Tag Archives: Floyd V. Yegerlehner

Moving the Furniture (Gladys)

1 Reply

: September 4, 1943 envelope

: September 4, 1943, p. 1

: September 4, 1943, p. 2

: September 4, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Sept. 4 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

This is a typical Sept. day. It is raining – not hard but has been raining most all day. The humidifier shows “high” (60). It isn’t cold, but just pleasant. I am feeling better than when I wrote yesterday. My hands are going down – due partly to H.C.L. and rest. I didn’t do much yesterday. This being Sat. J. & M. are home and we have been doing some furniture re-arranging – The grand piano caused that change – otherwise I wouldn’t be moving things. I think they look right one way and don’t care to keep shifting. The piano is in front of the French doors, davenport at other end of room. The two slip covered chairs where the davenport used to sit with the gateleg table between with magazines for reading. The blue barrel chair is on the north of the fireplace with footstool in front. The radio sits on other side of fireplace. John says he doesn’t like the new

[page 2] arrangement, but I felt crowded with davenport next to the piano. The desk is now in dining room where antique table was sitting – antique table now sits in n.w. corner of living room. John wanted to place the radio where it is so we had to move your smoking stand away – That bothered him so I placed it by the wing chair – which sits next to the piano now. A lot of “lady stuff,” John would say.

I am enclosing pictures taken for David’s 11^th month and John’s 13^th birthday. He had jarred the camera several times taking my picture so when we saw his this time he said, “Now who jarred the camera?” You can see Glenn’s baby along with David. As I told you David is taller. James L. will sit where he is put (8 mo. old Sept. 11) and can be put on the bath table and left – we couldn’t leave David on the bath table unguarded from the time he could turn over. Can’t leave him anyplace now except in bed or pen without watching him. He wants to reach or climb all the time. His hair curls up on rainy days – however the curls don’t show up in any pictures. I wish I could get a good picture of the back of his head so you could see how curley it is. It’s a gold brown color now. Doesn’t look like it will turn as

[page 3] bond as John & Mark’s did at this age. He just awakened from a nap and seems to be a little unhappy about something. He loves to get out of his pen and walk around things – note the picture of him by the lawn chair – does he love to be turned out in the yard to walk around the chairs.

I started writing cks. today – haven’t pd. The groc. bills yet but pd. my ins., auto ins. & a few other little items. Have a bal. of 213⁰⁰ but still have to pay your Laf. pol. (Oct. 7) and the groc. Bills so that bal. will be taken down some. I just opened the bill from Loebs and it’s 50⁰⁰ but I had to get the boys some school clothes and got myself two pr. of shoes at once because I found two pr. that would fit. I am not going to try & pay Ruth & Earl anything yet – but will keep buying bonds and maybe we will have enough bonds to pay them off some day – so far we have 21 – 18⁷⁵ and 6 – 37⁵⁰ – John has 2 – 18⁷⁵ David has 2 – 18⁷⁵ & Mark almost has two. He has one and enough stamps for another. It looks like the sun is coming out but afraid it’s too late in the day to dry clothes.

Had a letter from Ruthie and they think Floyd will be up for examination again. So many men around here are feeling the breath of the draft bd. on their necks. Well this is war so we can expect to see them go.

Love Mother

John on his 13th birthday, August 1943

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/01/21/moving-the-furniture-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/

Smelled Rags Burning (Gladys)

3 Replies

: July 31, 1943 envelope

: July 31, 1943, p. 1

: July 31, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 31 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

The last day of July – The folks went home this morning and John went with them to stay a week. Mark and I have to take care of things. After lunch I was all set to take a nap but David insisted on staying awake and is still singing to himself, so thought I might as well write. Dad said he never had seen a better baby than D. He has been very good to have a cast on one leg. I am to take him to see Dr. Cole Mon. I put some fresh tape around on the cast this morning.

Had a letter from Ruthie. Floyd had a nail accident and had to have a tetnus shot and got a reaction from it. It got red and itched terribly. Ruth had a letter from Herschel Steiner.

No letters today but the 28^th got your of the 20^th Also have the big. ck deposited and bought 7 – 18⁷⁵ bonds to make one a month for this year.

[page 2] It is cloudy today and not so hot. It got so hot yesterday, Mother felt it so much. It is quiet around here today so I think she will rest better. There was a lot of confusion yesterday with everyone around & the piano coming. Ruth & Romaine left in the afternoon and Dad, Wilma, John & Mark went along so it was quiet all afternoon yesterday. This morning when Wilma got ready to leave she couldn’t find her coin purse – we haven’t found it yet. Thurs. after the folks arrived they put some things in the garage – among them a package of sheets Mom brought along so I wouldn’t have so many extra sheets with all the company – I told Mark to take a sack of garbage to the furnace I had put in the box by the door – well we couldn’t find the sheets at bed time – you guessed it Mark took the package of sheets and put them in the furnace. We all laughed about it – the best thing to do – besides buying new sheets which I will try to do as soon as possible. Dad was sitting in the yard and said he smelled rags burning.
D. has gone to sleep so think I’ll go try and get some shut eye.

Love – Mother

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

Letter from Ruthie (Ruth)

1 Reply

: July 16, 1943 envelope

: July 16, 1943, p. 1

: July 16, 1943, p. 2

: July 16, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Bluffton, Ind.
July 16, 1943

Dear Jake,

The folks tell me you have a garden. How is it doing? We have been having so much rain that it is telling on the tomato fields. Floyd is gone again this week and since I have been working I can’t tag along so well. But a few weeks ago when he went to Chicago I went as far as Kentland and stayed with Gladys, as she probably wrote you. John & Mark were over to Ruth M’s but David was very much at home. You know David was to be my boy’s name but first here first served I guess! Even if I had had one I don’t think he could be a bit cuter than your David is.

[page 2] Floyd had a little good luck the other day. He figured out a price log for tomato prices and sent it into the Company. One day this week they sent him a $50⁰⁰ war bond for the suggestion and also a nice letter of appreciation, which made him very happy.

The last account I had of Glen he thought he would be moved again. He doesn’t seem to mind it so much as I thought he would.

I suppose you can tell that I don’t have much to write, but I want you to know that we don’t forget that you are out there doing your part. I hope we are going our part here. This pay as you go tax plan reminds us to the extent of 20% of each pay that we have a job to do. However we can always tighten our belts a little more if we need too.

[page 3] Glen writes that he doesn’t like v-mail so much so I thought I would try the old way again.

Since I have this written I’m not sure of your address so maybe you will get it and maybe you won’t.

Write if you run out of anything else to do –
Love
Floyd & Ruth

P.S. After reading some of these punk letters, I’ll bet you wonder how you ever gave me a passing grade in that physics class way back in high school days –

Floyd and Ruth Yegerlehner

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/12/letter-from-ruthie-ruth/

Very Quiet Around Here (Gladys)

2 Replies

: June 30, 1943 envelope

: June 30, 1943, p. 1

: June 30, 1943, p. 2-3

: June 30, 1943, p. 4

: June 30, 1943, p. 5

: June 30, 1943, p. 6

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
June 30, 1943

Dear Daddy –

Yours of June 21 & 22 came today and you had rec’d mineo f June 2 – 4 – & – 5 – The one of the 3ᵈ was air mail and I wrote it while Mark was coming out of the ether. I mailed it at the hospital. I stated the bank balance in a letter a few days ago, but after I get the Hancock ins. paid, rent, etc., I should have a balance of 150⁰⁰ – which will take the July 1 check – I have a balance now of about 90⁰⁰ – tomorrow or next day will get the 200⁰⁰ allotment. The rent will come out (48³³) and groc. bills – which are somewhat higher than they used to be, due

[page 2] to increase in price in about everything – so unless something comes up I haven’t counted on should with everything taken care of have a balance of around 150⁰⁰.

Had a letter from a music shop in Laf. that they have used grand piano for sale. If I get down there soon will go look at it. I really am not enthused about buying anything but do feel it is a shame for John not to have a good piano to work with. He took his music and Mark’s too along to practice on while they are at Ruth’s. Earl said they were on vacation but I told him it would do Mark good to settle down a little while each day and rest. Mark seems

[page 3] to be all over any nervousness but when he got over there Sunday he was so excited about seeing all his “friends,” I wonder if he won’t play too hard.

I hear David. He has had a nap and in good mood. Dorothy & Ruth played with him so much yesterday I was afraid he would be spoiled today but he seems as good as ever. He gets harder to handle every day. He is always reaching for something. If he keeps on at this rate I am afraid he will have to have plenty of love taps to keep him out of things – – Had to stop and fix lunch – Just put David down in his pen and he didn’t like the idea – He has been saying

[page 4] da-da for a long time – now he says mom-mom.

It is cool enough today to have heat turned on. Such a drastic change from Monday. It was cool yesterday too. Floyd came for Ruth about 6 P.M. yesterday. He didn’t have to go to Brazil after all so they were returning to Bluffton, but are going to C.C. for the 4^th – I don’t know yet whether Mother will feel like going any place by Sun. If not I’ll have to get someone to go with me to get the boys in Wilmington. The grass isn’t growing so fast now that it isn’t raining so often and not so hot so maybe the grass won’t need cutting before John comes back. Had the lawn mower worked on so it isn’t so hard to push.

Love Mother

[page 5] P.S. I just looked up the old policy & it was issued Dec. 24 – 1923 so this payment I will make in July pays it up. I rec’d the cancelled note today. The amt. of prems. Due in July on all three that are due amounts to 77.28. I have to buy an auto stamp today (last day) and that will be 5⁰⁰ – Also last day for meat stamps (red) and I have a few left. I bought 3 frys last week and still have enough left for several meals. I am going to try and get salmon with my meat stamps today. That & sardines are scarce articles. The only place I know of to buy canned chicken would be Chicago – Ruth Mutchler said she saw canned pheasant at the Stop & Shop in Chi. at $3.50 a can.

[page 6] If I can find suitable articles will send out another box – but hate to send them if you don’t get them. We can’t register letters or insure anything – at least I was told at the P.O. that registering didn’t insure delivery so quit doing that.

Zells have gone away for a week – John & Mark are gone – Statons are leaving soon and Bill & Arlene are talking about going to Wisconsin – I don’t know if all these vacations are going to be at the same time, but with the Zell girls & our boys gone it is very quiet around here. Irene had 5 moles burned off Sat. She asked the Dr. if she could go in swimming – She went to a Dr. in Indpls. She was afraid of skin cancer. Mary is having a baby & Mrs. James is going there to stay two weeks –

Love – Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/09/11/very-quiet-around-here-gladys/

Canning Swiss Chard (Gladys)

3 Replies

: June 29, 1943 envelope

: June 29, 1943, p. 1

: June 29, 1943, p. 2-3

: June 29, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
June 29 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

It’s late afternoon and I have the last batch or rather two, of swiss chard on cooking. That makes 18 pts. Ruthie and I canned today. Floyd had to go into Chicago in a truck so left Ruth off here to stay until he comes back sometime today. Mrs. Zell told me to cut off the swiss chard & can it as they are going away tomorrow for a week and she wouldn’t have time – so you can

[page 2] imagine the size of the pile of raw chard to make 18 pts. At that we cut off the stems and if I feel equal to the job will can them in qts. tomorrow.

Floyd has to take a scale to Brazil from Chi[cago] – pick up one at Brazil and take back to Bluffton so he brought Ruth along and she is going on to C.C. from Brazil and he is going down for the 4^th. Ruth suggested taking David along with her but I am afraid that it’s a little too soon for him to take a visit – He is taking a nap now. Dorothy

[page 3] came out this afternoon to see him and between she & Ruth I am afraid he got a lot of spoiling – Virginia Zell wanted to take him out in the buggy but he wasn’t satisfied so I put him to bed for a nap.

David broke my glasses a long time ago and I mend them with Mark’s airplane glue but they keep coming apart and I am holding them on now. Mother keeps telling me I should get them fixed. She isn’t feeling any better but is taking a sulfa medicine and it may be reacting on her. I rec’d yours of June 16 today but the 13^th – 14^th & 15^th haven’t come yet, but they will probably

[page 4] come in a day or two. Mrs. Roberts was over yesterday a few minutes. She was taking Earl’s children to their grandparents. She is hoping Joe will get home by Christmas. I am just hoping, without setting any date.

My head feels like I need sleep. Ruth & I talked too late last nite and of course David gets up early for his first bottle. John & Mark are at Ruth’s this week having a vacation. The way Mother feels I don’t know whether I’ll get a vacation for a while. Maybe she will feel better after she gets thru taking Sulfasuxadine. It’s time to get this in the mail.

Love Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/09/07/canning-swiss-chard-gladys/

Neighborhood News (Gladys)

1 Reply

: June 26, 1943 envelope front

: June 26, 1943 envelope back

: June 26, 1943, p. 1

: June 26, 1943, p. 2

: June 26, 1943, p. 3

: June 26, 1943, p. 4

: June 26, 1943, p. 5

: June 26, 1943, p. 6

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
June 26 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Another hot sultry day. It looks like rain and once in a while there is a breeze but days like this makes Mother awfully weak. I stopped in to see Dr. M. and asked him about her and he said Bepron was a fine tonic and for her to keep on taking it. While I was there he asked me if I wanted to see the X-Ray of Ruthie Parttens – He showed it to me and was he mad – Mary wanted a bone specialist to see her a few days after Dr. M. had taken care

[page 2] of her and that insulted him but he told them to get someone else – they had Berkhiser from Chicago and he said everything had been done that could be – Dr. M. said he got so sick and tired of people spending their money on specialists. At any rate he says Ruthie is getting along first rate and the rumor that she wouldn’t walk again was rumor there was nothing to it. She is so lively they can hardly keep her in bed. I want to go over and see her but the car is in the garage today. Couldn’t start it yesterday so we pushed it and got it started and stopped at Sondergrath.

[page 3] Will report later on the trouble.

Had a letter from Ruth M. and she wants me to send J. & M. over for a week or so and then the rest of us come for the 4^th but Mother doesn’t feel well enough to go any place now and as hot as it is I really would rather stay home with David. Zell’s are going away Wed. for a week and they want J. & M. to mow the lawn while they are gone. However if they want to go to Ruth’s I won’t keep them home. Ruth & Floyd are going to C.C. for the 4^th & wanted us to got too so they could take some more movies of David, but I don’t want to go on such a long trip when it’s so hot, and I can’t plan to go

[page 4] any place while Mother doesn’t feel so well. She said for us to go ahead & go but I wouldn’t want to leave her alone.

Glenn called us yesterday. He talked and his wife talked – he talked to all of us. Had the baby by the phone and we could hear him. I wrote and told him Mother didn’t feel so well and I think he was pretty worried about her. He wanted your address; you may hear from them. His wife’s name is Pauline. The picture enclosed is I think good of David but John says David is better looking than the picture. However I think you can get a good idea what he is like because he laughs so much. After his bath he

[page 5] has curls but after a while they fall down. There are two teeth in front but one show plainer than the other. He is in his bed now singing a song. It is time for him to take a nap so he is in the nursery alone.

Parr’s were in town yesterday. Harlan is having a vacation but has to be back in Tuscola July 4 for work. He is very tan and so is Carolyn, more so than Dorothy & Nancy. They thought David was a pretty fine boy. Harlan still wants a boy. Dorothy said she thinks she has all she can do to take care of two girls.

[page 6] Dorothy Krull said yesterday that Bill Funk wants them to go on a vacation trip together. Dorothy said they would have to close the restaurant and she doesn’t know whether they will or not. I told her if they go to be sure Bill knows where he is taking them.

Had to stop and take baby clothes off the line – a storm was brewing and what a storm – this one took a good portion of the tree by Statons driveway – They have gone to Indpls. And will have to get the tree off their driveway before they can get in when they come back.

[page 7] Mrs. James & Jimmy went along and Bobby was sent home from Zells for misdemeanor so before the storm the neighborhood was rather quiet. It vibrates at times when things get going good.

After the rain started Mark put on his bathing trunks but he didn’t stay out long. It is cooler now since the rain – something we all appreciate. If this summer continues like this we have a lot of hot weather to look forward to. I had to repot a cactus plant – It was on the window sill and the strong wind blew it over and knocked the cactus out of the pot.

[page 8] The storm has let up and the Zell girls & J. & M. are out playing hide & seek. There is still a lot of thunder so maybe it will rain more.

Your mention of the shells makes me think of the box you sent from Noumea that didn’t come. The one that had the necklace you thought prettier than the one I rec’d. I doubt if it ever comes now – it has been so long.

I must get this ready to mail, so John can do to the P.O.

Love Mother

Such A Climber (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
6-15-43

Dear Daddy –

No mail today – but 8 letters came yesterday – The $100⁰⁰ ck hasn’t come yet. The 150 & 32⁶⁰ came some time ago. It is a warm humid day – we are still having so much rain – It hasn’t rained yet today but we had hard rains Sun. & Mon. Mother is out in the yard with David. After he has his bath & 10 – feeding if the weather permits he goes out in his buggy. He is such a climber – stands up in his buggy & hold to the top. Dorothy is going to get some film for their movie camera & take some pictures of D. Floyd has taken him at 3 & 6 months. John is taking a piano lesson this morning. Mark and I are going to Laf. this afternoon with Arlene & Rosemary. I think Dr. C. should see Mark after his tonsillectomy and this is almost two weeks after. John is going to stay home and help take care of David. John baked an angel food cake yesterday. He is getting to be quite a baker. He does a good job – He is very exacting. Had a note from Aunt J. They got your letter of May – June 12. Uncle W. isn’t very well – they haven’t gone north yet but intend to. Glad you got the seed from your Mother. I sent mine some time before she sent – Maybe you will get them some time. It is getting late so I must get ready to go.

Love Mother

Clay City News (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: June 9, 1943 envelope

: June 9, 1943, p. 1

: June 9, 1943, p. 2

: June 9, 1943, p. 3

: June 9, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

June 9, 1943
Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. S. F. Calif.

Dear Mother,

All done with morning chores and the most terrific thing I could do was take a fellow’s finger nail off. He had a little infection back of it that wouldn’t heal so I just jerked it off.

I think I told you about receiving a letter from Rev. McCloud some time age and I just got to thinking of some of the things he wrote. He explained that Kentland was having dim outs or black outs and that he and Chet L. were the big bosses

[page 2] in their block. That’s a laugh. I don’t mean the He and Chet but the black out – business. From our stand point or view point it is amusing but in a way it isn’t so bad because it gets the people at home in a better frame of mind. I remember at Norfolk when Mr. “Such a Nice Man” had a dim light on in his upstairs room and was bawled out something terrible for not turning it out. And also one wasn’t allowed to smoke even on the porch, but such is life in different places

[page 3] and under different circumstances. We’ve been here now for some time as you know and we’ve enjoyed what we are doing and I might say almost all have gotten a kick out of doing it.

I haven’t heard from Joe R. or Hicky since writing them but I expect an answer very soon because as I’ve said before we aren’t far apart. Of course I could be mistaken.

Yesterday two Clay City news came and some cigarettes from Ruth M. The cigarettes were in A-1 condition. Not a mark or mar

[page 4] on the entire package. I really don’t get much kick out of the C.C. news because many of the names are foreign to me. However there was three items about the family – Wilma graduating, Floyd moving and Mrs. R. S. Yegerlehner and three sons visiting. They were the Apr. 16 and 23 issues, and of course I knew all of those items before. I did see where lots of the boys were home on leave which makes one wish more than somewhat.

Well parts of this have been very vague but as strong as I could make them –

Love Daddy