Tag Archives: genealogy

Boy Joins Navy (Roscoe)

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: 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/

Inventory and Appraisement of the Estate of Dorsey Hoagland

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I have been fascinated lately by some of my slave owning ancestors (or potential ancestors). I am still working on building the case for Dorsey Hoagland as one of my ancestors but for now I will assume that he is likely my ancestor. I have been catching up on the show Finding Your Roots with Louis Henry Gates, Jr. I do not have any direct African American ancestry in my tree, however, I do have a few genetic cousins who are primarily African American. Many of the Finding Your Roots episodes explore the ancestry of prominent African Americans. I recently watched an episode with Derek Jeter as they traced his Jeter line to a white slave owner. They were able to prove that one of Jeter’s ancestors was the son of a white slave owner and his black slave. As I look over the inventory of Dorsey Hoagland’s estate, the document reveals that he owned seven slaves. Only one of the slaves was an adult, a female, with the rest being children with descending ages. It strikes me that the children were likely all siblings, or possibly related to one another, with the adult female as the mother to all but the eldest teenager. I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts on this issue. I am trying to learn more about researching African American history and ancestry in general.

: Nelson County Probates H/2, p. 156-157

: Nelson County Probates H/2, p. 158-159

Dorsey Hoagland, Inventory and Appraisement
Nelson County, Kentucky
Probate vol. H/2, p. 157-158
Inventory completed 20 July 1836; filed 9 January 1837

“Inventory and bill of appraisment of the property belonging to the estate of Dosey Hogland decᵈ appraised on the 20^th day of July 1836.

The following is a list of property that is not considered as assets in the hands of the administrators but reserved to the widow, and heirs under an act of assembly in that case made and provided which allows to the widow, and heirs the same property that is exempt from execution. [?]

One yellow horse	50.00
One cow and calf	10.00
One Bed Bedstead and furniture	20.00
One plow and Geer	4.00
One plow & lead one pot Head One axe & one hoe	3.00
One loom and apparatus thereunto belonging	1.50
One spinning wheel	“.50

The property that is considered as assets in the hands of the administrators

One Negro woman Sitter aged 26 years	350.00
One do[ditto] boy William do[ditto] 16	600.00
One do[ditto] girl Maria do[ditto] 13	450.00
One do[ditto] boy John do[ditto] 11	450.00
One do[ditto] boy Snocuden [?] do[ditto] 8	350.00
One do[ditto] boy Isaac do[ditto] 6	250.00
One do[ditto] boy Harrison do[ditto] 4	175.00
Three pots	1.50
Three ovens & lead, & one pan & lead	1.00
Two spiders, & lead, & one skillett	1.00
Two pair Pot hooks & shovels	“.50
One pair waufle Iron	1.00
One frying pan and ladle	“.50
One Tea Kettle and [?]	1.12½
Two large kettles	6.00
Two small do [ditto]	1.50
One Copper kettle	2.50
One Lot of old Iron	1.50
One pair of [?]	2.50
One Copper Tea Kettle	1.50
One lot of Iron [?]	“.50
One Lot of shoemaker tools	1.00
Eleven open tubs	1.25
One Roan mare	35.00
One Bay mare & colt	40.00
One wagon [?] and Geer Tar bucket & feed trough	65.00
One plow/Cary	“.75
Two Shovel plows	1.00
Three axes one shovel & sprouting hoe	4.00
Two broad hoes	“.50
One pair [?] & 3 [?]	1.50
One wooden Tooth harrow	“.50
One Flax break and Two grind stones	2.00
One handsaw hand axe & drawing knife	1.50
Two Augers one chisel & anvil & cross	“.50
One cross cut saw	1.00
One pair of Geer	2.00
Three blind bridles	1.50
One man’s saddle	5.00
One do [ditto] old	“.50
One cutting box	1.00
Two large Tubs	“.50
One Carey plow	4.00
One Iron fork 3 do [ditto] wood & 2 scythes	2.00
Twelve open Tubs	1.50
One wheat [?]	5.00
One wheat sive	“.75
One lot of shingle & some Timber	4.00
One lot of Cooper timber	5.50
Thirty six [?] head of hogs	95.50
One lot of plank	3.50
One mewly [?] cow	8.60
One Red and White heiffer	6.50
One Brindle Do Do [ditto]	7.50
One Red steer	10.00
One Black steer	10.00
One spotted do [ditto]	10.00
Two stills & all the apparatus thereunto belonging	95.00
Four yearling Calves	14.00
Twenty Three head of sheep	28.75
One cow	10.00
One lot of Oats in the field	5.00
One Tight barrel	“.37½
One Book case	1.50
One clock & one small squareTable 6f	2.00
One small bed bedstead & furniture	5.00
One looking glass 3f Two water 9pr [?]	2.00
Two Candle sticks	“.75
One bed bedstead and furniture	8.00
One Trunk	“.75
One bed bedstead and furniture	8.00
One lot of bedclothes 14 pieces	20.00
One bed bedstead & furniture	7.00
One sidesaddle and bridle	18.00
One powder Keg & some powder	“.75
One side saddle & bridle	1.00
One cupboard and furniture	12.00
One Desk	5.00
One Fall leaf Table	1.50
One Square Table	“.50
One Coffee mill	“.50
Three Tin buckets	1.25
One Rifle Fun	10.00
Two hand Irons	2.00
Two smoothing Irons	“.50
One [?] chest and fifteen	“.50
Seven old chairs common	1.00
Two pot trowels [?]	1.00
Two open Tubs	“.25
One lot of Oak flooring plank	12.00
One do [ditto] poplar	2.00
One do [ditto] do [ditto]	“.50
One Keg of Tar	“.50
Six Corks of hay in the meadow	8.00

John Overalt}
Thoˢ J. Hammond}
Henry A. Lewis} Appraisers

We do hereby certify that the forgoing list contains all the property a True account of all the property belonging to the estate of Dorsey Hogland deceased which has come to our hands as his administrators July the 27^th 1836.

J.C. Hogland Admin.
Mary Hogland Admix.

At a County Court held for Nelson County at the Courthouse in Bardstown on the 9^th day of January 1837. This Inventory and appraisment of the Estate of Dorsey Hogland decᵈ was returned and ordered to be recorded.
Attest Nathᴵ Wickliffe C. of C.C.”

Nothing of Importance (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: July 16, 1943 envelope

: July 16, 1943, p. 1

: July 16, 1943, p. 2

: July 16, 1943, p. 3

: July 16, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San FranC.
July 16, 1943

Dear Mother,

Nothing of importance has happened since yesterday so this will be a continuation of nothing so to speak.

In one way I was very pessimistic this A.M. We had oranges for breakfast and I planted 4 seeds. I don’t know how long it will take to grow an orange tree but that is one planting of fruit of which I hope not to be here long enough to enjoy. I just wonder if when they grow to be big oranges if the word “Sunkist” will be on the outside of each orange.

[page 2] Somehow last night before evening show we had a little party each man and officer were given a couple bottles of beer. It wasn’t much but it raised the morale a little and maybe helped pass the time a little more rapidly. We also had some tidbits to go along with the beer – some salted peanuts and small pieces of toast with a sort of deviled ham spread. It may have been spam all ground into a mess.

I baited my rat trap with a piece of spam and a piece of cheese. It was suspended on a wire far enough so the rats couldn’t get to it but the ants

[page 3] did. They ate the cheese and left the spam. I’ve also seen dogs just snif at it and pass on and eat a dried bread crust, however, if one was hungry enough I think a good slab of spam wouldn’t be so bad.

In passing I didn’t get paid yesterday so obviously I can’t send the check but will in tomorrow’s letter if we are paid today. At least these notes will serve to notify that the thing will be forth coming.

I have another huge job thrown into my lap – it deals with the sanitation of the Island. It will

[page 4] be my job to see that each area is kept clean etc. What a job! I can say this as far as I’m concerned I don’t think much of the job but in the Navy one doesn’t think too much. Lentz had the same type job at Norfolk.

Ruth Y. wrote the other day that Herschel Steiner and a Hofman boy were headed this way but my chances of seeing them are a little slim I think but one never can tell. Joe Roberts is the only person I’ve seen that I knew before leaving home.

Well I guess I’m again at the end of that well know rope so will say
Lots of 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/2014/10/14/nothing-of-importance-roscoe/

Canning Beans (Gladys)

1 Reply

: July 16, 1943 envelope

: July 16, 1943, p. 1

: July 16, 1943, p. 2-3

: July 16, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 16 – 1943

Dear Daddy,

It is cloudy and thundering and I believe we will get some rain. It has been dry and hasn’t rained (except a little shower this a.m.) for more than a week. Mrs. Zell said if it rained they would get lots of beans now. We have some ready to pick and I suppose I will have to do the picking – Mark has gone out twice but come back each time with an excuse, of some kind about not picking any. It won’t take long to can a cooker full (4 qts) if there are that many to can. I don’t intend to can carrots. There is a method of preserving them raw. Just put them in a heavy jar and cover – leave in basement & they keep as long as they last. So that eliminates

[page 2] that vegetable from the canning list. It is still doing a lot of thundering and a few drops have fallen but no heavy rain yet.

No mail today but didn’t expect any. However this is the third day about the time the mail all gets caught up then it stops coming for a few days, sometimes a week. The last was of July 3. So glad you had rec’d the pictures. If I can get my hands on the negatives Betty Lou took I’ll send some more soon. Dorothy promised to have more made but I haven’t seen them.

I think Mother is getting better, tho slowly. She eats a little better and takes her medicine every meal (before & after). An appetite stimulator and “acidophilus broth” – whatever that is. Have to keep it in the refrigerator and she takes it in milk.

David is having a screaming good time. Is standing up

[page 3] in his bed. He is getting so he doesn’t care to eat every 4 hrs. so think I’ll put him on 3 meals a day. He sometimes gets awake at 6 but I just pay no attention to him so he goes back to sleep and the last two mornings he hasn’t had his first bottle until about 8 a.m. He doesn’t seem to mind at all. He takes more than a can of carnation a day – potatoe, apple saude, cereal, egg yolk, vegetable soup, carrots, peas, asparagus, etc., in turn. I sometimes give him vegetable soup with beef broth. He likes it.

I was surprised the other day. While the Thompsons were visiting Foulkes, Mary came up to see David & brought their David along. She is expecting the stork again. I believe it is due in Oct. Davie doesn’t walk yet. He is short – I don’t believe he is as tall as David and he is 5 mo. older, but what could you expect. They aren’t very tall.

[page 4] The Foulkes had a party on their terrace last night. Seems they have one every night or so – and they always get to vocalizing – With what they have had to bring on singing you can imagine how it sounds up here – not good. I don’t mind, they don’t bother me, but it does disturb Mother some.

I see in the paper John Krull has been sent to a camp in Mich. He was home on furlough not long ago. I think I mentioned it before. The acc’t of Lon Staton’s death was in last week’s paper but don’t think I mentioned it. I have scanned thru the papers but see nothing I think would interest you – anyway if I miss something it will be news when you get the paper.

David seems to be having some trouble of his own. I think he needs to go to sleep but doesn’t want to give up. Just looked in and he is trying to take off a shoe. John is reading and Mark is working on his airplanes.

The water meter was read today & Fred said it was only 4:00 this time – was $6 last. I sprinkled the flowers once this summer – last nite.

Love Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/13/canning-beans-gladys/

Reader Beware (Roscoe)

4 Replies

Reader Beware! There is language in this letter that is offensive. I was very disheartened when I read those words as it was not something I ever heard my grandfather say, or ever expected him to say. I contemplated removing the language for all of two seconds, and knew that I could not. As a historian, I refuse to edit history in this way. Nor will I make excuses for Roscoe, other than to say that he lived in a very different time. We can not ignore the complicated racial past of our country by pretending hurtful and painful slurs did not exist. As much as I abhor the language in novels like Huckleberry Finn or Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I would not remove those offensive words, and so I do not remove them now. So reader beware!

: July 15, 1943 envelope

: July 15, 1943, p. 1

: July 15, 1943, p. 2

: July 15, 1943, p. 3

: July 15, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. S.F.C.
July 15, 1943

Dear Mother,

The second box that you sent – the one you had to divided came at long last. I’ll enumerate the content and you can see if anything was missing – one box of crackers – or rather I should say cracker crumbs. You know what I mean by that. It really was a box of powder. 6 cans of sardines – all in good condition and one package of square candy pieces – plus some papers. The box was battered and torn and half open – So don’t send anything

[page 2] else unless I write specifically for it. I did write for this but it was a mistake except for the sardines. I had given up hope of this box arriving since it had been so long. Maybe that box I sent you while still in Noumea will finally arrive. It had lot of pretty shells and numerous other little trinkets that I wanted you to have but I guess it can’t be helped.

The colored boy was coming in to clean up the tent and I was going into the yard to finish but he went to another tent instead. He is a more or less worthless ‘niggir’ and has to be jacked up about every other day in order to

[page 3] get anything done. I cleaned that table off that I described to you but it is rapidly becoming a source table of many adornments again or do I mean adornments!

I’m now in the front lawn because the boy finally came.

I’ve said this so often but I think now within the next few days I will send a check so be on the lookout. We were told that pay day would be the 15^th and if so I’ll send it tomorrow and will follow in a few days with the number, date of issue etc so that if I should misplace my number book here you will have it. I think that is safer than a money order – because if I misplace

[page 4] the slip there is no way of checking on the thing. The check will be a subject of many letters following – just like the uniform check was good for 9 months subject matter.

Back in the tent again, It doesn’t take that black boy long to do what little he does. The main reason for coming back were the flies. They land and crawl pretty hard.

I’m still eagerly awaiting the pictures of D. so that I can compare his beauty handsomeness and personality with that of the beauty of and winning qualities of his mother.

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/2014/10/11/reader-beware-roscoe/

Dunes State Park (Gladys)

1 Reply

: July 15, 1943 envelope

: July 15, 1943, p. 1

: July 15, 1943, p. 2

: July 15, 1943, p. 3

: July 15, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 15 1943

Dear Daddy –

No letters today but had up to July 3^rd this week. It is a typical hot & dry July day. We are needing rain now. After all the rain we had and just a week ago it doesn’t seem we would be needing more so soon. John just finished mowing the lawn again and if we don’t have rain soon again the grass won’t grow very fast. The Onargo man was here this morning and trimmed the trees & sprayed. It was Cailey – he was just working for them today. He has a job in a defense plant and had a day off. Now the two end trees look almost the same. They are to replace the one tree. It has come out of it but we are to get a new one.

[page 2] The ones Foulkes & Funks have in the middle of their front yards look like they are gone but they had them sprayed today.

Mark is out in the yard with David & John is washing dishes. John made cup cakes this morning. Mark wants to go to 4-H camp at Dunes State Park in Aug. I told him he could go if he practiced on his piano lessons & worked on other things when told to do so. He weeded some this morning and now John is sitting at the piano with him to get him to learn his notes. I didn’t buy the new horn for him because he didn’t practice on it any better than on the old one. John and I think he would do better on a reed instrument than a brass because it would be easier to blow. So if we come across a clarinet or sax will see what we can do. However I am about to buy the grand piano I wrote you about. Mother has $100⁰⁰ saved she was going visiting on and since

[page 3] she won’t be able to go any place for a long while she wants me to use it on the piano. That would leave $200⁰⁰ that I can pay later. I have been figuring what I can do in the next few months. I know it would be best to have the cash but pianos are so hard to find I thought I had better take one when I can. I have all bills paid up and nothing coming up except Ins. ever quarterly. The car ins. is due in Aug. Your next Hancock is in Oct. This won’t get the loan on my ins. pd. off quite as soon. But maybe can take care of it a little later.

The Rotary Club is entertaining ladies Mon. evening and I am invited. Will see about your dues. Have been so busy with Mother haven’t seen about them yet.

David’s eyes are about cleared up. Just a few red streaks, but definitely improved since starting on the drops Dr. Ade gave. He doesn’t

[page 4] rub them so much. I don’t remember what Dr. Ade said was the trouble, except infection that was going around. So don’t worry about it because it is almost gone, whatever it was.

Irene said her sister has a baby girl, born this morning. I suppose they wanted a boy. Most everybody does. Donahues wanted a boy, but I told Carl they probably felt like we do – wouldn’t trade David for all the girls. John says a girl couldn’t possibly have David’s personality, etc. David is very friendly – smiles at everybody and hasn’t yet shown sign of being afraid of people.

I think Mother is improving tho slowly. She eats little, but does eat something every meal, so that is better than nothing. Had a night letter from Jim. He & Thelma are recuperating from a sunburn they got at the beach. He has a 9 day leave but can’t come home. Says before he is sent out will get another leave & come home.

Love Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/10/dunes-state-park-gladys/

The General’s Pencil (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: July 14, 1943 envelope

: July 14, 1943, p. 1

: July 14, 1943, p. 2

: July 14, 1943, p. 3

: July 14, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. S.F.C.
July 14, 1943

Dear Mother,

Received a regular air mail yesterday Dated 25^th of June. I think that was the last. I put the them letters all together and I’m not sure which came last. I’ve have one each day for the last three days.

It’s very hot and sticky here this A.M. but that isn’t news. You stated in your letter that it was that way there and I suppose you can expect that for another month or two but we can expect that here longer than that or at least until our tour of duty is over in this area.

[page 2] You remember me telling you sometime ago about playing Dorothea Dix to a doctor – well he got orders for a change of duty and yesterday wrote me a very fine letter thanking me for all that I had done for him. He lived in the tent with me and after we had our talk – he somehow got some drink and proceeded to get “stinko” – which was very bad for me. In his letter he was much ashamed and apologized etc. It makes me feel more than ever like Dorothea D. Guess I’ll save the letter and have it run as a special feature for the love tangled boys of the Island.

[page 3] Somehow an egg sunny side up got into our breakfast this A.M. It was a total surprise and I might say a pleasant on at that. I think I must be gaining back all the weight I lost due to better eats and less exercise.

I don’t believe I ever told you about fixing the General’s pencil – If I did just disregard this part. Our skipper and I just went over for a social call and during the conversation something came up that the General wanted to write and his pencil a gold Everharp was out of order so I loaned him mine. Then he asked if I thought I could fix his and I of course polishing apples at my best said “yes sir.”

[page 4] It was one of those push on the end and the lead comes out kind. I brought it back took it all apart and found it was out of lead. So all it needed was a stick of my lead. I’m not sure whether he knew that or whether it was his way of bumming. Anyway it cost him 3 bottles of beer – or rather six. 3 for me and three for the Skipper. I gave the pencil back to him about 3 days later and he seemed a little taken back because he had failed to think of the possibility of being out of lead. He told me if I couldn’t fix it just to keep it. I sure would have liked to – had his name etc. but I didn’t have the heart to be that dishonest. The above has no point only I was just bragging. It’s a true story – ever bit of it.

Well, I’ve shot my wad for today.
Love Daddy

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

Have David For A Brother (Gladys)

3 Replies

: July 14, 1943 envelope

: July 14, 1943, p. 1

: July 14, 1943, p. 2-3

: July 14, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 14 1943

Dear Daddy,

No mail today but I didn’t expect any since I had rec’d up to July 3. Had a letter from Marie Mace – Said David has been having rheumatism again. Marie said if he didn’t write to you she would and his reply was that, when he finished a letter to you and read it over it seemed toobe to be so “ped-dling” in the face of things you must be seeing and going through with, he felt it shouldn’t take up the space it would in going to you. He lost 26 lbs. then gained back 6. Marie says his clothes are so loose they hang on him.

Sometimes I feel

[page 2] that way about my letters to you but I go ahead and mail them anyway. I wish every day I could write volumes of interesting thing but hardly do that.

It is cloudy today and has rained a tiny bit and looks like all the time will rain hard. It is cooler than yesterday and I am glad because of Mother feeling so weak. I brought her home yesterday. She is upstairs in bed. Dr. Cole has her taking acidolphilus broth in milk after each meal and a tonic before meals. He said the after meal medicine is to help heal her bowels. She says all the soreness is gone. Is eating a little but not much. If you can imagine her being thinner than she was. Her clothes are too large too.

David’s eyes got red looking – the whites were blood shot so I took him to Dr. Ade – he

[page 3] said it was an infection that was going around and gave us a prescription for drop to put in three times a day. He said it should clear up in a few days. David doesn’t like the drops but I manage to get them in. He has had them three times and I think his eyes are better.

Mark is working on airplanes today. John is practicing. There is a plane going over & Mark has run out to see it. This must be a regular route now because planes go over almost daily. I am writing with an old pen and I keep making mistakes.

The Thompsons are visiting the Foulkes. Tommy is still helping his father farm. I haven’t seen them only from a distance. Mark saw Mary and asked her how much Davey weighed. She said 22 ½ & he is 16 mo old – can’t walk alone yet. Mark

[page 4] thought their Davey is a little slow in every way. Of course I haven’t seen him and can’t say. Yesterday Dr. Ade said he had two girls who would be glad to have David for a brother. John was with me and he said there were 3 girls next door who would like to have him too. It seems almost everyone things he would be pretty nice to have.

When I paid Mother’s bill I had 41⁰⁰ bal. in the bank. Her bill for a week was 47⁰⁰ – that included medicine & lab fee. I had put 52⁰⁰ of her money in our acc’t and you can see there wasn’t much of hers left.

Irene is home this week keeping Jimmy. Said she didn’t know what she would do next week and thereafter – Her mother isn’t coming back yet and she has to find someone to take care of J. when she goes back to work.

I have to make a trip to town.
Love Mother

First President of the Rotary (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: July 13, 1943 envelope

: July 13, 1943, p. 1

: July 13, 1943, p. 2

: July 13, 1943, p. 3

: July 13, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran
July 13, 1943

Dear Mother,
Yesterday your letter of June 24 came and one from Ruth Y. of June 22. I thought possibly the pictures of D. would be in this one but then I remembered that you said you would send them next week. It has been a week since I received that letter from you but this letter was only 2 days older than the one in which you told of the pictures.

I don’t know if I told you that Uncle Wess had sent a Rotary news week of their own club in Chicago. Well, it had an

[page 2] item in it about the first president of Rotary and it gave a short account of his life. Well I “sorta” get a kick out of having my friends read it and then claiming him as my uncle. I’ll have to write him and give him the low down.

My ambition got the better of me yesterday and I constructed that long talked of rat trap and we have a rat this A.M. to prove the merits of the trap. It’s a type of gang plank where the rat walks out to get a piece of cheese held by a wire beyond the balance point. So Mr. Rat walks out and takes a dip in

[page 3] a 5 gallon can filled about half full of water. We heard it trip two other times but I guess the rat was too nimble. With a little rearranging I believe I can make it 100% instead of 33⅓% as it now is.

I wrote some time ago about changing the allotment but I think I’ll just leave it as is and send what extra money I have home ever so often. As far as I can see it’s just as good one way as the other and if it is left as is you will always get your $200 but if the mail would get crossed as it did with the uniform, your 200 might stop and

[page 4] the new fail to start. If one of the checks I send home gets lost we can always get the numbers and check it that way. I think I’ll continue that way for a while at least and in the next week or 10 days will be able to send a check. That is as soon as a pay day arrives. The amount of the check I can’t say because I don’t know how much there is there. I’ve written all that before but just a little alteration in plan.

You said something about the hot weather in your letter. At Noumea the wind would blow but here it’s always calm and that makes the heat a little more severe. Yes I’ve had practically 14 month of hot weather now beginning at Norfolk Va.

Well, must be on the move
Love Daddy

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

A Grand For 300 (Gladys)

1 Reply

: July 13, 1943 envelope

: July 13, 1943, p. 1

: July 13, 1943, p. 2-3

: July 13, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 13 – 1943

Dear Daddy,

Rec’d yours of July 3 and you had rec’d more pictures. I am always glad when you get them. The pictures never do justice to David but you can get a good idea how he looks. He is so full of pep and does so many cute things (we think). I may be wrong but he acts like he will talk very young. He jabbers so much. It was hot when John took him up to bed last nite so he went to bed with just a diaper on and slept that way all night. I covered him with his spread and when I woke up this morning he was up playing with the spread. His bed downstairs is in front of

[page 2] the window and if left alone will watch the traffic & trains at long periods. He will play in his bed or pen with a toy or just a blanket or pillow. He loves to pound a pillow and take the slip off. After his bath & meal at 11: Mark usually takes him out in his buggy for a sunbath.

John is up making an Angel Food Cake – we have egg whites left from David’s formula and when enough accumulates John makes a cake. Mark is still in bed. He seemed to be all over his nervous habits after his tonsil operation and then he went to Ruth’s a week. I think he was too excited all the time about things because when I went to get him he was about as bad as ever. I have been trying to keep him from doing so much and let him sleep as long as he wants too – He still jerks his head and bats his eyes, but maybe I

[page 3] can get him quieted down with plenty of rest. I have noticed any excitement or hard play makes him worse. Betty Nesbitt is taking a group of youngsters to Battle Ground, the Methodist vacation school, and she wants him to go. I don’t think I’ll let him go because I am afraid it will be too much excitement.

I am going to the hospital today and if Dr. Cole thinks it’s the thing to do will bring Mother home. She has had sulfaquanodine since she has been down (1 week) and the infection should be cleared up by now and I think she will get along as good here now as there. Jim talks like he will be home soon for a leave before being sent out and I think that should help Mother some. Of course I know it will take food to give her strength and she hasn’t been eating so good. I sent Jim an air mail a week ago but haven’t had any reply from him. Sometimes it takes about

[page 4] as long for him to get my letters as it does for you to.

I have been looking at a piano again. A tuner who worked on ours last fall had a grand for $300⁰⁰. That sounds like a fortune just now and I don’t know what to do. If I could only get your opinion in tme. I told him I didn’t have the cash because I had bought bonds. He said he would arrange the payment for me but I haven’t decided yet what I should do. By the time I get an answer the issue will probably be past history.

I have been quoting our bank bal. several times lately. When I pay the hospital bill today I will be pretty low. Will give you definite figures tomorrow. This everyday living without trimmings is so high – I haven’t spent for anything but necessities and it seems to take a lot. Just so we can get by I am nor worrying about savings – of course I would like to have a nest egg saved up when you come home, but I am not going to worry about it. I’ll feel good about the whole things if we get along –

Love Mother