Tag Archives: John F. Yegerlehner

A Family of Three

Roscoe, Gladys, and John Yegerlehner, 1932 (Photograph from the author’s collection)

Sometimes, even when you think a project is finished, the project isn’t done! I’ve been sorting through the digital images I have stored over the years, from scans of old photographs to my contemporary collection of iPhone photographs. When I posted the collection of pictures of my great grandmother holding my uncle John a few days ago, I completely forgot the above photograph. It belongs in the same pile.

The weather was certainly mild in late February 1932! The 28th landed on a Sunday that year. The perfect day for a family get-together and presumably attending church. Roscoe and Gladys moved frequently in the early days of their marriage. He worked in Clay County teaching school. The setting isn’t rural enough to be Clay County. I presume the photograph’s location to be Terre Haute. In 1932, Emma and James Foster resided at 719 Harrison Street, Terre Haute. When the photographs were taken, James’ divorce from his first wife Gladys was about to be finalized (March 1932). I am also making the assumption that the automobile belonged to Roscoe and Gladys. He bought his first car a year or two before he married Gladys.

719 Harrison Street, Terre Haute (Image courtesy of Google Maps)

If Roscoe, Gladys, Emma, and Jim were standing at the curb, looking back at the house when the photographs were taken, their house would not have been visible. By panning the angles in Google Street view, a large tree obscures the view of the house directly behind the family! Notice the newly planted trees in the background behind Roscoe and Gladys. However, by moving back down the street a house of interest is detected. The two-story house behind Gladys’ head has a gable window as well as roofs of two different heights.

Harrison Street, Terre Haute (Image courtesy of Google maps)

Emma and Jim’s house is the first house on the right. The tree obscures the house directly across the street, but the house with the two roofs and gable is visible to the left of the tree.

Have you searched for an ancestor’s home using Google yet?

Another Photographic Series

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[Emma (Lawhead) Foster holding her grandson, John Yegerlehner, 28 January 1932, Terre Haute, Indiana, photographs privately held by the author.]

Sometimes we know when photographs are taken. In this case, my grandmother probably labeled the photographs, as the one of the far right refers to Emma as “Mother.” I do not know the occasion for the photographs, but the photographer (again most likely my grandmother) took several. We think nothing nowadays of taking picture after to picture to get the correct shot, to make sure everyone is smiling, eyes are open, etc. Not so in the previous centuries. Film cost money, and you didn’t know what you shot until the film was developed.

FOS1932 James L. Foster with John - Terre Haute, 1932-02-28

James L. Foster, holding his nephew, John Yegerlehner, 28 January 1932, Terre Haute, Indiana, photograph privately held by the author.

If the photographs had not been dated, the automobile provides a great clue, especially to all the old car experts out there. Emma’s dress—although we don’t see much of it since John is in the way—does give some clues as well. Gone is the dropped waist of the 1920s. Seated on the car’s sideboard, the top of Emma’s dress blouses over a waist (left). Soft pleats may also be visible at the hip line (right) as well as a longer skirt. These are clothing characteristics of the 1930s. A great place to look for everyday clothing styles of the 20th century are the Sears catalogues, found at Ancestry.

Sears catalogue, Fall 1931 (Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

©2018 copyright owned Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2018/01/22/another-photographic-series/

Gladys – 9 April 1971

Gladys – 5 February 1971

Gladys – March 26, 1970

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Letter transcription:

March 26, 1970

Happy Easter – and I hope this reaches you before Sunday. I am sending Debby a present for Easter, but you may not get it before the Day, but since she won’t know the difference maybe it won’t make her too unhappy. I have been taking therapy on my right arm and find I am having a struggle to get my muscles back in shape. After having a cast on the arm 6½ weeks, the old muscles don’t want to go back to work. I go to the Health Center every day at 3:30 and it takes about an hour. I am out by the time the Doctors get off work, so we (Dad & I) come home together. I have to take Dad to work every day after lunch, because we cannot have two cars on the campus at one time.

We are planning to go to Japan July 22^nd and return home August 12. That is the schedule for the plane for the Purdue Band. We have bought one tour which will take us to Expo, but we will have more time than this one tour takes. I have an acquaintance who is a missionary in Nagasaki and if she is going to be home at the time we are in Japan, we will probably go and see her and do some sight seeing in that area.

John just called. He is coming over for the weekend and will be here tomorrow evening. I had thought about having Mark’s children come for a few days, since they will be having spring vacation, but my therapy has been keeping me so tired, I am afraid I couldn’t meet the effort it would take. According to the weather forecast we are to have cold weather for the weekend and that would mean they couldn’t play out of doors, so I am afraid they wouldn’t like staying too much.

We plan to go to Kentland Tuesday – Dad has a dental appt. I will visit Mrs. Myers.

I am going to Cincinnati April 2 to 5^th to attend a training session for my new job as Chairman of Missionary Education for the Conference.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the enclosed picture taken from the slide. The colors are not too good, but the picture turned out better than I thought it might.

Love Mother

Mark and his family, summer 1970

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/08/12/gladys-march-26-1970/

Gladys – September 1969

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Letter transcription:

Dear David,

We are spending weekend with John, Bob & Lea. Dad, Lea & Bob are attending a football game and John and I are listening to an opera (Louisa Miller) and talking. On our way home from Tokyo we sat by a young Japanese girl who said she was coming to Champaign to U. of I. She is on the staff and is working in the computer dept. of the University. We are going to get her at 5 PM and take her to Lea’s for dinner. She is very shy and is a little timid about her English. I am sure she won’t feel too much out of place, because we will all do our best to make her feel welcome.

This week has been centennial week at Trinity, but since we were invited here for the weekend decided we wouldn’t be missed in the anticipated crowds

[page 2-3] at the church Sat. & Sunday.

Talked to Mrs. Myers recently and the Rx Dad gave her seemed to clear her trouble, but said she didn’t feel too good generally. I think it will just be a matter of time until she will have to give up her apt. and live in a nursing home. Her hips gets gradually worse. I think she will have to be in bed in the not too distant future. She went to Lafayette sometime during the summer to see Dr. Stahl and he said her hip bone is deteriorating and there is nothing can be done about it.

Would love to see Debbie and her Mother & Dad, but can’t say now when that will be.

Love Mother

P.S. had to go to Indianapolis last Monday to attend meeting (Director of Project Equality in Indiana and North Indiana Conference Director). I have been appointed Coordinator for Project Equality in North Ind. Conf. On the way home a piece of plaster board on the highway was thrown into the front end of the Mercedes and besides making a dent, it broke the right turn light. I am glad I was driving a heavy car. I am afraid a lighter car would have been jolted. After the meeting I went down to Mark’s. They had gotten moved into their new house. They are now in Glenn’s Valley and both children (Kirk & Becky) go to same school – within walking distance of their home.

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/07/01/gladys-september-1969/

Gladys – September 1, 1969

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Letter transcription:

118 Juniper Court
West Lafayette, Ind. 47906
Sept. 1, 1969

Dear David, Bonnie and Debbie,

Enclosed find check for $20.00 – $10.00 for each of you for your birthdays.

John was quite impressed with Debbie’s reaction to the brightly colored blocks which Lea said you had bought with the money I had sent for her birthday. I asked John what he gave her and he said nothing – that he doesn’t give his nephews and nieces birthday gifts. He has always given them Christmas gifts, but not for birthdays. I have also put $10.00 in Debbie’s savings account for her birthday. That is something I have been doing since Becky arrived. Becky reminded me when we were there over the weekend that she would be having a birthday the 10^th. I also reminded her that I had bought her birthday present in Japan and it was on the way.

The house that Mark and Shirley are buying is only two years old. The couple have been divorced and are living in other states, hence the delay in getting the final settlement and the key. We looked at the house from the outside and I would say it is in the same class as Bob and Lea’s house. The big difference is that Bob and Lea are on a lake. However, there is a woods and a field back of Mark’s. They will have a very nice large yard for the children to play in and the children will only be a few blocks from school. Shirley will have to take them the 5 miles, beginning tomorrow, to school until they can get moved. The house is brick – light buff – and has some landscaping. It has been vacant since July 1^st, so Mark will have a man sized job getting rid of the weeds all around the house. There is a large living room, family room, kitchen, three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a small den and a two car garage. There is an area around the side of the garage and back of the house that has been fenced and has a cement floor. There are morning glory vines growing all over the fencing. We can’t figure what that area was used for. Dad suggested they could put Kirk and David in there at times. Shirley said she thought it had been used for a dog, but Mark didn’t seem to think they needed a dog – since there are several in the neighborhood already.

Dad has washed and waxed his car and mine today. We had thought the forwarding company was going to ship our car via auto transport (that was what we were told by the company in Indianapolis), but I got a call Tuesday evening that the Mercedes had been cleared through customs and that I could pick it up at any time. We got a flight out of Indianapolis Wednesday evening – spent a night in a motel near the airport in Newark and Tuesday morning had the car and were on our way home. In the papers which I received there was an authorization for a car wash job – $35.00-, but I didn’t order that because the Company in Indianapolis said – when they had told us the car could be shipped that they would wash the car – it was covered with cosmoline to protect it during shipment. It took two washings to get the cosmoline off, but I still think $35 was a pretty high price for a car wash job.

John Janssen was married to Lana Farlow Saturday evening – in the Christian church in Rushville. The minister gave a different sort of marriage ceremony – it amounted to a lecture. The Janssens told us last night – they stopped here on their way home – that he lectured John and Lana one hour Friday evening before he would consent to marry them. Also they had to rehearse the wedding three times on Friday and he ordered that no pictures be taken at certain times during the ceremony. However, friends of Janssens from around Kentland and other points north didn’t hear his prohibitions, so flash cameras were flashing all

[page 2] around the church. I didn’t have my instamatic along, so I was not guilty.

Today Dad had the duty, which so far hasn’t amounted to any work, but he still had to be here. The day isn’t over yet, so he may have to do something Health Center wise yet – but I am hoping he will not. He had to have Friday and Thursday covered by another Doctor for us to go to NJ, but since there isn’t much going on now, I rather think it wasn’t asking too much to get away those two days.

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/06/27/gladys-september-1-1969/

Roscoe – July 24, 1969

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

Dear Bonnie, Dave, Debbie & Kat [the feline variety]

I started making notes and stuff on the 17^th of July so if the dates seem a little off please excuse. We have our car and have just a few more than 300 miles or should I say 500 km. It runs well, the horn blows either in German or English depending on who it is pointed toward – more universal sounds. It smells like a new car (universal smells).

We met and visited with a Cousin Fritz Pyser, whose mother was a Yegerlehner. We will see her and possibly others of the clan on Sun. On Mon. & Tue. we will head back to Stuttgart to send the car to West L. We spent some time in Baden Baden – stayed one night there before going to Basal. Stayed in Basal 2 nights and now are in Muri, a small town near Bern. Right now we are watching a German TV “What’s My Line.” Seeing it is OK but it isn’t the same as hearing also (needs more universal something). Somehow I got on a universal kick. Just a passing fancy.

We were walking along the street with Cousin Fritz and we stopped at a store window. He was pointing at something in the window and I saw a little pile of where a dog had been. I guided Gladys around and he came so near cutting his foot (not really cutting) that I got a bunion just twisting my foot sideways and backwards in my shoe trying to guide his foot in the right direction. I never did look back so have no way of knowing the final results. I could write a story and make the title “The Case of the Scrambled Pile or Did He?” Another pretty universal sight was one Gladys & I saw on a street in Basal. A character who had had too much, was walking in front of us. He zigged & zagged. We were not sure of getting around him without an affair – but Gladys came to the rescue and pretended like there was something in the window she wanted to buy – in the window a shot gun & a pair of boots – anyway the trick worked. We didn’t see him again.

And speaking of sights – you should see the bed covers. About

[page 2] a 6 inch layer of eider down in a huge pillow slip like affair. The first morning when I awakened & still a little fuzzy I looked over toward Gladys and this think cover “sorta” balled up in the middle made her look like she was not 6 mo. pregnant but like she had 6 pregnancies all in one (I said I was a little fuzzy). I jumped out of bed to palpate and found she was lying on her stomach and the big pile was the down all in a bunch. What a relief? She didn’t seem to be complimented when I told her she stuck up that high in the back. What a sight!

As we were passing a bank just at closing time there were scores & scores of girls coming out – all in very short skirts. Surely those skirts had shrunk during the day. I just don’t believe they looked like that in the a.m. – maybe the girls grew during the day. Did we have to come to Switzerland to see no skirts? You dirty old man! (Omit the work old please). We did see several old Cathedrals in some of these old towns. Many of these churches were built before America was discovered and they are still in use today. Our cousin in the country told us his combination house & barn was approximately 200 years old and it looked & smelled every bit of it??

(much later)(one week)

Things seem to happen and time passes and this is one week late. We went back to Sundelfinger & made arrangements to ship the car back. We are not in Karachi – despite the hot & stuff we are very comfortable on the 8^th floor of the Intercontinental Hotel. It is fully air conditioned but outside it is only fully. The first rain in 2 years fell the day before we arrived. Now there is mud & dust where before it was only dust. Our airline Lufthansa furnished us with a car to get to the Hotel. It took us 25 minutes to make the trip. Needless to say they also furnished us with a driver. The streets here for the most part are not named or numbered. We contacted some people from the church business management and they showed us around town & some country. The streets are wide enough but some are very rought & the traffic is right handed. There is a constant water shortage, so not many green lawns but there are several trees. Like many of the streets in this part of the world there are people & more people. There are so many I’m sure they can’t all get home in one day. It takes two days to make it. There are some trucks, many taxi cabs, many camel carts, many just plain cars & lots of small carts with cute little asses hitched to them. Not the rounded & pink as you might think but they are grey & have long ears. Many of the stores, etc., have English signs. We were in the old city. Also in the Banking & industrial areas. Gladys

[page 3] took many pictures & I’m sure if one looks at those he will not be unimpressed with the conditions. However, the smells won’t show in the picture.

We were told by our acting guide that there is a minimum wage low for the skilled labor. They must be paid about 50₵ per hour – but no law for the unskilled laborer. Those people get paid approx. 35 to 50 centers per day., but for each job the employer must hire two men, one to work while the other one rests – so it costs the employer 70 cents to $1.00 per day.

Across the street from our hotel is a large building that does have a nice lawn & it is being mowed by 4 men. Three pulling & one pushing. The mower is a reel type and is approximately 20 inches wide. So one might say it is a 4 or 8 man power.

Hope you are the same

R.S.Y.

P.S. If John, Lea & Bob come while or after you get this it is for them also. The missionaries have given us the V.I.P. treatment which we have appreciated. I think they do not get as many visitors as some places. One of the family has a son and daughter going back to the States next month to attend college near Seattle. They have relatives in that area. Their oldest son was with us this morning. He had his camera and we both were snapping picture. The father had to park his car and get a paper from a government office so Dad and Jack (the son) and I walked along and I think we captured some good shots. Just hope the pictures turn out ok.

Love Mother

Gladys – July 9, 1969

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Letter transcription:

118 Juniper Court
West Lafayette, Ind. 47906
July 9, 1969

Dear David and Bonnie,

Just hope those pictures get here before we leave, your letter came yesterday. Dad got the schedule rearranged for this week, so we are going to be leaving on Friday instead of Saturday. I asked the travel agency about flying from Boston, but was advised against that since there has been some difficulty with planes getting into airports. They thought we had better just leave from O’Hare. Dad doesn’t have to work tomorrow, but since July 10^th is the last day of the special rates for tours, all seats were taken, but we did get seating for the 11^th. The lab report on Dad’s skin was OK. His face has just about recovered and his black eye is entirely gone. However, he did have some discoloration for about two weeks.

We went to Champaign Thursday evening and to Indianapolis Sunday morning, since we had a long weekend. We wanted to see Mark before leaving – he has power of attorney for us and John and Lea and Bob wanted us to come over before leaving. I am beginning to feel like I am about ready to go. Have the bags just about packed and hope I have thought of everything we will need while we are away. Since it has been so cool here most of the time and I had a letter from the woman I have been corresponding with in Switzerland telling me that it has been cold and rainy there, I am taking two wool suits with me. I remember three years ago I was not quite warm enough while we were there, so this time I am going prepared. This morning it was rather cool here, but by noon I had the air conditioner upstairs on and now we have both on. It is so humid and since we are on daylight (Eastern – that is) savings time, it stays light here until about 9:30. It is eight o’clock now and the sun still has some distance to go before setting.

I am enclosing a copy of our itinerary for your information. We will write to you from time to time, or send you cards. I found the cards after you left that were misplaced on my desk. I had put everything on the basket behind the adding machine and the cards being slick, had slipped off and were behind the filing cabinet.

Sandy Corbin was married last Saturday, but we didn’t go to the weeding since we were in Champaign. Her picture is in the Journal-Courier tonight. She was quite a beautiful bride. From the account in the paper, it was quite a large affair. Had an invitation to attend a shower for the bride to be of Jim Johnson, Nancy Dickman. They are to be married the weekend after we return and the wedding will be in Michigan, so I rather think we will not be going.

We plan to return August 18^th, so we can talk to you before you leave about money. When you will need it and how much. Will you keep your checking account in Rockport, or how will you handle your money? If you won’t need it until after the first of the year, how will we handle that?

The enclosed letter was opened by Dad by mistake. I am sending it on, though I hardly think it would be necessary. It has been on my desk for some time. Forgot to send it the last time I wrote.

Love Mother

Ck. for $5.00 – the extra $5.00 is for something for Debbie’s birthday

David’s Diary – May 19, 1969

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Monday, 19 May 1969

Up about 7:30. Spent the morning getting ready for the trip—had to write some letters, straighten up my desk. Alan Federick brought his parents over to say good-bye; wrote to Cambridge re: apartment. Virginia Bate was around most of the morning. Had lunch about 10:30. Shaved. We finally were ready to go about one o’clock. Strong winds + our car-top carrier kept our speed low; we stopped 2 or 3 times. In general Debbie traveled well—didn’t get car-sick. We arrived at Stoners in Schnectady at 6:15—230 miles from home. Good weather—mostly cloudy but very little rain. We had supper, Mr. Stoner and I went for groceries. In the evening we showed slides, saw Stoner movies—sat around and visited. Very weary; looked at Niagara folders; bathed, off to bed; lights out about 11:30. θ+

Tuesday, 20 May 1969

Up at 7:30. Had breakfast—loaded the car—heavy rain falling when we got up—kindly let up when we were loading the car. We finally got off at about 9:20. We drove through quite a bit of rain stopped several times for picture taking—including a shot of the site of the old Erie Canal locks. We ate lunch at a pleasant park along the road. We got to Buffalo about 4:30. Came directly to the camping ground: Miller’s Creek. Only 2 or 3 other campers in the area. We ate supper in the car, then about 7:00 head up on the road to see the Falls—several miles away the mist from the Horseshoe Falls was visible. We strolled around, drove around, took pictures—we found the Falls very spectacular—Debby seemed astounded by the Falls. Our drive ended about 9:00 back at the Falls; we took pictures of the illuminated falls; back at the campsite about 10:00—prepared for bed; this is written by auto headlight lights out at 10:40.

Wednesday 21 May 1969

Up at 6:15! Unfortunately a chilly morning. After breakfast we broke camp and got everything in the car, loaded, packed by about 8:30. Then got on the road back to Niagara. Mist was blowing from the horseshoe falls across the road—impossible to get good pictures. But we found a lot to photograph. Saw the replicas of the crown jewels. Strolled around the gardens. We had lunch on the grass in the sun near Niagara glen, headed toward Detroit—stopped to see the locks at St. Catherine. Unfortunately took slow rt. 8 through Hamilton to get to 401. Got there about 4:00—then straight through to Detroit—arrived about 7:45 our time (6:45 theirs), at the Kings [1]; had supper; visited; Mattijane’s brother + wife are here with 2 kids—a real madhouse altogether. Later in the evening showed how our slides; 11 o’clock saw moon TV pictures; bathed off to bed, lights out 1:12.

Thursday, 22 May 1969

The Yegerlehner Clan, Roscoe and Gladys’ anniversary weekend, May 1969

Up about 9:00. Had a big breakfast—all the household had breakfast together—quite a gathering. Spent the morning getting the car loaded—and shaved. We finally got on the road to Gary about 11:30—somewhat later then we had hoped. A cold, overcast day. But we were able to make a good speed—with the help of huge trucks which drew us along. We arrived in Gary at Paul + Marty’s shortly after 5:00. We unloaded the car, then had supper. After supper watched CBS news—Apollo 10 orbiting the moon. After this we all got in Paul + Marty’s car and drove to the ditch where their boat is docked. We spent about an hour or so on the water—but didn’t go on to Lake Michigan—too rough. Came home, had a snack, then set up the projector—we showed them our slides. They are going through a “boat” stage— + were very interested in some of the slides; off to bed, lights out 11:45.

Friday, 23 May 1969

Forget what time we got up. The morning was not rushed—rather leisurely—sat around and talked; Paul + Marty didn’t go to school—both of them weren’t feeling very well. The morning seemed to go fast; we got the car loaded and then got on the road about noon. Arrived in Kentland at Mrs. Myers’ apartment about 1:30—an hour earlier Kentland time. We stayed until after 5:00—Mrs. Krull, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Hufty came by to see Debby. We got on the road again and arrived at the folks in W. Lafayette about 5:40. Unloaded the car after hurriedly looking at the box of slides which had arrived. Had supper; in the evening we just relaxed—watched a comic movie on TV. I got several pictures of the raccoons as they came begging + were fed—Al + Gwydelyn. Ran the slides through the projector; off to bed; lights out 12:07.

Saturday, 24 May 1969

Up at about 9:40—it was good to sleep so late. One of the first things to be done was a trip to the grocery store for baby food; then I went down into the ravine behind the folks’ home to take pictures. A very sunny, warm day. It was a day of just relaxation; Bob + Lea + John arrived for lunch. In the afternoon I made a trip for film + postcards—wrote postcards to people in Rockport—had an opportunity for chatting with Bob and John. For supper we ate out on the patio—a delightful meal. Debby was in her playpen; Lea was pretty occupied with Debby; Lea had her third miscarriage last week. After supper we watched TV—some inane programs, but then The Miracle Worker came on—the story of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller. During the movie we saw a telecast from Apollo 10 at hundred at 169,000 miles from Earth; after movie we showed our slides; bathed; off to bed; lights out 12:54.

Sunday 25 May 1969

Up about 7:30. Shaved; dressed; mother, father, John, Bonnie + I went to the 9 o’clock service at the Trinity Methodist. Home around 10:00. Relatives began arriving: Floyd + Ruth came after Bob, Lea, John; Mark + Family; Alma Hubbel. We had lunch on the patio—a nice day. Uncle Clarence + family were here for a short time. Posed for pictures—I was the photographer. We spent the afternoon lounging around, talking, relaxing. Bob, Lea + John were still here for supper; after supper I climbed down into the ravine with Dad. Watched TV—utterly slummed. During the evening we called Joyce Fitz-Randolph in New Jersey to arrange to stay with her on Friday night. This has been a very relaxing day—we managed to avoid feuding over politics. But also rather tiring; off to bathe about 11 o’clock. θ+ lights out before midnight.

[1] Rev & Mrs. Levon King (wife Mattijane); he was one of the ministers who married us; the other, Harold Hill.

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Tag Archives: John F. Yegerlehner

A Family of Three

Another Photographic Series

[Emma (Lawhead) Foster holding her grandson, John Yegerlehner, 28 January 1932, Terre Haute, Indiana, photographs privately held by the author.]

Gladys – 9 April 1971

Gladys – 5 February 1971

Gladys – March 26, 1970

Gladys – September 1969

Gladys – September 1, 1969

Roscoe – July 24, 1969

Gladys – July 9, 1969