Tag Archives: George F. Yeagerline

Christmas Cards (Gladys)

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: December 16, 1943 envelope

: December 16, 1943, p. 1

: December 16, 1943, p. 2

: December 16, 1943, p. 3

: December 16, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Dec. 16 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

We really caught up with the mail or rather it caught up with us today. The three money orders came along with three letters for me. You inquired about finances in one letter. I have given you some reports lately but our bank bal. at present is $25⁰⁰ and with Jan. 1 check I will have to pay Ins. (John Hancock $50.26 & $11.60). I couldn’t believe I had used so much money during the past year but I have all the cancelled checks and they tell the story. I’ll send you a detailed statement a little later. Of course the hospital expenses made a little of the total but it was just one of those things and I was glad I could keep it paid. Our house payments are down to $44.47 now. John didn’t go to school today and is getting quite bored at home. He said he didn’t feel just right this morning, so I took his temp to be sure and he had 2/5 of a degree. I told him not to go to school if he felt he should stay home. He has had no rise

[page 2] in temp. all day but I think he is just as well off to miss a day of school. He said he felt like you was taking a cold but it isn’t developing very fast if he has any. So many keep going to school with colds – one boy in his class has a very bad cold and keeps going every day. John was very much disgusted with him for not staying home. John has had the radio on all day to help pass the time. I think he will be glad to get back to school

Mark wanted to take his money order to school and get it cashed on the way home but I told him he could go back to town after school so he decided he could wait. David of course just said oooh! Or something equally intelligent when I showed him his money order. His pictures came so will send them out today. I think you will agree they are very good of him. I assure you he looks exactly like them.

Virginia Zell is improving. Dr. M. is going to X-ray her head tomorrow afternoon. I was over to see her this morning and she was awake and seemed normal. Dr. said she would have to remain in bed three weeks. I am anxious to get the X-ray report as to whether there is a fracture or not.

[page 3] It is warmer today – was above zero this a.m. instead of below. Those few degreed seem to make so much difference to me. There is a light snow on which will stay unless we have a sudden warm spell.

Ruth wants us to come over there for Christmas, but I am not going to plan on it because of the weather. If it warms up and the roads are not slick we may go. Your Mother wanted to know if we were planning to come down, but I hadn’t been. It would be too far to go in this kind of weather I think.

We have rec’d a few greetings. Got one from Jewell. She wrote a note – said Dot’s husband had been rejected. Dot’s baby is just a few weeks younger than David. Margaret’s husband is in the Army and Uncle G. is living with Marg. Hazel’s son Paul left Mon. for the Navy. He is married and they have a new baby.

You were wondering about E. Wilson going to the Army – The law about pre-Pearl Harbor fathers doesn’t seem to make much difference when the local draft board runs out of single men, and that seems to be the case here, or at least that is what I understand. Ed Johnson’s Co. got him a deferment, but Lucile thinks he may go when this deferment is up. She

[page 4] says he won’t ask for a deferment himself. I was in the 10₵ store and some woman asked Bill Zimmerman something about him being in the service and he said Uncle Sam had all the good men already – I suppose he didn’t pass the physical in Indpls. I knew he was to take his exam in Oct. and I didn’t ask him any questions, because I didn’t want to be nosey. I have an idea Floyd might pass the next time, if the demands gets hard enough.

Louise Krull Glenn has a new baby girl – 9 lbs. I was in the restaurant yesterday and the call came for Nick while I was there. Mrs. Krull closed her house and has been staying with Louise. Johnnie is such a big child – looks more like a 4 yr. old than 27 months.

Your acc’t of frying chicken was good. Wish I could have a picture of that – You should be able to pinch hit – you had good training at home.

I must get this finished so it will go out on the evening mail.

Here’s hoping you have a Merry Christmas – I know you won’t receive it until after the 25^thbut maybe by Jan. 1.

Love Mother
P.S. the enclosed came today – thought you would rather have the original than a reproduction.

David, 14 months, November 1943

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/08/10/christmas-cards-gladys/

Roller Coaster Accident at Summit Beach (Part 5)

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Hardy Tells Story

Hardy regards his fortunate escape to the fact that he leaped from the first car as it neared the ground in the terrific descent. His version of how the crash came follows:

I had been out to the park with Higgins and he urged that we make a trip ‘over the top’ before going home. There were four cars in the string we entered. We took the rear seat in the first car. Each car has four seats, thus accommodating eight persons all told. As we passed from the loading platform and faced the incline the cable that pulls the cars up gripped all right. There was nothing to indicate anything was wrong until we were quite a distance up. Then our car began to start going sideways – a sort of skidding stunt. We saw it meant a bad accident and shouted below for the cable to be stopped. Others in the cars that followed shouted as well, but it was of no use. On and on we went and then over the side. I thought it was all off for any of us. That more were not killed seems a miracle to me. I owe my escape to the fact I leaped from the car as it neared the ground.”

Officials of the Akron Scenic Railway Corporation declared Monday that the accident was not due to a broken wheel or any defect in the construction of the cars. They are still conducting a probe as to the cause of the first car skidding. The police report states that the four cars were fifty feet above the ground when they broke through the runway and fell to earth. Engine company No. 6 of the fire department was summoned to the park and assisted materially in clearing away the debris and aiding the injured.

Frank, King, 373 Pearl st., was dead when taken from the debris. General Bailey of Tarriff, W. Va., was still alive when rescuers dragged him forth. He died, however, while being taken to the People’s hospital.

Mrs. Van Sickle, the third victim to succumb, came to Akron but a week ago from Indianapolis, where her husband was interested in the automobile business. Mr. Van Sickle planned to locate here permanently.

“We had been planning great things,” said Mr. Van Sickle, in speaking of the loss he has sustained. Mr. Kurth invited us to take a ride out to the park in his car and we accepted, taking our six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, with us. It’s pretty tough to lose the best friend a fellow ever had. My wife’s parents reside at 415 S. Grace st., Indianapolis and her body will be sent there immediately. While we lived in that city we were located at 4915 E. New York st.”

“Roller Coaster Accident At Summit Beach Sends Three to Death, With Others Doomed,” Akron Beacon Journal, 8 July 1918, p. 13, col. 2.

A very special “thank you” is in order for the Special Collections Department of the Akron-Summit County Public Library. I emailed my request for more information regarding the roller coaster accident on Saturday and received the results in less than 24 hours. Since I received several days worth of information, I will be breaking the story down into smaller chunks for the rest of this week.

Sunday’s Obituary – Roberta E. (Yegerlehner) Van Sickle

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We are indebted to C.C. Yagerlehner for the following account of the death of his niece, who had moved to Akron, Ohio, a week before the tragic accident, which was the first serious accident that has ever occurred in the Yagerlehner family. Mrs. Robert [sic Roberta] Van Sickle was the oldest daughter of George F. Yagerlehner and was 26 years old. Mr. and Mrs. VanSickle with a party of friends were amusing themselves by making trips over a new giant roller coaster styled “Over the Top,” at Akron, Ohio. The men and the children had just finished a trip. The ladies had just started over the top on their trip and the car was plunging downward when a forward wheel broke, causing the car to leave the rail and plunge about 50 feet to the earth, killing three and fatally wounding several others. Burial was in Crown Hill cemetery, Indianapolis, Wednesday afternoon. Those from a distance attending the funeral were Grandmother Yagerlehner and Mr. and Mrs. John Yagerlehner from Clay City – Clay City News.

“Death,” Brazil Weekly Democrat (Brazil, Indiana), 24 July 1918, p. 4, col. 4; digital image, Newspaper Archive (http://www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 28 December 2013).

THREE KILLED WHEN ROLLER COASTER DROPS

Akron, Ohio – Three persons were killed, and three fatally injured and eight seriously hurt when a train on “Over the Top” a giant roller plunged 50 feet to the ground at the local amusement park last night. The front wheels of the first car broke while making the ascent where the thriller commences. The crowd yelled in derision as the passengers frantically called for help. An infant in its mother’s arms escaped injury.

The dead and injured are: Mrs. Roberta W. Van Sickle, Ralph L. King, of Akron, and General Bailey, Tariff, W. Va.

Probably fatally injured: Clyde Keen, address unknown; Otis Smith, Akron; Dennis Glassford, Rockport, N. Y.; Harvey Biggins, formerly of Athens, Ohio, was injured.

The body of Mrs. Van Sickle, who recently moved here with her husband and child will be taken to the home of her parents in Indianapolis.

“Three Killed When Roller Coaster Drops,” Lima Daily News (Lima, Ohio), 8 July 1918, p. 2, col. 4; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 28 December 2013).

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Photograph taken at the house of George F. Yegerlehner/Yagerline on Grace Street. Back Row: Unknown male (possibly Robert C. Yagerline), Mr. Van Sickle holding Charlotte, Mrs. Van Sickle Middle Row: Jewell (Ratcliffe) Yagerline, William O. Yagerline holding Dorothy, Floyd Van Sickle, Roberta (Yagerline) Van Sickle, George F. Yagerline Front Row: Elizabeth Louisa (Klein) Yagerline, Louis Yagerline, Hazel Yagerline, Margerite Yagerline, Laura Yagerline: Photograph from the collection of Hazel (Yagerline) Igelman in the possession of Eric Graham.

Children of George F. Yagerline. Photograph ca 1903. Digital image ca 2000s. Privately held by Eric Graham Ohio, USA. Eric scanned the images while visiting relatives in California. He shared the images via email with Deborah Sweeney in 2005. The location, condition and characteristics of the original photograph are not known. Back row: Robert C. Yagerline, Roberta (Yagerline) Van Sickle, William O. Yagerline, Louis A. Yagerline In Front: Hazel (Yagerline) Igelman

Roberta Elizabeth Yegerlehner was the oldest daughter, and second child, of George and Elizabeth (Klein) Yegerlehner. She was born 15 July 1892 in Indiana, most likely in Indianapolis. George was a blacksmith employed by the railroad, so he moved around a bit before settling permanently in Indianapolis. George and his brother Charles shared an address in Indianapolis as early as 1893.

Roberta married Floyd W. Van Sickle on 17 September 1909 in Indianapolis. They had one daughter, Charlotte, who was born in 1912. Floyd was a truck driver and a mechanic. He worked with his father and brother at Vansickle and sons on Hamilton Street in Indianapolis. The reason why Floyd and Roberta moved to Akron is unknown, but the result was tragic.