Tag Archives: genealogy

Farewell Emma (Gladys)

[Editor’s note: Gladys did not write a letter on October 17th as she was likely too busy with the funeral and all the visiting relatives. Emma’s obituary appeared in the next edition of the Newton County Enterprise. The paper announced that the funeral had been the previous Sunday (10/17).]

RITES HELD FOR FOUR RECENTLY

Emily Foster, Adda Watkins, Florence Archibald and Dr. Cox Succumed

Mrs. Emily H. Foster

Final rites were conducted from the Hufty-Crane funeral home here for Mrs. Emily H. Foster, 71, Sunday at 2 p.m. with the Rev. V. B. Servies in charge. She died at the St. Elizabeth hospital in Lafayette Friday after a three months illness.

Born at Robinson, Ill., she was married to James E. Foster, in 1894. Surviving are three sons, Jesse, of Arkansas; Glenn, of Nevada, and James, USN, at Norfolk, Va., a daughter, Mrs. Gladys Yegerlehner, of Kentland, and a sister, Mrs. Minerva Metcalf, West Union., Ill. She was a member of the Methodist church.

“Rites Held For Four Recently,” Newton County Enterprise (Kentland, Indiana), 21 October 1943, p. 1.

Emma was buried at the Fairlawn Cemetery, Kentland, Indiana. You may visit her memorial at Find A Grave.

Inspection Time (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: October 16, 1943 envelope

: October 16, 1943, p. 1

: October 16, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran Cal
10-16-43

Dear Mother,

No mail yesterday again but today is young.

My thoughts aren’t well collected this A.M. so I’m just not sure of what might get into this letter.

Just a thought that I overlooked in your last letters and that is the seemingly superiority of our D. Maybe you didn’t mean it that way but I’m glad you feel that way – first because it’s a parent’s duty and second from what you say it seems to be true. Maybe I’m breaking my arm – patting myself on the back. Hope you haven’t any broken bones from that type of thing.

Today is regular inspection day for our own camp and since I have the Island to look after ours

[page 2] is always a little worry some to me because it should be a good example. It usually is in pretty good condition and I have very little to worry about but it is a continuous fight to keep the little things going. Like having the cooks clean their finger nails and having them change their uniforms before they get to slick or slimy. You know men are men the world over, and this is no exception out here.

Now you will have to admit I’ve written something but as far as it being interesting or informative it is nil, but it did serve as a kind of visit with you which otherwise would have been missed

Lots of Love
Daddy

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

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/04/15/inspection-time-roscoe/

Funeral Arrangements (Gladys)

3 Replies

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
10-16-43

Dear Daddy – No letters today but two yesterday. I had to go to Hufty’s to complete arrangements & Bob showed me the death certificate. It gave carcinoma of Pancreas as cause. I haven’t rec’d the autopsy report yet. Will write you details when I get them. I looked up pancreas & after reading description can understand the case better. No doubt the thing was too far advanced for help when Dr. Cole started on the case. Your mother is here and plans to remain until next week then I want to take her home. J. & M. won’t have school after Wed. (Teacher’s convention). I don’t know who is coming. I wired everyone I thought should have the word. Jim is coming to Laf. tomorrow & Mayrose are going to meet J. & T. at the train & bring them on up here – I was thinking about what you said regarding the prescription I didn’t have filled for John – Well, I know what bromides are and to my way of thinking wouldn’t do John any good. The headaches are gone and the nervousness he displayed for Dr. V. is only under such circumstances – I really got a “kick” out of what you said. I read your recommendations to John about his face treatment & chocolateless diet – He didn’t care for either. His face is some better but don’t worry about squeezing anything on his face – you should know better.
Love Mother

Foster, Emma H. (Laughead) - Death, 1943

Indiana death certificate for Emma Foster, October 1943

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: ttp://genealogylady.net/2015/04/14/funeral-arrangements-gladys/

Stomach Happy (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: October 15, 1943 envelope

: October 15, 1943, p. 1

: October 15, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

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

Dear Mother,

No mail yesterday but I hardly expected any since a bunch came the day before.

Was I stomach happy last night? Here was the reason. I was invited out for dinner. The first course was an oyster cocktail; next a combination salad; then the main part of the meal. T-bone steak, nice thick & rare – French fried potatoes, Tiny tender peas, next came apple pie. Then raspberry ice cream and last of all a basket of oranges – I brought mine home on the outside. I forgot both ripe and green olives. Too many for me to eat them all. No celery however, but I won’t complain about that. It was truly the best & biggest meal I had had since leaving the states, and I don’t expect another like it until I get back and possibly not then what with rationing & everything. We left the meal in

[page 2] time to go to the show. “The Crystal Ball” was the name of the show. After the show there was a slight beer party in the ward room. It seems that three of our officers were promoted and they dug up some beer, peanuts, pine nuts, pecans and a few other tidbits. So you see I had a nice full stomach to retire on, but this A.M. I don’t seem to have any after affects and strange as it seems I slept well also.

It must seem from what I’ve written that all we do is eat and sleep. I can assure you it will be a long time before another meal and evening like that rolls around again.

Well, I must get to work in order to get some of that excess food & drink out of my system.
Love Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/04/13/stomach-happy-roscoe/

Mother Just Passed Away (Gladys)

5 Replies

Letter transcription:
Fri – 11:45

I didn’t get this letter mailed last night. Mother just passed away. I am still at the hospital but getting ready to leave. Your Mother just came in on the bus. Alma met her at the bus. Alma has been “old faithful.”

I am having autopsy done – after I get the report will let you know.

I have to go to the telegraph office and dispatch some messages.
Love Mother

Emma Foster, circa 1940s

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/04/12/mother-just-passed-away-gladys/

Flowers (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: October 14, 1943 envelope

: October 14, 1943, p. 1

: October 14, 1943, p. 2

: October 14, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran C.
Oct. 14, 1943

Dear Mother,

Yours of Sept. 24, 27, 29, 30, Oct. 1 & 2 came yesterday. I’m at a little loss to know why 24, 27, & 29 were all post marked Sept. 29. Probably was a little slip up some place along the line and doesn’t make a great deal of difference. In one of those letters the 7 months pictures and the letter you wrote way back there were present. I can’t understand that either but I guess these P.O. in the field have a lot to do.

So glad you got the flowers – I just knew this friend wouldn’t fail and I don’t feel badly about sending that amount of money. You should get another bunch of flowers along about your birthday from another fellow. In case you don’t get those all I can say is happy birthday. What I meant to say was I’m taking this opportunity to wish you a happy birthday because I can’t send anything – not even money in time and I didn’t send any sooner because I didn’t have any and won’t until the last of the month. So I have you get the flowers in time.

[page 2] I’m sorry your mother’s condition fails to improve. If it isn’t a carcinoma it has to be a hardening of the liver and the treatment of either is futile but I still think it is carcinous and the Gall stones have nothing to do with the condition. I’m afraid you are going to be pretty short financially because you only had a little over $150 so early in the month. You hadn’t mentioned before about paying the hospital as you went along which I think is a good idea if you can but it if cuts you so low that you can’t make the rent & insurance stall them off for a while – don’t ask Jim for more than half the expenses and I guess Glen isn’t able at this time to aid in that respect. I’m sure the finances will work out OK so don’t let that worry you.

Now about you – Your invoice sounded good but let me warn or prepare you – In sickness an individual who is responsible for the care of sick will often go on their nerves – Then when it is over if proper care isn’t taken a relapse or let down is evident and that is what you have to guard against. Get plenty of rest – sleep and let the house work go for a while. Your indigestion is probably like what I had when

[page 3] Openshaw, Mathews, etc. were out of town and I was run ragged remember. Don’t blame the strep you had last winter too much. Of course you might have a recurrence but you didn’t have a strep the year before and one got you last year so just because you did have that last year is no reason to expect one this year.

100 pounds, dark hair, Green eyes, 5’4”, pleasing features, a little slim but just my type. Do keep healthy Dear – just as if you won’t try?

The one year old pictures were good and but don’t try to send the movie films. Of course I’d like to see them but don’t take the chance of losing them and I don’t know the size nor the size of our machine here. Where is the pressure coming from for D. hair cut? Don’t tell me just let me guess. I won’t express myself on the subject. You probably know how I feel. Isn’t that a big help?

Those letters are such a big help when they come in as late as those yesterday – Thanks and lots of love
Daddy

P.S. I received a letter from the fellow who sent the flowers and he told me he had done so. He is from Reno, Nev.

[Editor’s note: The fellow from Reno, Nevada was mostly likely Roscoe’s former tent mate, George Wingfield, Jr., who was transferred a few months previously.]

YEG1943-05-15 - David on stoop with tulips

One of David’s 7th month photographs

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/04/11/flowers-roscoe/

Water Torture (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: October 13, 1943 envelope

: October 13, 1943, p. 1

: October 13, 1943, p. 2

: October 13, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

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

Dear Mother,

No mail again yesterday and this is about the longest time between late mal mail in a good while, but I guess it will be coming along in a day or two.

We are having a slight drizzle this A.M. Just like one of those spring days back home – reminds one of a good cucumber shower at home. Rain & then sunshine. We were lucky in getting our laundry in yesterday. Many of the officers didn’t bother to get them in when dry so they are now very much damp again.

I didn’t sleep so good last night

[page 2] because there was a leak in the tent just above my face and a drop hit me there first. I sorta curled up and then was hit on the shoulder. You see it wasn’t a fast leak so I’d just about get to sleep when the next drop would come – well I “schrunced” in the other direction and then got a drop on my belly. Well I just got up and moved the bunk out of the line of the drip. Sleeping practically in the nude as I do those drops really were cold. It all reminded me of that old drop drop of water used on prisoners in days gone by,

[page 3] because it seemed I was too sleepy to move.

Today is my regular time for getting out to do some high powered inspection and of course I’ll have more enemies this Eve than now but they get over it easy and I don’t know that there is much they can do if they don’t get over it, because that is my official duty. I’ll get my neck jumped on if I don’t and I’d rather be on theirs than have some one else on mine.

Well maybe I’ll hear from you today I hope.
Love Daddy

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

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/04/09/water-torture-roscoe/

Fellow Men (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: October 12, 1943 envelope

: October 12, 1943, p. 1

: October 12, 1943, p. 2

: October 12, 1943, p. 3

: October 12, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Fran. Cal.
Oct. 12, 1943

Dear Mother,

I haven’t the slightest idea what is going to be in this letter because I’m a perfect blank but maybe something will turn up so that words will come.

Might just as well discuss the liberal education obtained from association with fellow men. To begin with will take the fellow from Louisiana who in the various discussions describes and boasts of the nice products of his native state. Ask a few questions and he is off discussing seeding, flooding, and harvesting with plenty of “Ah do declare” mixed in with the discourse.

[page 2] The gentleman from Texas who has frequently referred to his ranch and we of course thought it a big cattle ranch but found after more discussion it was a goat ranch. The Gent from Montana innocent like asked him the value of such – was it milk? The Gent from Texas just about blew his top and loudly proclaimed Mohair. So we know there are goats galore in Texas.

The Gent from Montana talks long and loud of the various ranges and dams of that mountainous country. Of how cold it gets in the winter time, the deer hunts and the wild horses.

Back East – The attorney from Baltimore

[page 3] knows everything and doesn’t fail to impress or trys tries to impress the legal phase of things that are and things that will be.

The Gent from Mississippi who knows all about the Navy because he has kept a keen eye on shipping in the immortal river from which the state derived its name or the other way around.

And there are a few from California. It’s just too terrible to smug that fair state by even telling of it to foreigners. That would be using the name in vain but I sometimes wonder about their blessed state.

Nevada has been represented but now that list of paradise

[page 4] is no longer mentioned because the Native sons are back there gathering more data for new assaults on unsuspecting tent or roommates later. They talked so long and loud that their ready supply became exhausted.

With all these discussions no one has been convinced of the advantages of the others native state but at that we do get a bird’s eye view of our own country without travel. Even the Gent from Indiana can’t seem to impress the importance of corn as a plant for human dietary consumption, but corn otherwise is effectively used by every Gent present.

Forgive the impersonal letter. I just had to write something.
Love Daddy

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

Too Sleepy To Finish (Gladys)

1 Reply

: October 12, 1943 envelope

: October 12, 1943, p. 1

: October 12, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland, Ind.
Oct. 12 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Ruth and I are ready for bed – all boys are tucked in. David spent the afternoon with Jimmy Ed. I went to Pauline Dennis to take a hat for remodeling before we started to Laf. and Lucile & J.E. were outside. Lucile wanted to know if I was going to leave David – She assured me she could easily take care of both babies so I left him. We had him ready to take along but decided him. We had him ready to take along but decided he would be better off there. It was nap time so she put him to bed and he slept until 3 P.M. Then J.E. took his hap & David play with a catalogue while Lucile washed dishes. She has a reed stroller for J.E. so put both boys in & took them to town after naps. We returned from Laf. about 7 P.M. and David was having a good time until he saw me then he began to whine – mama baby. Ed was having fun with both babies. I told Lucile she could get an idea what twins would be like. Ed certainly enjoys J.E. He fusses around with him like an old hen with a chicken. J.E. is a nice looking baby. – Next morning – I got too sleepy to finish this last night. Our weather changed. We have a high wind & rain today. The wind blew one of the windows out of the room over the garage but didn’t break any glass. I nailed it back in. I went to Pauline Dennis’ this a.m. for a hat fitting. Lucile came over while I was there. Said Ed had written to you about David being there yesterday. I suppose the Riggs funeral is today. He died Mon. & this is Wed. I suppose Nellie is in a nervous state.

I talked to Alma W. yesterday and she is having a backache. She goes to Rumkorf all the time. She had stomach & bowel flu last week but didn’t get along as well as I did. I feel pretty good – better than I thought I would.

[page 2] I didn’t try to go to the hospital today. I went yesterday and the weather took such a turn and I was rather tired. Dr. Cole had started Mother on codine and it’s a good thing. She was suffering every minute she was awake from the sore on her hip. Ruth M. said she had never seen anyone as poor. She is so wasted there is little left. If Jim would see her now I don’t know what re-action he would have. I told him I didn’t like the idea of him getting out of the Navy to come home & help take care of Mother and Thelma isn’t in favor of it. I told him to send me more money to help on the hospital bill.

I noticed you mentioned my letters being written one day & mailed the next – I figure if I get one mailed a day that’s all that’s necessary & I often start writing at night & don’t get them ready to go out before bedtime.

I took a nap this afternoon & Ruth played with David. She baked a cake yesterday & made a pie today. I get some baking done but not enough to meet the demand of our growing boys. John is growing so fast it is noticeable. I couldn’t find shirts with sleeves long enough & the suit I got for him in the spring is almost too short now. Mark is growing but not so fast.

It’s about time for the boys to come home from school and we intend to get meat today from Sheldon. I don’t know whether they will want to go along or not. I know David will – he certainly has learned to go in the car. I hear Mark – he wants something. Wants to go to Diedam’s to play.

Love Mother

YEG1943-12 Gladys, David, Lucile and Jimmy Ed

Gladys and David with Lucile and Jimmy Ed Johnson, December 1943

Under Your Inspiration (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: October 11, 1943 envelope

: October 11, 1943, p. 1

: October 11, 1943, p. 2

: October 11, 1943, p. 3

: October 11, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Fran Cal.
Oct. 11, 1943

Dear Mother,

Your letter written Sept. 23 came yesterday. In it you described D. birthday party and all the things he received. He must be a popular boy around the home town.

I had just finished reading the Story in Reader’s Digest – “Chicken Every Sunday” when your letter came. I keep wondering why you always say I could write this or that. If you gained that impression from my letters I’m sure it’s a warped impression because I’ve never considered what I write as being interesting or

[page 2] even amusing. Maybe I’m writing under your inspiration and don’t remember what I have written. I’m sure of the latter because I often time start and then remember that I’ve written that before or have I? So if you get repeats you’ll know I just forgot. And you will remember how I used to resent the re-telling so if I’ve caused you to be the recipient of such a blunder please forgive.

I hope Glen doesn’t feel that your mother hasn’t received the best. You will remember I wrote a week or two ago saying if the truth were known your mother was sick longer than you knew and you said in yesterday’s letter that she had

[page 3] told my mother she hadn’t felt well for some time.

Certainly was fine that Jim could come thru to help you out with the finances. I’ll send all I can but must keep some on hand in case of a transfer because one can’t always be paid at every cross-road without going thru rolls of red tape.

I’m sorry the Zells felt they were financially responsible for D. accident. However, it seems D. was really the winner in the affair. The bonds the boys have will be helpful in their future school work, and since we have been reduced in salary they will probably need it, but I guess

[page 4] that isn’t anything to worry about at present but thinking ahead will do no harm.

Just had a long delay – a conflab about some trash being deposited in a certain area but I think everything is OK now and everybody happy I hope.

Well, I’ve got to make a trip so I’ll have to step and get going –
Love Daddy