Tag Archives: John F. Yegerlehner

Christmas Eve (Gladys)

: 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”

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/08/27/christmas-eve-gladys/

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

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: http://genealogylady.net/2015/08/25/a-new-lens-gladys/

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

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/08/23/a-habit-of-hollering-gladys/ ‎

Christmas Cheer (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: December 21, 1943 envelope

: December 21, 1943, p. 1

: December 21, 1943, p. 2

: December 21, 1943, p. 3

: December 21, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcripion:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
Dec. 21, 1943

Dear Mother,

Just re read one of your letters and find finances one great difficulty you are having or rather were having at that particular time. The checks I sent will have gotten there by now or soon will and those will help.

I’m glad you weren’t thinking of spending Christmas with the folks. I think that is too far for you to drive at this time of the year and the change is apt to cause colds, etc., which it seems you folk are having lots of difficulty with at present.

Just finished reading the other letters and find there are no questions to answer. You

[page 2] wrote of Christmas greetings. One came from Harold & Coco – a very nice one –

You wrote of a plane coming over and the things it made you think of. That would be swell and some day it may be true. Hope it isn’t in the too far distant future, but I’m still not making plans because as we’ve written no plans and no disappointment but that doesn’t keep a person from dreaming.

Tonite was the regular might for the stage show. It was better than last week, but not too good. It helps pass the time but I wouldn’t

[page 3] pay much money after the first one if I knew what was coming. They seem to be very fond of singing “White Christmas” and I don’t see why the natives would know what they were singing about. Another song I’ve heard recently very much is “Star Dust” and that has an Indiana background also “Rocking Chair” and “My Gal Sal.” They all seem to strike a familiar something of back home.

It is now three days until Christmas and I haven’t the slightest idea of what I’ll do other than the usual work and perhaps have turkey for chow. We probably will have a few drinks if anything

[page 4] turns up drinkable which it usually does. In fact I think there is enough around now for some Christmas cheer.

I’ve been some little time writing this letter – writing a little and then just sitting trying to think of something more and you can see for yourself I didn’t think of much in between the writing periods.

Well, Dear I hope you and the boys are having a swell time around the New Year.
Love Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/08/22/christmas-cheer-roscoe/

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

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/08/21/cracked-skull-gladys/ ‎

Best Tennis Player (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: December 20, 1943 envelope

: December 20, 1943, p. 1

: December 20, 1943, p. 2

: December 20, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Dec. 20, 1943

Dear Mother,

Three air mail letters and three v-mails today. Your latest v-mail was Dec. 7. Mark’s v-mail came along but none from John and I believe you said both were mailed the same day. I’ll have to re read your letters again in order to answer your questions or comment on what you wrote. The latest of the lot was Dec. 7.

I still feel like the very Dickins because you were getting no mail and the reason was the leave I was taking. You stated that the last letter was Dec.[sic] 19 and that was the day I left. Of course by now the regular schedule is again going but the suspense of those 10 days.

I overheard some people talking this eve. about the best tennis player weighing around one hundred

[page 2] and I immediately spoke up and said I could go one better. Quote “The best woman in the word only weighed about that much” and when asked who – my answer “my wife.” I may not have my quotation marks in the right place but I hope you understand what I mean.

I hope the checks I sent will help out with the finances because as I read from your letters I assumed that you were very low. Maybe with the little added amount I sent during this month you can again get on top and keep the big bad wolf from the door.

Between now and tomorrow’s letter I will re read the letters

[page 3] received today and see if I can write a more sensible letter using yours as a background.

It seems it’s hard for me to get started writing your letters early in the day and I always have to hurry so I won’t get to be too late for bed and I must get my eight hours every night.

Well, I’ll promise to write a better letter next time.
Love Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/08/20/best-tennis-player-roscoe/

Christmas is Coming (Gladys)

1 Reply

: December 20, 1943 envelope

: December 20, 1943, p. 1

: December 20, 1943, p. 2

: December 20, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
12-20-43

Dear Daddy –

Your five letters of Dec. 4 to 12 came today and your Christmas cable. Thanks. Also several other greetings and one Ins. notice. Those keep coming right along with greetings. Two of your letters contained pictures – you look good in all of them. Mark was quite impressed with the Darby boys. I think they all look very English, am I right?

I addressed greeting [cards] last night and have more to do today. I am placing greetings received on the mantle, standing so they can all be seen. The tree stands by the S.E. living room window. David goes to it and jabbers, or just goes oooh!

[page 2] If we say, “David, where is the Christmas tree? He will go right to it. I was busy in the kitchen this a.m. and he got busy with the packages. No damage done, I got to him before he could open anything. He has never cared for orange juice – you remember he couldn’t take it until he was about a yr. old and hasn’t yet cultivated the taste as he should. I usually have to insist on him finishing his daily cup, and it is a job. Sometimes I am tempted to dispense with the juice and give him Vit. C in tablet form, like I did for so long. What’s your opinion? David is asleep now and when he wakes up I want to take him out in the sunshine which is really bright today. He enjoys his buggy rides so much. Had a card from Art and he is in Bethesda, 14 Maryland. National Naval Medical Center.

[page 3] You might want to send him a greeting. He said after a few weeks there he will go to the Pacific. Said there was more gold braid there (Md) than corpsmen.

John went back to school this morning. Dr. Glick was there examining all who had been out or had colds in the past two weeks. He didn’t examine John very closely when he told him he didn’t have a cough. There are cases of chicken pox around. Not worried about J. & M. bringing that home to D. This epidemic that has been around hasn’t been flu, but milder. However, it was prevalent enough to necessitate closing some schools. Some people think an open winter causes epidemics, but I have never yet been able to get the point. Personally, you know I like the milder weather, and think I am more apt to get flu, etc., in the sub-zero weather.

I saw Bobby out today but didn’t get to ask him about Arlene. I

[page 4] am wondering if she will get her wish about having a baby on Christmas day.

Just had to answer the phone – Chet Van Scoyck just called to tell me he was sending over 2 ton of good coal. I didn’t tell him I got that much last week, but figure I had better take it when we can get it. There is a lot of difference in the way the furnace has operated since getting the better coal last week. Mr. Monroe was out this a.m. to check things & oil. He comes every 60 days regularily. He came a few times off schedule when the pins broke every few days.

Zells are going to take Virginia for an X-Ray today. I do hope she doesn’t have a fracture. She is much better today than she has been.

I am afraid this warm weather will spoil Mark’s sport – skating – He was over there all afternoon yesterday. I’ll remind him to write you this evening. He has started spending the $10⁰⁰ – wanted to get Virginia something nice so bought her a $1⁰⁰ bottle of cologne.

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

Reclaimed Rubber (Gladys)

1 Reply

: December 18, 1943 envelope

: December 18, 1943, p. 1

: December 18, 1943, p. 2-3

: December 18, 1943, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Dec. 18 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

No letters today but rec’d several this week – Also the boys got their Christmas money. John wrote you a v-mail last night – I’ll get Mark to write this evening. He is out skating this afternoon. He kept David out for about an hour in his buggy then I told him he could go skate. He gets so much fun from skating. We rec’d a box from R. M. this a.m. She wants us to come for Christmas but I couldn’t promise her anything depending on the weather. Before we got the better coal I couldn’t consider going because the furnace needed constant attention. Mrs. Zell said they would take care of it for us but I thought that was too much bother for them. And now that Virginia is in bed think they have enough to do. The Dr. hasn’t taken an x-ray yet. Says

[page 2] she shouldn’t be moved yet. I wonder if she has a basal facture. Will just have to wait for the x-ray to find out.

David has had a long nap. The fresh air made him sleep longer than usual. He is just waking up and sounds a little cross. I am just going to keep writing until he gets demanding. He loves to go out. Yesterday I took him for a walk. It had been so cold that was the first he had been out since Sun. I am enclosing some pictures Ed took of the two babies. It was hard to get them in the right mood together for a picture. I think the one of D. alone is very good. He is turned a little to the side but it’s a good profile picture. Can’t say so much for myself but was trying to get David to behave.

We worked on floors today. This soft reclaimed rubber in the heels mark the floors just like crayon. I took the boys shoes & had leather heels put on. It’s no easy job to steel wool the floors, and this is

[page 3] the third time this fall we have done the job. I hope the new heels eliminate the cause of all this scouring.

The check came today for the dividends on the three policies ($26.52) and a notice about the one policy being paid up. That check will take care of more than 1/3 of premiums due in Jan.

John has been listening to the usual Sat. p.m. opera. I sat and listened a while & knitted. I was tired from working on the floor so took that means to rest. John has a book on Italian operas and follows thru the operas with his book, when it’s an Italian.

The enclosed greeting came today so I just readdressed their envelope. I enclosed the v-mail in a letter one day this week they had sent here to be sent on to you. I have a greeting I am sending to them. I have a stack of greetings to send out and must get busy and get them in the mail.

[page 4] I went to town this morning to buy groc. but didn’t pick up any news but maybe Boonie will write and give you all the low down. He let me read your letter the other day when I stopped in to get the paper (no delivery now). He told me right away he knew where Col. Wilkie is, so you know how he delights in spreading the news.

David is out of doors again with Mark. Mark came home from the pond with being called.
Love Mother

A Conceited Little Thing (John)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

John Yegerlehner
KENTLAND
INDIANA
12-17-43

Dear Daddy,

I want to thank you for the Christmas present you sent me. I received it yesterday morning but I was sick yesterday so I didn’t write you till today. I will have to buy a nice present for Mother and also something for Virginia Zell who is in bed with a brain concussion. I already have what I’m going to give Mark and David. David is a conceited little thing. We showed him some pictures of himself and he looked at them and said “Pretty.” He says “pretty” almost every time he sees a button and when he sees the Christmas tree. He likes to watch it but he puts his hands on it and takes the little lamps that go around off. If things keep on the same he may have callouses on his hands before long. Oh, I guess he’s not that bad. Thanks again,

You son
John