Tag Archives: Jimmy Ed Johnson

House Paint (Gladys)

: January 13, 1944 envelope

: January 13, 1944, p. 1

: January 13, 1944, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland, Ind.
Jan. 13 – 1944

Dear Daddy –

Two letters today, of Dec. 31 & Jan. 1, and Jan. 2. I can’t understand why you got some of the boxes for Christmas but not ours. Of course there wasn’t much in either box but just the idea of sending gifts.

It is clear and cold again today. The temp. was 4° above in Chicago this a.m. However it isn’t that cold here now because the sunshine has warmed things up somewhat. I will be glad for spring so we can get out more. I have been taking David out every day since he recovered from his cold. He gets so restless after his nap if he doesn’t get to go out. We went over to see Jimmy Ed yesterday. He is about over the flu but can’t go out yet. He is over it enough that I wasn’t afraid to take David in. They have such a good time together. It was so much fun for David to play with Jimmy’s things for a change. He seems to tire of his own so quickly and is usually nosing around trying to find something he shouldn’t have.

We had fried chicken for lunch and I gave him a bone to chew on. He seemed to think that was the best thing he had had lately. I got two frys from Zells. They had an order to dress 30 for the NuJoy. However, I dressed the ones I bought.

The Foulkes are away on a trip thru the East. Coke said Harold had to go on business

[page 2] and she was going too. I saw Herman Diedam at their house so I presume he is redecorating while they are away. Our walls could stand a coat or two of paint but I am not planning to do anything to them yet. The paint Sandy used on the outside must not have been the best because it is peeling off in places. I noticed some spots on Funks house that is doing the same. I think Sandy painted for them too. Link had Chet Hall paint his house last summer. There were large spots that the paint had chipped off down to the boards. I watched Chet paint and decided there might be things he could do better because I didn’t think he did a very smooth job. However, with the man power shortage getting more acute all the time, we can’t be too “choosy” about help.

Had a long letter from Marie. Isla has been ill. At first they thought she had T.B. but later decided it was thyroid. She had flu strep and took sulfa and that was wrong for her. Dr. Maurer is treating her now trying to get her over her thyroid trouble without surgery. David still isn’t so good. He and his mother are in Ark. Now and Isla’s husband is running the shop. Marie said they hadn’t heard from you for a long time, but hadn’t written so didn’t expect to hear. When we were there in Oct., I thought David looked bad. He says he feels better now but Marie says she is worried about him.

I am enclosing a clipping from the Democrat of David’s picture. You should have the original picture by now.

Nick & Dorothy went to Chi. Today and Buddy is coming here to stay and spend the night.
Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/10/05/house-paint-gladys/

The Letters That Came Yesterday (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: January 11, 1944 envelope

: January 11, 1944, p. 1

: January 11, 1944, p. 2

: January 11, 1944, p. 3

: January 11, 1944, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
1-11-44

Dear Mother,

I’ll try to say a few words about your letters that came yesterday. First of all it seems your air mail stamps on D’s pictures didn’t work because as yet those pictures haven’t arrived but the snaps of D. & Jimmie did arrive. It always seems when you write of an emergency that letter is delayed. The one telling about your mother just arrived yesterday.

I’m afraid I can’t make out much of that song you sent which you said was going around. In other word it doesn’t make sense to me but maybe it’s not supposed to.

Now about finances. What I

[page 2] really wanted was the final bank balance. I’m glad to get those other figures as they do give me, as you said, food for thought, but you need not go to all the trouble sending too many figures. I don’t quite understand what the $6.60 for tax was for. I just don’t seem to be able to figure that one out. The tax we pay to the county locally are or were taken care of in the house payments – so that really does give me food for thought.

I guess you got the word about those shoes you loaned. I really got a kick out of your answer – very cleverly put I’d say, but we will talk that over in due time.

Your community letter. I mean the one written at

[page 3] Christmas time with all the signatures was interesting. It brought me greeting more or less from the entire gang. I sure was glad to hear that you could all be together.

Just got a letter from John v-mail – thanking me for the Christmas present.

It has been so cool here lately – I’ve been wearing a sweater – gotten from the Red Cross – under my jacket. The wind must be directly off those mountains with snow that you were trying to locate while you were at Mutch’s. I’ll agree with you – most of our maps of this place are small so you probably couldn’t find too much, but even now, I can’t

[page 4] write much about all the surroundings. Not as much as I’d like to. In fact the mountains are fine but give me some level prairie for a change. I think I’d appreciate that lots. But I’ve said all that before so why bring it up again. However as I’ve said before it’s interesting writing & talking material.

Well, I’ll possibly read reread those letters again and make more comments later –

Love Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/10/02/the-letters-that-came-yesterday-roscoe/

A Skating Contest (Gladys)

1 Reply

: January 5, 1944 envelope

: January 5, 1944, p. 1

: January 5, 1944, p. 2-3

: January 5, 1944, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Jan. 5 – 1944

Dear Daddy –

No mail today but five letters Monday. It is cloudy today. It was foggy this morning then there was a little sleet. It is just a typical grey, overhanging winter day.

Yesterday was Washburns 50^th Wedding Anniversary. They held open house at Howard’s. I took David and went out about 4 P.M. Helen is here from Neb. She doesn’t live in Calif. now. I suppose you have been in the former Canine house (the one Howard bought). Yesterday was the first time I had been in the house. It is almost exactly like the other house they lived in except the porch on this house is enclosed and can

[page 2] be used summer and winter. What a play room that would make. About the Anniversary, there were many beautiful flowers in all colors of yellow and orange to represent Golden. Also beautifully decorated cakes, in white and yellow. Tea and coffee were served. Mrs. Bessie Dixon and Mrs. Ruben Hess poured. I saw Mrs. Carrold Bledsoe there. She said they were living in the tenant house. They were living on the place when it was sold.

Last night the boys (J & M) went to the pond. Bob Shurttler sponsored an a skating contest. I think one of the McCartney boys won the prize. Mark is still learning to skate, so didn’t enter the contest.

David is taking his nap. He was so busy all morning.

[page 3] I wanted to take him over to see Jimmy Ed, this being J.E.’s birthday. I called Lucile this morning and she said Jimmy had a temp. last night and some cold so I won’t take David over. I’ll go over and take Jimmy’s gift. David’s cold last week kept us from getting the boys together. They seem to get along pretty good.

I went over to the locker last night (afternoon) and turned in ration points for the hog (1/2). The weight was 96 lbs. That took 233 points. I turn in advance points in this case.

A woman called me to tell me her nephew is where you are – Pharmists mate 3/c – I think his name is Mulligan. She didn’t know where he is stationed but he wrote home that he had

[page 4] met you. This aunt was in Boonie’s and he told her about your letter to him about meeting Col. W. – and putting this and that together figured out her nephew’s whereabouts. You know Boonie has a yen for figuring things out, although I know he misses sometimes.

I just straightened out the bank figures – I had made a slight error or two – but the balance at present is $336.12 – but there are quite a few bills to pay yet – Ins., groc., etc. When I get them all paid I’ll give you the bal. I got three $37.50 bonds bought Dec. 31. – I bought 7 – $18.75 in July and the above mentioned, which makes $243.75 in Bonds for 1943.

I think David is waking up and I have been writing and figuring and no nap.
Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/09/20/a-skating-contest-gladys/ ‎

Jimmy Ed’s Birthday (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
1-4-44

Dear Daddy – No letters today but five yesterday up to Dec. 23. Also a letter from Geo. Wingfield Jr. He is in San Diego now. He didn’t give any address except N.A.S. It is cloudy today and below freezing a few degrees. Washburns’ are celebrating their Golden Wedding at Howard’s today. I want to call on them sometime during the day. David is taking his nap. He wants to climb the stairs now that he has discovered that he can. I will have to get a gate or some kind of barrier across the bottom so he won’t have to be watched. Mrs. Zell and I are planning to take some of their fresh pork over to the locker. I don’t have so much in the drawer now. I ordered half a hog but Brands are short of help and haven’t got it put in yet. Tomorrow is Jimmy Ed’s birthday. I have a gift and card for him. I don’t believe Lucile is going to have a party for him because of the flu and colds around now. James L. II has a birthday the 11^th. I am sending him a card today but haven’t a gift for him yet. Can’t get what I want here and haven’t been to Laf. recently. Can’t always get things there either. I may go down Sat. so I can take Mark for an X-Ray. I wish I could take him to a warmer climate – I believe he needs more sunshine.

Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/09/18/jimmy-eds-birthday-gladys/

Little Old Man (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: January 3, 1944 envelope

: January 3, 1944, p. 1

: January 3, 1944, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Jan. 3, 1944

Dear Mother,

Yours of Dec. 18 and 20 came today, one of them had the pictures of Jimmie Ed & David with their mothers, etc. I think I got the biggest shock of all from the one of D. standing alone on the sidewalk. Of course you had often written about him walking and standing, etc. but he looked so boyish and grown up in that picture. He was standing there just like a little old man.

There is a wide gap of about one week in your letters so I didn’t get to begin at the beginning. I don’t know what happened to Virginia Z. but you spoke of the possibility of her having a skull fracture, I suppose the details are in those missing letters.

The giving of Vit. C. tablets to D. is a good idea and might be better than forcing him to take the oranges. However, commercial tomato juice would also be OK or grape fruit juice or pineapple juice but I suppose those things require lots of points so I see no reason why Vit. C. tablets aren’t just as

[page 2] good.

Sure was glad to hear you were able to get some good coal but I missed the first load. You were just said you had gotten some more so I supposed you were able to get some from someplace other than Chet V. Maybe that will put you thru the coldest part of the winter and the poor grade of coal won’t be so bad during the spring.

You mentioned another thing. Ar The dividends on the insurance – you said the three policies. I don’t remember how you get three. I thought it was four. And there should be a small dividend on the one that was paid up. On each premium slip on the old policy there was always so much, less the dividend, plus the sum interest on the loan. Now that the loan is paid up we should be able to collect that dividend. I have a feeling you meant the $26⁰⁰ was on the four policies or possibly on all five. I’ll be glad to get a financial statement at the end of the year – you said you would send one if I wanted one. Not too detailed however. I hope the $300⁰⁰ check I sent helped out. Well the space is all gone so

Love Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/09/17/little-old-man-roscoe/

Christmas Eve (Gladys)

1 Reply

: December 24, 1943 envelope

: December 24, 1943, p. 1

: December 24, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
12-24-43

Dear Daddy –

Christmas Eve and the usual going round and round. Lucile wanted to go to Sheldon and get their turkey out of the locker. I got several things out too, a chicken, a few steaks and strawberries. I took a package of T-bone to Bud Kruman. I want to give Virginia a box of strawberries. I haven’t been up to Plummers yet but think I’ll take her a steak too. I am still saving back some Porterhouse steaks – I noticed there were still several packages of both sirloin & Porterhouse yet. On the way back we stopped at the greenhouse and got wreaths to take out to the cemetery. I stopped and got Dorothy at the Restaurant and she went with us out there, after we had left Lucile & Jimmy out at home.

Jimmy gave David a nice toy. It has pegs and a mallet – he likes the mallet – I imagine he will find lots of places to hammer with it. We gave Jimmy a toy & waterproof bib. They are going to Monticello tonight, so Jimmy had his gifts this morning. He had several nice things and seemed to like the toy David gave him. It is a small one – a duck with a cart attached – something he can handle easily.

[page 2] Mark is so anxious to open his gifts he is counting the hours – and so is John. Dorothy wants to see David get his gifts so I am going to keep him up until she can come out about 8 o’clock.

The weather having changed for the warmer and no snow in sight we are planning to go to Wilmington tomorrow & stay over Sun. I wish we could go to C.C. but with the furnace to take care of, it’s too far to go for just a day.

Statons went to Ft. Wayne, Foulkes are going to Chicago – Nate being stationed at Great Lakes and on duty 24 hrs. a day. They are going there to be with them. Zells will remain at home without company because of Virginia’s condition. Funks will be home – Arlene may go to the hospital – Dorothy said they would go to her mother’s since we won’t be here to take dinner with them.

Must get this finished so can get it mailed.
“Love Mother”

A New Lens (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
12-23-43

Dear Daddy – Today David is 15 months old. He spent the afternoon with Jimmy while I went to Laf. with Dorothy. I went to get my glasses repaired. David broke the left lense – I glued it but thought I should get a new lense – but the optical shop was closed, so my trip was unnecessary. However I did some shopping for Mrs. Zell. Since Virginia’s accident Mrs. Z. hasn’t been able to get away to do much shopping. I saw Dr. Cole in the Foster shop. This being Thurs. I asked him how he got away. He said he told his wife not to try and find him for a few hours. Said he has delivered 498 babies so far this year. I suppose he will make the 500 mark yet this year. Arlene is to go down the day after Christmas if not before. Coke brought us a box of candy for Christmas. I had a handkerchief to give her. Last year the cheese co. gave the neighborhood boxes of cheese. John & Mark are listening to Baby Snooks. They get out of school tomorrow at 11:30. Both are getting very anxious to open their Christmas gifts. We have received boxes from both Ruths & Jim. Your Mother said she had things to send but had the flu so didn’t know when she would get things sent out. I sent your folks another year subscription to Reader’s Digest. I haven’t been over to see Virginia yet today so must go see her and take the things I bought for Mrs. Z.

Love Mother

David at 14.5 months

A Habit of Hollering (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
12-22-43

Dear Daddy – Another day nearer Christmas. Ruth called me last night about coming over. I told her it depended on the weather. The temp. has been dropping today and is to get below zero tonight. If it starts to snow we will remain home. I took some pink ruffled curtains we used at the Davis house over to Zells and put them up in Virginia’s room. She has to stay in bed 3 wks. The tree is in her room and I took one of the lamp shades that turn round & round for her to watch. I can see the tree from the dining room window. It was so cold today I didn’t take David out. Lucile came out with Jimmy and he was so cold I thought David would be better off not to go out. I gave Jimmy a haircut. David tries to take everything away from Jimmy – also David has a habit of hollering at the top of his voice that sometimes scares Jimmy. A ck. came for dividends on the pd. up policy – ($5.62). I deposited it and the $26⁰⁰ ck. to apply on the premiums due next month. John is home from school and starting his home work. Mark has been here and gone back to town for something. He is very busy since he has some money to spend. He bought $5⁰⁰ in stamps. John hasn’t spent much of his. I will put David’s in a bond. David is very busy now and John is trying to keep him out of things.

Love, Mother

Cracked Skull (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
12-21-43

Dear Daddy – Two letters came today (Dec. 8 & 9). I had five yesterday up to Dec. 12. Also your cable greeting. Sorry we can’t return a cable but sent a regular greeting and some extra good pictures of David and hope you get them this week. Lucile is bringing Jimmy out and I am going to take care of the two boys while Lucile goes to club – she is on the committee and should attend. It is so nice out today I want to keep the boys out in the sunshine a while. Dr. M. gave Zells the report on the X-ray – Virginia has a crack in the back of her head and he says all they can do is keep her quiet. She has been very ill from the fall and is just beginning to eat, after a week since the accident. I stopped to see Arlene – she hasn’t gone to the hospital. Bill has the flu and Dr. C. told her if she got it to go right to the hospital. She hasn’t any help yet – Louise got the flu and being pregnant hasn’t recovered very rapidly. Dienharts have another baby (girl). I think it came a little too soon. Betty had to have a section done for the first baby – I see Jimmy & Bobby out playing together. The Zell girls are not out today. Betty won’t have to go to school this week – the first & second grades were dismissed until vacation is over due to so many being absent with cold, etc. So with Virginia home, all the Zell girls are home. It’s about time for Lucile to come.

Love Mother

Below Zero (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
12-19-43

Dear Daddy – Sun. evening. There was to be a program at the church but Mrs. Rathburn was ill and couldn’t play the organ for the music part so the program wasn’t given. I helped Lucile a while this afternoon with decorating the club room for the Tues. meeting. I am intending to keep the two babies Tues. so Lucile can attend the meeting. She is on the program – that is a part of the committee. I kept David out a long while today. There was a cold wind and it made him sleepy. He could hardly wait to get to bed after supper. Mark skated a while – we walked over to the pond to see how he was getting along. Since our winter weather (below zero) last week it has warmed up enough to thaw the pond. All the town skaters have been enjoying themselves. You can bet John spent the afternoon by the radio. He knows what comes on from 1 p.m. till bedtime. He went to Sunday School this a.m. so think he can go to school tomorrow – He stayed home Thurs. & Fri. because of a slight cold. – Mrs. Cox has been ill for some time. I stopped to see her a few minutes this afternoon. She was in the hospital for a long time. I took David in but he soon got restless so I didn’t stay long. Mrs. Krull is staying with Louise. – The radiators froze during last week’s cold wave and Nick had to take care of the “mess” today on the sleeping porch.

Love Mother