fall came without delay. It was summer one week then fall the next & it’s been cool ever since. It has been hard on our coal supply because with a baby (now two) in the house we had to have heat. I told J. & M. if we couldn’t get any coal we would have to go someplace else to live. I am just doing what everyone else around Kent is doing about coal – waiting for it to come. I suppose it will be winter (I hope).

Well, I have rambled on & on without saying much. I told you in yesterday’s [letter] the trouble with the powder room plumbing & Geo. Monroe finding it – the pipe leading from the house was broken – he fixed it.

Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/03/06/waiting-for-coal-gladys/

Juanita (Gladys)

2 Replies

: August 24, 1943 envelope

: August 24, 1943, p. 1

: August 24, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug 24 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Rec’d yours of Aug. 9 & 12 today. John went to Laf. with Walkers so he took his 2⁰⁰ from m.o. & with his birthday money had enough to buy an album of records he wanted. Walker were taking Jimmy to Van Buskirk so John “sneaked” in on their appointment and got an eye exam. Dr. V. is writing me a letter about the situation. Said John’s lenses were correct but something about the muscle – I’ll tell you what else he has to say after I get the letter. I had Alma call Dr. Cole and tell him about Mother throwing up and the bitter taste that came last. He sent a prescription for that and said to give Mother an enema every day. He seemed rather worried Alma said about the throwing up and the bitterness. He told me when I had David down last Fri. he would come up soon. I know he will as soon as he can. Dr. Matthews is gone, Pip is gone & Rumkorf is gone – all taking vacations. I shouldn’t criticize but looks like they would get together doesn’t it – on such things.

[page 2] I met the 4:25 a.m. train – Juanita came this morning – It goes thru Robinson (7 mi. from where she lives) into Chicago. I’ll have to confess, I didn’t know about it until she came on it but it goes at such an hour and not touching towns we are interested in, I suppose that was the reason I didn’t know about it before.

Clara Molter picked lima beans from her garden and we shelled enough to fill 16 pts. To put in the locker – she gave us half to put them in. Not bad – all I did was hull a little while, blanch and take then to the Locker. I stopped at Parttens to see Ruthie – and talk about beef. They are going to butcher in 3 weeks and we are to get a quarter. It will take 800 points – or 2 ½ months meat tickets (stamps) from all our books. That shouldn’t bother us because we haven’t yet used a full month’s supply of stamps. – Ruthie is able to sit up now but hasn’t walked yet. The last x-ray looked pretty good Mary said.

It is a proverbial hot Aug. day and night – There isn’t any breeze stirring and it’s hot everywhere except out in the yard. The heat is awfully hard on Mother.

David was so hot today – his hair was in ringlets all over his head. Mark said David said “Daddy” – not da-da once today.

Love – Mother

Emma Foster with her granddaughter Juanita, circa 1940s

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/12/30/juanita-gladys/

Thirteenth Birthday (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 22, 1943 envelope

: August 22, 1943, p. 1

: August 22, 1943, p. 2

: August 22, 1943, p. 3

: August 22, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug. 22 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Another birthday for our John – 13 – He looks the part – voice changing – growing fast – face full of pimples and blackheads. At present he is listening to Radio Readers’ Digest. He likes to get it every Sunday evening. I baked & decorated a cake, made ice cream & had the Zell girls & Jimmy come to help eat them – they ate almost all the cake and so far no tummy aches. I gave John a dollar, your Mother gave him 25¢ – he rec’d the $2⁰⁰ you sent, the Zells gave him sox & a hankie, so he fared pretty well. Bobby is gone and so are the Krull children so they didn’t get in on the refreshments. I was feeding David his 3 P.M. meal, Mark was working on a block of balsa wood and his knife slipped and cut his hand around the base of his thumb. It bled so much I couldn’t tell at first the cut was so extensive but after trying to wash

[page 2] the blood away I saw it wasn’t just a stab – so thought I had better get him to a Dr. and see if it would be necessary to have stitches taken – I called Matthews, he was out of town for the day, called Hungess at Sheldon, he was out of town, called Brook & Pip was gone on a trip, called Goodland, Rumkorf had left for his vacation, but finally and at last contacted Altier – I took Mark down. He cleaned the wound and found it wasn’t so deep but required one clamp. He gave me sulfathiazole power to dress it with and I am to go back Fri. to have the clamp taken out. I had filed it with sulfanilamide powder as soon as I discovered how long & deep the cut – however would have put sulfa on it anyway. I would have pulled it together myself with tape had it been on the arm but since it was at the base of the thumb thought a Dr. should see it. I washed Mark’s hands & face and put him to bed about 8 P.M. He insisted he wasn’t sleepy but I imagine he is asleep now. He got sick after his hand bled so much, but was very brave and didn’t cry – you know it hurt to have it cleaned and a clamp put in. He kept insisting he is like Daddy and can take punishment without making a fuss.

[page 2] David is getting a “little” spoiled – he has had so much attention he doesn’t want to stay put in his bed or pen. He is always reaching for something he shouldn’t have and climbing out of things. The play chair he is in in one of the pictures I sent – with the table around it is just an invitation for him to climb out on. John said if he were an ordinary baby he would be satisfied to sit & play in the chair. I just got the taylor tot out for him to ride in and today he was turned around in it trying to climb out on the handle. He got fussy so I put him on the floor and he walked around his bed & pen enclosures. He has another tooth today – making 6 altogether and 4 since he was 10 mo. old – He will be 11 mo. tomorrow. He hasn’t gained any the past month but I didn’t expect him to.

Mother wouldn’t eat any supper today – She ate a little broth at noon & drank a little milk. I bathed her yesterday – she doesn’t feel like being bathed every day – and I was feeling her abdomen – There is a definite mass in the middle of her bowels. I am no Dr. but I could feel it. I didn’t tell her, of course, what Dr. Cole told me, but I think she is very despondent about her recovery. I do wish I could

[page 3] do more for her – but I feel so helpless about the whole thing – Dr. Cole says she is definitely too weak for surgery. I asked him if her condition would become painful, but he said it shouldn’t. She has a lot of gas at times and so far her bowels have moved freely. He said she might get a bowel obstruction. The past week the weather has been cool and she hasn’t suffered from the heat.

Mary Parttens called today and said they were going to kill a beef in about 3 wks. And we can have a quarter or more. Clara M. is giving us lima beans to put some in our locker – we are to have half of what she puts in. She is moving to the south side of town – has bought her a house – Henry Molter & family are going to move over here where she lived.

Mary P. said Ruthie hasn’t stood on her feet yet but 2 wks. Ago Dr. M. took another x-ray and her break seems to be in fairly good shape – I saw the first x-ray and both sides of the pelvic bone were broken. I wish I could draw a picture & show you how it looked. Mary said every Dr. & nurse who looked at it said it was the only one like it they had ever seen.

Enough about such things – John is waiting for me to finish so we can go to bed and I am ready to turn in – Have to run the car in first.

Love Mother

P.S. I pd. Your Masonic dues

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/12/26/thirteenth-birthday-gladys/

Sulfa (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 8, 1943, p. 1

: August 8, 1943, p. 2

: August 8, 1943, p. 3

: August 8, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug. 8 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love Mother –

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/26/sulfa-gladys/

X-Rays (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 2, 1943 envelope

: August 2, 1943, p. 1

: August 2, 1943, p. 2

: August 2, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug 2 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Yours of July 21 & 23 came today – I went to Laf. today to take David to Dr. Cole – He reinforced the cast around the top – He rolls around on it so much and has managed to sit and breaks the cast above the leg. He wanted an X-Ray – said he wanted to see how it looked after “mauling” around a week, so we went out to St. E. and Sister J. took and X-Ray and showed it to me – everything fine – There wasn’t anything really to get out of place, and there is a metal piece in the cast to hold it firm. I asked if it would be alright for

[page 2] him to stand and Sister said it would be. When Dr. Cole puts the cast on, she was helping and said to tell you “Quack” helped. I think I forgot to tell you that when I wrote from the hospital. Dr. Cole said he couldn’t stand or sit and he has done both. I am to take him down again next week. Mary Parttens went with me today. She is more or less worried about Ruth – In case you didn’t get the letter telling you about her – She was kicked by a colt on the hip, breaking her pelvic bone on both sides. She has been in bed six weeks and has two more to stay. She hasn’t been in any kind of a cast – while in the hospital 3 wks she was in a swing. Matthews & Ross have been taking care of her. Mary is wondering if she will be able to walk. I had to get Mother’s prescriptions refilled today – Bacillus acidophilus broth and another medicine to take after meals. She doesn’t seem to change much either way.

[page 3] Sister J. asked me if I had written you about David & I said yes – she thought I shouldn’t worry you with it – I said when you knew the extent of the break (a crack not half way across, at the angle of the femur) I didn’t think you would be so upset – Also he may be out of the cast by the time you get this – at any rate I am doing all I can for him. He really doesn’t mind the cast as much as an older person. He is just as active as ever – the only thing he can’t get around quite as well – and this is going on the second week – times passes quickly and it won’t take long until it’s time to take the cast off. Sister J. X-Ray’d him several times to be sure there were no other breaks.

Mark stayed home with Mother today so I brought him a new belt & 4 pencils. He tried to bake a cake while I was gone and it was a flop.

Lucile was out with Jimmy Ed yesterday – His exczema is about all gone. She suns him every day for about an hour but he isn’t nearly as tan as David. He is fair skinned. I’ll give you a financial report in next letter –
Love, Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/14/x-rays-gladys/

Boy Joins Navy (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: July 17, 1943 envelope

: July 17, 1943, p. 1

: July 17, 1943, p. 2

: July 17, 1943, p. 3

: July 17, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

July 17, 1943
Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran C.

Dear Mother,

Five letters yesterday from you – The latest July 1. Another was a v-mail along the last few days of June, and one with the picture of D. I’m inclined to agree with John. In comparing this with previous pictures I don’t believe it is a good picture. It was under developed or over exposed or something. As usual there are letters missing because you mentioned Dr. M. being mad at Parttens for taking Ruth to a specialist but didn’t say what was the trouble – but I just know you wrote that in a previous letter.

Needles to say you will find the several times mentioned check enclosed. That should be enough to pay off the Ins. loan and buy a few bonds. If you

[page 2] wish and think it worth while you might even start paying Mutch & Ruth a little now and then. That is providing it doesn’t run you short. I’ll be able to send some home from time to time but I’m keeping around 200 on the books just so I’ll have enough for transportation in case I should need it. I’m hoping! – when I get an accumulation over that amount I’ll send it to you and you can use it as you see fit.

I didn’t know about your mother was having bowel trouble and it’s hard for me to suggest. Does she have diarrhea all the time with blood? You went a little indefinite about the symptoms etc. She should be on a bland diet. The sulfa drug is OK for a time and a little Metamucil would not be out of the way. A blood count

[page 3] and hemoglobin are very essential. The sugar in the urine may or may not be important but worth keeping in mind. All those things are merely suggestive and things I would do if I were there. Of course a rectal exam would come first. That is about all I can think of not knowing the circumstances and a 6,000 mile consultation isn’t good so you will have to use your own judgment which I know you are capable of doing.

Is Glenn married again or is that the wife he had? If it’s the same onee they must have bit a spark not visible before in order to reproduce after this long a period of married life. Yesterday I found myself being drawn into another one of the love struggles. Boy married to girl 8 years – Boy joins navy – find himself on a South Sea Isle – girl’s letters

[page 4] become fewer and fewer – one come 3 days ago – without date – 4 pages and then stopped in the middle of the sentence – later another started – whole new page – and it ended in the same way – not signed an both letter about 4 pages each and both ended in the middle of the sentence and no signature. The whole thing is beyond me. He seems very much discouraged and I can’t seem to blame him either, but why write you that stuff.

The regular weekly inspection is due now most any minute so I’ll try to put a finishing note at least I’ll try not to end in the middle of the sentence.

Inspection done and I must say things aren’t in as good a condition as they should be. Guess more bearing down in necessary.

Hope your mother is feeling better and that the hot weather isn’t too hard on you and the boys –

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/2014/10/16/boy-joins-navy-roscoe/

A Logical Explanation (Gladys)

1 Reply

: July 12, 1943 envelope

: July 12, 1943, p. 1

: July 12, 1943, p. 2

: July 12, 1943, p. 3

Letter Transcription:

Kentland Ind
7 – 12 – 43

Dear Daddy,

Yours of July 1 and 2 came today. This is Monday and had a little washing to do. It is hot & sunny so things are drying well. I want to get the ironing done to because I promised to go to Laf. tomorrow. I’ll bring Mother home if Dr. Cole thinks she should come. She wasn’t eating any better yesterday but maybe she will in a few days. Dr. Cole is giving her something to help stimulate her appetite.

I have to fill in a form for a new gas ration book. They should be issued by July 21 – that is the expiration of the present book.

Margaret Kruman came out and asked me to order three catheters for Bud. Seems

[page 2] Dr. M. has had a little misunderstanding with Aloe & won’t order so she asked me to. I am going to send a C.O.D. order.

Bud Krull is here today. He & Mark went fishing & caught 2 little fish they threw back in. I caught Mark in time to keep him from going back so he can mail this for me. You need not worry about him studying too hard. He hasn’t done any since he had his tonsils out, and I am so busy with things now I can’t keep him at anything, so the studying will have to wait until school begins. I started him on the piano again but he won’t practice unless I sit with him. I think he could soon get it if he had the urge. John thinks he could soon play by ear if he tried.

John is over at Zell’s helping them break beans to can. They brought a girl about his age back with them for a week’s visit. John has a bad case of pimples & black heads on his nose and around it but he won’t let me get near him so I can’t do much about it. I told him good scrubbing would help a lot. I suppose you know by now we didn’t get the horn for Mark. He wouldn’t practice any more on it than on the old one and when the bike came along he said he would rather have it.

David is taking a nap at present. It is so hot today he is dressed in a diaper only. We didn’t get back last nite until 8 P.M. and he didn’t mind at all going an hour past his supper. I have been putting him to bed at 7 so he won’t wake so early in the a.m. – even with going to bed an hour late he was awake at 7 this morning. He is jabbering a lot, say Da Da very

[page 4] plainly – anyone could understand it – but that’s about all except sometimes he says mom- mom. He reminds me of John the way he make sounds like words. John can’t understand how he would know to say da da – John has to have a logical explanation for things. He gets more like you every day. He says so many things that makes me think of the things you would say. Mark is so anxious to look like you. I tell him I would be more pleased if he acted like Daddy. He just grins and goes on as usual. Mark & Buddy just came in with a yard stick discussing the length bass & bluegill should be to keep & Mark said 6 & 10 ft. & meant inches. When I called his attention to his error he had a good laugh.

He is waiting to mail this so will get it finished. There is a swallow’s nest in our fireplace chimney – I can hear the baby birds.

Love Mother

A Beautiful Child (Gladys)

5 Replies

: July 6, 1943 envelope

: July 6, 1943, p. 1

: July 6, 1943, p. 2-3

: July 6, 1943, p. 4

: July 6, 1943, p. 5

: July 6, 1943, p. 6

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 6 1943

Dear Daddy –

Yours of June 19 & 20 came today – the 23-24 & 25 came last week –

We had quite an electrical storm toady – just getting over now – the lightening struck a tree by Clara Molter’s house. I am going to send one of the boys down when it stops raining to see how she is. I imagine it scared her a lot. John was sitting in the living room & saw the tree fall and he was shaken for a while.

[page 2] I send a specimen of urine down to Dr. M. office this morning and then I went down about 11:30 to get a report – The urine was normal – Dr. M. had the idea Mother has chronic nefritis (I think I misspelled that again) but I told him I thought the trouble came from her bowels so he suggested I take her to the hospital for an analysis of her stool. I am going to call Dr. Cole and ask him about bringing her down. Will let you know when I get a report.

There is still enough electricity in the air to make the telephone ting once in a while.

While downtown this morning

[page 3] I saw John Krull – he is home on furlough and evidently from the odor when I passed him, had been absorbing as much as possible. He had been in Mick’s and was going out. Same old John.

We got a washing hung out when it started to rain now everything is dripping – Maybe the wind will blow them dry now. It is quite a bit cooler than it was before the storm. I’ll have to put some clothes on David. He is wearing a sun suit. He is singing now and entertaining himself in his bed. He was so glad to see the boys. He likes to watch the trains go by over by 24.

[page 4] Had a letter from your mother and she hadn’t heard from you for 2 weeks. Sometimes my letters are that long in coming while others make it in a week. 7-7-43 I didn’t get this finished yesterday. Took Mother down to St. E. and saw Dr. Cole – He is having her urine & stool examined and will give her glucose if she doesn’t get her strength from eating. I am to go Fri. and can get a report on findings then. She hasn’t been eating much but said when she was taking sulfasuxadine didn’t want to eat. She is so thin and weak. Will send you the full report when I get it.

David had gone to sleep. Just discovered this morning he could hit a higher note and was hitting it pretty high.

[page 5] yours of June 11 & 14 came today and seems you had rec’d some more pictures. David we think is a beautiful child but I agree with you Mark had him bested. Of course there isn’t a baby we have seen yet that can compare with D. I suppose that is natural.

You were right Hilda & Amelia didn’t work long and as I wrote you before Hilda took her children & moved in with her Mother. Rented her house here. I haven’t heard anything about Ed lately – since they are gone there aren’t any news items in the papers here.

About the money situation – so far we are getting by with a balance but I can’t buy

[page 6] any bonds. I assure you I am not spending any unnecessarily – I bought the bike and that is the only thing that has been spent that we could have done without, but it comes in very handy. The boys are running errands for people so much now that they have the bike, besides for us too. I used the travel money to pay for it. I hear the clock strike half past & and I have ironing to do and then David will have to have a bath & feeding about 11 – so must get busy – but will try to finish this little space. John is out mowing Link’s lawn. He left $1.25 to give him – he doesn’t know yet how much he is to get. Mark is still asleep but I want him to rest – he had almost too much vacation.

Love Mother

To Wilmington and Back (Gladys)

1 Reply

: July 5, 1943 envelope

: July 5, 1943, p. 1

: July 5, 1943, p. 2-3

: July 5, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland
July 5 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

I left a letter for the mail man to pick up then learned the P.O. was closed today so it didn’t go out – Thought I would add a line – I went to Wilmington to get J & M. Took Betty & Buddy along. They seemed to enjoy the trip. Buddy took his cap gun along and could buy caps there so had fun making a noise. Mark and Earl had gone fishing about

[page 2] 3 a.m. and got back a little while after we arrived – (10:30). I was able to buy some sardines so will send you a box as soon as I can get some other things to put in. Ruth is getting some things collected to send too.

Going back to the fish subject, Mark & Earl had luck and brought in 10 bass. Earl cleaned them and we brought home several. I put them in the frost chest until tomorrow. Mark had a grand time as well as John but Mark overdid his and is a little nervous again but I think I can soon get him calmed down. I am sure with proper rest here at home he will soon be

[page 3] over it. He won’t rest away from home so I’ll just have to see that he does. They enjoyed their visit & I know Ruth enjoyed having them and does so many things to help them have a good time. She took John to one of her neighbors to play for her. The woman used to play the organ but hasn’t been able to play much for a long time – so she enjoyed John’s playing for her. Mark has lots of friends there and has been there enough that he looks to seeing them all.

Clara M. came up three times today to see about Mother. I am going to see Dr. M. tomorrow

[page 4] again about her and if she isn’t any better I think I’ll take her to the hospital for some checking over.

We drove home thru a hard rain from about Donovan on to Kent. We could see the black clouds in the east when we were coming south of Kankankee and finally got into the rain.

David had a good time. I thought he would be so hungry, because he went half an hour over his supper but he wanted to play and it took about half an hour to feed him.

I am so sleepy think I’ll go to bed –
Love Mother