Dr. W. C. Pippenger | Genealogy Lady

: 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/

: 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