Tag Archives: Fibber McGee

No Children Allowed (Roscoe)

May 1, 1944, p. 1

Letter transcription:

May 2, 1944

Dear Mother,

The letter you wrote of D. accident finally came today – where it was and why I don’t know. It seems that was just like the letters you used to write and wanted them to get there in a hurry.

I thought for a short time this PM I’d have something about a house but it fell thru. It was a furnished home in Libertyville $60.00 per month but the old “Itch boy” that owns it doesn’t want any children in her house – She thought that she could rent it to people without children. I was a little upset when I walked into the ward and the nurse asked me what was troubling me. I told her the lady didn’t want children in the house and she said “well

May 1, 1944, p. 2

[page 2] why?” and that was a little to much – I told her the baby would “pe” on the bed. That slowed her down and even brought color to her face. Probably to mine also. Hope the lady who owns the house has splinters in her pants and one of them point starboard every time she sits down. Maybe there are other punishments just as bad but I won’t whish wish them on her at present. Dr. Glick put me wise to this house.

I’ve got my leave started on the way and should be able to give you the dope tomorrow night. Joe gets off or rather will take off at noon on Sat. and I’m going to try to do likewise. It may not go thru for 12:00 or for that matter maybe not for

[page 3] 4:30 but we will try.

May 1, 1944, p. 3

I sent my blue suit to the cleaner today – so had to wear khaki. It was nice and sunny when we got up but it got foggy and cold later but this eve it was pretty nice again. Khaki is a must for me for the next few days until my blues came back, rain or shine.

We are all set to listen to Fibber in about ½ hour. Right now Gabe Heater [1] is about to come on so I’ll just sign off and say will the splinters punch the lady hard enough and often enough –

Love Daddy

[1] Gabriel Heatter was a radio news commentator. During WWII, he was known for his trademark phrase “Good evening, everyone…there is good news tonight.”

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/02/13/no-children-allowed-roscoe/

The Maytag Technique (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: January 26, 1944 envelope

: January 26, 1944, p. 1

: January 26, 1944, p. 2

: January 26, 1944, p. 3

: January 26, 1944, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Jan. 26, 1944

Dear Mother,

Your two v-mail letters dated 12-19 & 22 came today. They were a little old but a few things were brought up to date. One was that matter of dividends on that paid up policy and the other dividends which I couldn’t get just correct. They evidently made a mistake in sending that other check rather than just deducting it from the premium as it had always been done before. Again however nothing of the much talked of picture arrived.

I did my laundry again this PM

[page 2] Just the socks, “undies,” and hankies. We have plenty of hot water and one of the fellows even has a washboard but I don’t use it. Just rub them a little and give them the up & down Maytag technique. It gets the smell out of thinks and that is all that is necessary. Ever so often I send some underwear to the laundry. That is when it gets so brown.

Our new captain is a little fussy about how the enlisted men keep their quarters and then he comes into ours and also claims that he is a little disappointed with how ours looks and I guess he is correct. In fact I’ve tried to

[page 3] do a little brushing off this PM. It would be better however if he didn’t open the dresser drawers or the closet door. Maybe I’ll get interested enough to do something to those some of these days. My closet isn’t like F. McGee’s hallway closet as yet but it has possibilities.

I have 8 drawers and none of them look too good. Some of the officers have only 4. I’m not just sure what I would do if I only had that many. I think I’ll just play like someday I have only 4 and then maybe I’ll appreciate the 4 extra.

Someone said we have

[page 4] some shoes in our store and do I need a pair. We aren’t supposed to wear field shoes and I still have just the same two pair as when I left the states and you know they must look terrible. They haven’t been worn much but the dry rot seems to have gotten them. We can’t buy shoes in town because of rationing. I guess I could go barefooted but that would hardly be “cricket” “don’t you know.” So if I can get a pair it will be “good O.” As we natives express it.

Well, I’ve sure covered the field and said nothing but anyway.
Lots of Love
Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/11/01/the-maytag-technique-roscoe/ ‎

Beulah (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
IND.
1-26-44

Dear Daddy – No mail today but yours of Jan. 13 & 14 came yesterday. It is warm and cloudy today. The latest weather report gave the temp 61. It was sunny this morning and I should have taken David out but trusted the sunshine to stay till now, but it is cloudy. However I wrapped David good and put him out in the buggy. He wanted to go bye bye – due to his cough have kept him in lately but thought the fresh air wouldn’t hurt him today because it is so warm. John read a book and wrote a review – He worked too steadily on it and got a severe headache so is home this P.M. I think with this afternoon’s rest from reading, etc., he will be ready to go to school tomorrow. We listened to Fibber & Molly last nite. They introduced a new character “Beulah” – you remember that colored woman done by a man on Tom, Dick & Harry? Fibber has hardly any of the characters on his show that he had when you were home. Mark took some of his model planes to school today. Said several wanted to buy them so won’t be surprised if he comes home without the planes. He was so excited about it when he came home at noon. He made a jeep he got for Christmas that looks like the real thing. I see David has pulled his mittens off so must go out and put them back on. He doesn’t like to have his hands covered.

“Love Mother”

To hear the episode of Fibber & Molly from 25 January 1944 which introduces the character of Beulah, click here.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/10/31/beulah-gladys/ ‎

I Like Mail (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 15, 1943 envelope

: August 15, 1943, p. 1

: August 15, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

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

Dear Mother,

I reread your letters again yesterday and find that I commented on most of the things you asked about or wrote about. The address you use is OK but the USNR should follow my name – putting it after the Navy 60 might be a little confusing. It’s a small matter but anything that might be confusing should be done away with because you know how I like mail.

You asked if we had heard Fibber in a certain radio program – we didn’t some how we haven’t been able to get any of those programs since getting our radio. I think we just haven’t had it on at the right time. We do get the news pretty good and some music – if you want to call it that. The best station has a recording of a

[page 2] base ball game which lasts about ¾ hour. That is really the height of something of other. We want entertainment and they put on a ball game which has been played hours before and they would give the final score and be done with it. One listens to a ball game to see what the final score will be – anyway I don’t like it.

I was very glad to hear that the folks could spend a few days with you. I imagine they got a big kick out of the trip and the visit. I’m sure John will enjoy himself on his own for the week or rather I mean traveling alone. I think things like that are good for them – Lets them know how to get along for themselves.

Well, I’ve got to write the folks today so will get started on that right now –
Love Daddy

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

Ants in the Pants (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 12, 1943 envelope

: August 12, 1943, p. 1

: August 12, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Aug. 12, 1943

Dear Mother,

From where I’m sitting I can see those poor clothes on the line trying to get dry and maybe they will today but they’ve been there since Monday. Maybe I should take them in and hang them around the stove.

Today marks another milestone in this career of mine – Six months ago today I left the last station. At that time six months would have seemed an infinity but looking back now it seems only a short time. Many things have happened since then and I will say the time has gone very rapidly and as pleasurable I’ll sure be pleased.

I don’t believe I’ve ever mentioned it

[page 2] before but we have had open air shows here for the past 3 or 4 months. I haven’t been a very regular attender but went last night and it was Fibber, Molly, Edgar B. and that bunch. It was a pretty good show but not as good as they are over the radio – just a little disappointing. Imagination of characters sometimes is better than the real characters – anyway it was a pretty good evening’s entertainment.

I’ve wondered lots whether Jim has any idea of when or where he may be sent out. Possibly he was just as certain as we are – That is he knew nothing. We all get itchy britches now and then to be on our way to someplace but now since I’ve been away from home I’m getting the proverbial ants but that possible won’t help any.

Love Daddy

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/12/05/ants-in-the-pants-roscoe/

Roasting Weiners (Gladys)

1 Reply

: July 18, 1943, p. 1

: July 18, 1943, p. 2-3

: July 18, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 18 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Another lazy Sunday afternoon – John & Mark are playing croquet with the Zell girls. David is taking a nap. He got so he didn’t want to eat so I decided to change his eating times. I gave him a bottle of milk at about 8 this morning (the first) then at noon gave him mashed potatoes, apple sauce, custard and a little milk. About 4 I will give him some milk and at 7 cereal and put him to bed. He is slow about drinking out of a cup but I think he will come along by the time he should get along without a bottle. Donnie Funk gets along without a bottle

[page 2] now, but he has to hurry, with a new baby coming there in Dec. He has developed so fast. I think he will soon walk, but he must have known he had to hurry to make way, for maybe a little sister. However Arlene says she won’t be disappointed if there is another boy.

Mother is still in bed. She ate a piece of chicken, a cup of custard and a piece of cake for dinner. I put some mashed potatoes & gravy on her plate but she didn’t eat much of them. It is hot this afternoon so she may not get along so good. The heat makes her feel worse.

The rain we had over the week-end helped a lot. Link sprayed part of their back yard to kill out the crab grass and it looks like all the grass where he sprayed will die out. I think I won’t worry about our grass. We will just

[apge 3] keep it mowed and let it grow. I am going to take some more pictures in the back yard so you can get an idea how much the shrubbery is growing and see some of the flowers. Some of the spirea has grown up until they are almost 5 ft. The rains this summer have made everything like that grow so good.

There is an army program on this afternoon – there has been a lot about the invasion of Sicily. I wonder if you by any chance heard the Fibber program when they talked about Sicily – They were so excited & Molly asked what the excitement was about – Fibber said that was the first place he could pronounce – Then he pronounced it wrong, putting the accent on “silly.” – said anybody could pronounce “c-silly.”

I have been taking some pictures of David but don’t know whether they will be good. Our camera seems to have one sight broken.

[page 4] and I can’t see thru the other one. I want you to see how he stands up in his buggy – just wonder what you would say about that – probably spank him.

— I went to get Mark at Funks, he had run an errand for Arlene then stayed. They were roasting wieners and wanted me to stay and have one. They had Donald’s pen in the summer house so we put both babies in and I stayed long enough to eat a “dog’ then came back to feed David & put him to bed. When both babies are in the pen Donnie doesn’t see much larger than David. Being almost a month older he gets around the pen a little better, but David does alright. Donnie would pinch David and pull his hair. David didn’t seem to mind but Bill slapped Donnie’s hand – Donnie jabbers back when they scold him or slap his hands.

I am sleepy so will try to get to bed – getting up time comes around so soon.

Love – Mother

David standing in his buggy

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