Tag Archives: genealogy

Life Goes On (Gladys)

[Editor’s note: This is the last letter written by Gladys during the World War II era. Hundreds of letters also survive from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. In the near future, I will begin organizing and transcribing those letters and we will hear from Gladys again! Until then, keep reading as I post Roscoe’s few remaining letters and a series of letters written in late 1945 and early 1946 by friends and family.]

October 20, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

October 20, 1945, p. 1

Sat. Oct. 20 1945

Dear Daddy –

No letter this a.m. and since the P.O. closes at 1 p.m. I probably won’t get any until Mon. I contacted Arnold last night on the phone and he is going to look at the heating plant Mon. evening, so maybe by Tues. I can give you an idea whether he will take on the job. Vincent worked Wed. & Thurs. evenings and is going to work again starting Mon. He says he will soon have it done.

I saw Juanita Schneider yesterday and gave her her gloves and got mine back. She said she wishes you would take to the Dr. who has been taking care of her husband when you get back to G.L. They are planning to come to Kentland when he can leave the hospital and she thought you would like to know something of his case history. She gave me his name, etc.

I went to the beauty parlor this a.m. and got a new perm. Emma is booked ahead so far I couldn’t get an appointment for shampoo & set for 10 days. She won’t try to work in extra appointments.

Mark is practicing his music lesson. He was playing foot ball with Jimmy Sammons and came in and wanted to go to town with John to find someone. He hadn’t practiced any today and is to take a lesson at 4:30 so I told him he had better come in for a while. He got awfully angry and wasn’t being treated right, etc. He hasn’t done a thing around here today so I told him to go ahead and spend the day with his friends but forget about an allowance – that slowed him down a little. I hate to be so mercenary but I don’t think he needs to spend all his time playing. He went over to school this morning and helped decorate

October 20, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] for a dance they are to have Mon. I let him go to the Attica game last night. He went with Tooles. This morning he was telling me how Mrs. T. & Robert used so much swearing in their conversation. He seemed to think it wasn’t very good to listen to. He just asked me if he could go to the next out of town football game then he promised without any soliciting, to practice if I would let him go.

David just came in with his hair tangled with burrs. I asked him how they got there and he said Jimmy S. put them in his hair. Fortunately I had cut his hair this week and it was so short I could slip the burrs out without doing any cutting. Mark got into a “froth” and was going right over and do things to Jimmy, but I quieted him down and sent him back to practice his music. After I got the burrs out without any difficulty I told him no harm was done.

John is over at school this afternoon working on the school paper. He took a piano lesson this morning. He is to take an organ lesson tomorrow. He will want to go practice a while this afternoon – if he gets thru with his “editorial work” in time.

I haven’t been to see Bobby yet but thought I would go this afternoon when they get their naps over. The whole house (except the maid) takes afternoon naps. Arlene was having a little difficulty explaining to Bobby why his throat was sore. He thought they weren’t going to take his tonsils out.

David has gone to the basement – Mark is down there now working on an airplane – so I must go get David or he will be black.

Love Mother

Dr. Pippenger sent you your Indiana State Medical Association card, so in case you want to attend the Indiana State Medical Association you will have your card. I’ll keep it unless you want me to send it on to you.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/07/13/life-goes-on-gladys/

Duty Again Today (Roscoe)

1 Reply

October 19, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

October 19, 1945, p. 1

19-Oct-45

Dear Mother,

Unfortunately I have the duty again today – There is an alternate watch and I happened to be up on that about first and the one who was to have it today got sick so I’m taking his duty today – That possibly makes my last in the navy I hope. I may catch one more but I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

I don’t know for sure whether or not I’ll try another draft before I come home or not – if I could get one in the next few days I’d take it but I don’t want to get back after Nov. 1.

I’m try to write this while somebodies’ wife is sick who we don’t have any right to see – someone else has run off with the laundry keys and someone else wants to bring his wife aboard, but I guess that all goes in a day’s work.

Sorry I don’t have time to write more but lots of Love for now,
Daddy

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/07/12/duty-again-today-roscoe/

Going Too Smoothly (Gladys)

1 Reply

October 19, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

October 19, 1945, p. 1

10-19-45

Dear Daddy –

It is cloudy with some rain. I ordered a load of stoker coal from Harlan. Just hope Monroe can get a new auger soon. Since the weather isn’t favorable for drying clothes I didn’t wash.

I went down to the office and worked a while last night. I didn’t try to save much from the drug room. I possibly threw away something of value but I doubt it. I had Mark go over to Kenny’s and get a large box and we just dumped things into that. Now when Vincent gets the carpentry done I can go and clean that room since I cleaned out most of the junk last nite. Vincent said he wouldn’t work anymore this week, but is going to get it finished next week. Monroe said he would move the heating plant when Vincent finishes so I think things will get along very well. Nick took a case while we were there and said he would soon have it all out of the way. I asked him about Mildred and he said he had a card from her and she will be gone 2 more weeks. She should have had someone fixing her side while she is away. I went out in the back to find a broom and it isn’t so bad back there. There is plenty of junk to be moved out but it not as bad as it has been at times. Mrs. Krull said she was going to have Lontz clean it out and even mentioned having it white washed. I found a good toilet seat in the drug room. I have no idea where it is from, but it may be used on the toilet in back. I also found a box of glasses & drinking tubes which I think Geo. Tilton left. He had things stored in there last year and the box had Kentland Frurn on it.

I called Emma about a perm but she said she was booked two weeks ahead, then she had a cancellation for tomorrow so it took it. I was going

October 19, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] back to Mildred but she won’t be back for two more weeks and my hair gets more uncurly every day. I read the boys part of your letter with the “pun” about the frames and you can guess their reaction. It wasn’t exactly complimentary to your humor, but you know our boys.

Ellsworth is back. I haven’t seen him yet but he has been back several days. I saw Doris and she said I had gotten Juanita’s gloves the day we were together (the day I met you at the Lakes). Juanita is working this week so Emma Plummer can take a vacation.

John worked on his school paper last night. They have to mimeograph their paper this year for a while. John says the Supt. Isn’t interested in the paper so he doesn’t try to help them. I do wish there was more co-operation between the Supt. & student body, but I doubt that there will be. Mr. S. seems to be disliked by every one over there.

I think we are going to have some fair weather – the sun is shining now, so I think I’ll go put in a washer of clothes. – – It’s now 1:30 – I have put all the washing on the line, had lunch & dishes washed. It’s very nice out but a little chilly.

Geo. Monroe came about one o’clock and said he wouldn’t be able to do the work at the office, so now I am going to try Arnold. If Jim would come up he could do it if he had tools to work with. I’ll see if I can get Arnold. Vincent won’t be thru before the middle or last of next week so I should be able to get it done after that. – I thought everything was going too smoothly. (pessimist)

Arlene brought Bobby home. Dr. Ade took out both tonsils & adenoids. He said the adenoids were so large he didn’t see how Bobby could breathe thru his nose. The letter you wrote the 16^th – mailed the 17^th came yesterday the 18^th.

Love,
Mother

: Medical Society Program (exterior)

: Medical Society Program (interior)

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/07/11/going-too-smoothly-gladys/

Done for the Day (Roscoe)

1 Reply

October 18, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

October 18, 1945, p. 1

Oct., 18, 1945

Dear Mother,

I’m practically all done for the day except just now waiting for evening chow.

I’m very certain now that there will be nothing done to have our papers started before Nov. 1 because the Capt. took a 15 day leave beginning as of the 17^th and didn’t sign our papers before leaving but the yeoman assured me that he would sign them as quickly soon as he came back and he also thought the Capt. would be back a few days early. Anyway since this 53 is not in affect until Nov. 1 we can hardly squawk too much but after that – anyway that subject need not be kicked around for a few days.

Now to get on with your problems. It seems to me it might be wise to get Monroe to put an auger

October 18, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] in the stoker, but I suppose it would take a few days to get that and the auger and the oil burner would probably come at the same time. Someone told me about som cutting those and welding them. Maybe I dreamed that, however, we didn’t put forth much effort to get coal so maybe there won’t be any coal even if you did get the furnace fixed. I think possibly if you had a good fire in the eve and then turn the thermostat down so that the house would have to cool a bit before it kicked on – Say so that the furnace ran only a small bit during the night it might work.

The office work seems to be progressing pretty well. This It will possibly be ready before I am.

Maybe Chet could put in the oil tank at the house and use that burner which he thought he

October 18, 1945, p. 3

[page 3] could use for the office temporarily. It might cost a little extra for instillation, etc., but it would keep the house a little warmer. It does los seem of as if there should be one oil burner someplace we could use.

The $113 doesn’t seem like such a terrible price but that does not include the back room. I hope if Mary K. does clean out the back room none of my X-ray sink developer or that sink back there gets on the trash heap. I wish also that she wouldn’t be in a hurry about the new toilet because I might have a different idea of where it belongs, but if that room it is in is cleaned up that wouldn’t be so bad. Seems as if I have lots of ideas but not very firm on

October 18, 1945, p. 4

[page 4] any of them.

We are to receive approximately 2,000 patients over the weekend so that means lots of extra work. I had said that I wouldn’t take another draft but maybe I could be persuaded especially with time not being used as I’d like for it to be used. The last one was such a rat race that I swore I’d take no more but with all that group coming in it might be different. What do you think?

Well, it is almost chow time so I’d better stop and take care of the inner man –
Lots of Love
Daddy

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/07/10/done-for-the-day-roscoe/

Coal and Oil Burners (Gladys)

2 Replies

October 18, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

October 18, 1945, p. 1

10-18-45

Dear Daddy –

Yours of the 13 & 15 came today. That one of the 13^th got slowed up a little. I got the 14^th yesterday. Vincent started on the office last night. I went down for a while but didn’t stay because I can’t do much until he gets through. After he gets thru I’ll get Monroe to change the heating arrangement. Even if we can’t get an oil burner for a few weeks I think we had better continue with our own heating system – because Loughridge should show what he says about Nick’s system not being adequate as is. I just told Dorothy yesterday I was going to leave that job for you – getting the heat piped over. However, by the time you get home maybe we can get an oil burner for it and just skip the idea of getting the heat from across the alley.

I went to Cecil Dixon’s to the A.B.C. class party last night. Everyone (almost) was asking about when you would be home. I said you would be discharged Nov. 1. Someone asked me if I had your office ready, and I said the carpenter had just started.

Since Loughridge was so evasive about when the oil burner will be in I think I’ll have Monroe get this stoker fixed and get some stoker coal. I called Chet Harlan and he said he had some treated Eastern Kentucky stoker coal and I can get that. The Lumber Co. has only Indiana Stoker.

October 18, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] An announcement about the 10^th District Med. Soc. Fall meeting came but since you won’t be here Oct. 24 I won’t send in for reservations (ladies invited too).

I suppose by the time I get the stoker fixed (if I can) and coal in then an oil burner will come. If I only knew, but last week we had a taste of a little cool weather and trying to hand fire and get the house warmed up every morning is no joke.

The announcement of the Nu-Joy in the Kent Estate was in the paper. They are to be ready for business by Nov. 20 – so it is taking a little longer than I had thought.

It’s getting near 11:30 and that means time to get lunch started. I’ll have to sign the report cards too so they can be returned. Mark’s grades are Social Studies – B, English – C, Arithmetic – C, Physical Ed – B, Health & Science – B, Band – D (and he was mad – even John said that wasn’t fair), Art – C, Ag – B, Citizenship – A. John got B in Band and gave himself B in Citizenship because they grade themselves and he was too modest to give himself A – but says after this he will because everybody else does. He wasn’t very pleased about the B in Band but he got A in everything else – History, Latin, Speech & Geometry. The whole band was mad at Cole yesterday for the grades he dished out. From all I can gather no one in the band likes him.

Mark promises to do better next time.
Love Mother

P.S. I talked to Monroe & he said he would order a new auger & also do the office work as soon as Vincent gets through.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/07/09/coal-and-oil-burners-gladys/

Senior O.D. (Roscoe)

1 Reply

October 17, 1945, p. 1

Letter transcription:

17 Oct. 45

Dear Mother,

Just about to finish the Senior O.D. watch and it has been a little crammed up, but now at 2030 things had slowed down but I’ve got my fingers crossed. You see since I made Lt. Cdr. I have the Senior O.D. instead of the Junior and it is a little more responsibility but not bad.

Your letter which you thought I’d get Monday night which I was to call or wire you about came today – so proceed as you are – I know you can tell more about how things are working out so go ahead and use your own judgment, only have things fixed pretty nice, even though it does cost a little more. It doesn’t seem as if the oil burner would take up much space where you had it in the diagram.

We still haven’t heard anything about the

October 17, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] discharges but of course they are not effective until Nov. 1 but there surely is going to be plenty of stuff raised between now and then and much more after that.

I don’t know what happened to the mail again that it is so slow, but maybe it will pick up in a day or two. Hope so.

The weather has been terrible all day today – a heavy mist – more than a fog but hardly enough to cause one to wear a rain coat.

You remember the (jg) I used to write about – Well, he took a plane to Pearl Harbor – got a ship and came back to San Francisco. He came out for a short visit – He is Tokyo bound today. He used to write to a girlfriend every day in Canada but she wrote him that she couldn’t wait – so his affair must have been rather one-sided. He didn’t seem to be too much disturbed.

Well, I do hope I can get some good word to you in a few days –
Love Daddy

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/07/08/senior-o-d-roscoe/

Arvilla (Gladys)

1 Reply

October 17, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

October 17, 1945, p. 1

10-17-45

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Sun. came today. It has been a grand day and I am glad we could let the fire go this afternoon. I talked to Chet Van S. and they have no coal – only Indiana stoker. Anyway the stoker coal isn’t so good to use for hand firing. I will try Harlan and see what he has. If he has any stoker coal I may have Monroe take this auger out and see if he can get it welded. He said they did that to the school furnace but it didn’t work. Loughridge is so indefinite about the oil burners now. When I talked to them in August they were sure they could have the furnace changed over by Nov. 1 and now they can’t give any date. Chet said they were to get a load of coke soon and I have a notion to try that, if we can’t get any coal.

Vincent is going to start on the office tonight. Nick still has his “stuff” stored there but I think Vincent can work around it for a while. I thought if we get something started Nick would get the place cleared.

I worked a little while in the attic getting the office things together. I want to gather up the sheets and towels and get them laundered.

Had a letter from your mother and she said Kenneth is home. He has a 45 day furlough, then goes back to N.C. and he thinks then he will be discharged. Dolores & Steve are home. Steve is out of the Army & Dolores has quit her job. I thought she would stay for a while but now that she is married I suppose they want to get

October 17, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] settled near the relatives. Mom said she didn’t know what they intend to do.

Irene was talking to me and said Link is losing weight. She says he is worried about his job. She is still talking about starting a Baby Shop out here in their home. I take it from the trend of her conversation their finances aren’t so good. She said she told Link if he wanted to sell their place she would be willing. However, I doubt if they will do that.

David just came in with a mask on. Virginia had given it to him and he was so tickled about it. I acted like he frightened me and that made him laugh.

I saw Dr. Mathews in the drug store and told him you were to be discharged Nov. 1 – He said for you to hurry home.

I also [saw] Arvilla Wright yesterday. She has been working in a hospital in Illinois but had to come home. She had an impacted wisdom tooth and was to go today to have it taken out. Alma told me Arvilla would rather work in a doctor’s office here than in a hospital. She figures she could take less and stay home. I have an idea you can get her if you want her.

Dorothy took Bobby over to Hungess for another cold shot this afternoon – the third one.

John is late this evening – he is quite busy getting the school paper ready to edit. The grade cards came – he got A on everything but Band & Cole gave him a B – he was very disgusted about that. He also got a B on citizenship – but they grade themselves on that and he was too modest to himself an A. Mark’s grades were B-C-& D – I told him to get busy & get an A or two next time.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/07/07/arvilla-gladys/

Treasure Island (Roscoe)

2 Replies

October 16, 1945 envelope

October 16, 1945, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Oct. 16, 1945

Dear Mother,

I am now totally converted. I mean almost into a full Lt. Cdr. Total cost $7.80; one fifty for the collar device – only I think I’ll sell one for $0.75 and $2.30 for the gray shoulder boards and $4.00 for the gold, and installation, on the sleeve of the blue. So if I make the sale it will be $7.05, but I don’t feel that you are too interested in that. I’m not either but I can’t give you any further information on the discharge.

I haven’t received any letters from you since Sat. I’m hoping for a few tomorrow. I’m just wondering if Schuster has taken on the job, etc.

I took my blue shirt down to have the gold changed this p.m. and tomorrow morn they decide to have a picture taken. I don’t know just what I’ll do as yet – I have the duty also so maybe I can get out of the picture on those grounds.

Stanich came past and took me downtown. He took me first to Treasure Island

October 16, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] but I couldn’t do any good there so we stopped in one of the downtown stores. The one where I bought my cap before going out in ’42.

I tried to get some shirts this p.m. but no white and possibly some gray tomorrow but I can’t get there then. That place is on the other side of San Francisco and my means of transportation are not good. When you go to Treasure Island you just cross half of the bay bridge. Then turn off to the right and cut back over the top of the bridge. It is a nice island and has the big sign for the Fleet – “Hi mate, etc.” We passed right in front of that sign. I doubt if any of the sailors on the ships saw it since it was so foggy.

Well, I’m going to mail this so it will go out early in the a.m. I missed the p.m. mail because of going to town and some new patients came in also –

Lots of Love
Daddy

Saving Coal (Gladys)

1 Reply

October 16, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

October 16, 1945, p. 1

Oct. 16 – 1945

Dear Daddy –

We are enjoying another glorious day and to be practical about it – saves coal – etc., etc. – since we are still not permanently fixed about our heating arrangement.

Vincent is to begin work tomorrow evening on the office. I hope I am doing what you want in having the partition moved up 3’. I just wish I could talk to you over the phone but maybe I’ll get things done right (I hope). In talking to the Loughridges about an oil burner for the office, Chet said the present set-up Nick has wouldn’t carry the office unless he changed something. He says the system Nick has at present is heating all it can. I still think it will be better just to use the heating plant even with coal until you can get an oil burner put in. It won’t take up enough space in the back room to bother you and it will furnish heat for that room.

Yesterday I went with Arlene to see Dr. Ade about Bobby. Dr. A. says his hearing is just about 50% in both ears. He says it is because of enlarged adenoids and advised Arlene to have them out at once. I think they are going to take him down this week. Dr. Ade has (of course) a machine to test hearing (ears) and said both ears were about the same.

I bought a new pair brown shoes yesterday and stretched my shoe budget to $10.95 and when I got home with them discovered they had been slightly used so I writing Loebs. I wouldn’t complain

October 16, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] on a pair costing $5 or $6 but $10.95 is too much to pay for even slightly used shoes. I suppose you will say “lady stuff.” I took back that sweater and tried to get one a little more my style but couldn’t find the right color so came back without a sweater.

So far no letters from you, but I am going to inquire at the P.O. when I mail this. Maybe one will have come in during the day.

My throat condition seems to be a little better. I think it’s sleeping in a cold room that is keeping it a little irritated.

Irene told me they were thinking about opening a baby shop out here in their home. I think a baby shop would have been a paying thing in the past few years, but wouldn’t predict either way on it in the future. However, according to the latest information a lot of babies are on the way.

David is out in the yard, so I must look out and see what he is doing.
Love Mother

P.S. We tried two of our T-bones Suri [?] and they are so large two was more than three (I mean four) of us wanted. Two covers the broiler pan.

Lt. Cdr. (Roscoe)

1 Reply

October 15, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

October 15, 1945, p. 1

15 Oct. 45

Dear Mother,

I think now that my mail can be addressed as Lt. Cdr. Because I had the examination this a.m. As near as I can figure it will cost me about 6-8 dollars to convert so that isn’t so bad. Of course it all depends on how soon I’ll get those discharge papers. I still don’t know if the 1^st of Nov. means out of the 12^th district by then or out of the 9^th. No one seems to know and somehow can’t find out. I guess we will just have to wait. There is a Cdr. Here from Kokomo, Ind., and he has been griping no little but it seems to do no good. At least we do have a more or less of a limit, I suppose, the middle of Nov. as I stated before will just about catch it.

October 15, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] This being the 15^th was payday so I withdrew some money and left the remainder. I’ll just bring it along to Great Lakes on the pay account and collect it as I’m discharged – if it is too long I’ll withdraw it and send it along but I don’t believe you will need it unless the oil burner is installed or some carpentering is done. There was no mail yesterday nor today so I don’t know what progress you have made and but I’m not expecting too much since you have had only a few days.

As I said this is the 15^th and it sure seems as if the end of the month is ages away. I guess it won’t be any longer than any

October 15, 194,5 p. 3

[page 3] other month but just seems that way.

Stanich is coming past for me tomorrow and we are going out to a ship’s service to see if I can get some shirts and also to take my blues to have the sleeve gold changed.

I find it a little hard to write since all that I’m thinking about is the office repair and the discharge date and all that has been gone into so often it now becomes trite – or does it?? Anyway we got the storm windows up before I knew what the reductions in points would be. That might be classed as a “frame up.” That is