Tag Archives: John F. Yegerlehner

Anxious (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 8, 1943 envelope

: August 8, 1943, p. 1

: August 8, 1943, p. 2

: August 8, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran. Calif.

Aug. 8, 1943

Dear Mother,

As you will note this is Aug. 8 and that really is some date for a few of us to remember. I wrote you a letter about 8 days ago of more or less retrospect of the year’s happenings to date – That letter could just as well have been written today but it seemed to be more appropriate at that time. In a big general way it has been a good year as far as the war is concerned. The enemy has been pushed back on all fronts in the Pacific and of course the European phase is also going good as far as news reports go. If things can just keep going during the next year

[page 2] maybe this thing won’t last too long.

Your letter of July 23 came yesterday. It was good that you could get a leave for Jim. I’m sure it will help your mother as well as anything. Jim must be pretty tired just staying in one place for over a year. Of course, he switched to Camp Peary but it has been more or less the same, I guess it hasn’t been too bad for him however, because Thelma has been near by and he was is also able to enjoy some of the benefits of modern civilization and these things are of value but maybe we don’t appreciate them until after being deprived of them for a period of time. He no doubt is anxious to get out of the country and after being out

[page 3] for a time will be just as anxious to get back. You see I can talk from experience. I was anxious to get going and I’m just as anxious to get back and swab jobs with someone else who would like to see what he can see.

Let me again remind you not to work too hard nor worry to[o] much about things because that is hard on your health and that is the biggest worry I have out here – The health of you and the boys – I’m of course concerned with your mother’s health the same as I would be of my Mother & Dad, but it’s very much different when it comes to you and the boys. Well I’ve said my say.

Love Daddy

Perhaps this is one of the photographs from Dr. Lentz's roll of film

Roscoe, summer of 1942

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/27/anxious-roscoe/

Sulfa (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 8, 1943, p. 1

: August 8, 1943, p. 2

: August 8, 1943, p. 3

: August 8, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug. 8 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Another Sunday afternoon about gone. Seems I am about as busy as any other day. Last Sun. I didn’t get time to sit down & write. Mark has David out in the buggy now so thought I would take the opportunity to write. It is hot today but there is a cooling breeze most of the time. Mother ate a pretty good dinner but says she doesn’t want any supper. She looks so thin and pale today – Seems to me she looks worse today than usual. I will see Dr. Cole tomorrow and give him a report. If she would go I would take her back to the hospital but she says she couldn’t stand the beds & pillows. She is so thin I can understand why she wouldn’t be able to rest there. I told you a long time ago about the lab finding in her stool (strep, Staph & B-coli). She thinks the sulfa turned her against food and she doesn’t want anything to eat. Of course she can’t get better is she doesn’t eat, but she says she eats all she can.

[page 2] I am going to take David to see Dr. Cole tomorrow. He will probably reinforce the cast around the top – It certainly takes a beating – the way David gets around. I am to meet John. Your Mother & Dad are going to take him to Laf. T. H. & he will come to Laf. on the bus.

Mrs. Roberts was here last night. She said she had word from Joe and he had diahrea & last 7 lbs. She still doesn’t have any idea where he is. He sent his trunk back home and she has it now. She said it had a very musty odor. She said she couldn’t get beef in Watseka and their children wouldn’t eat pork. I had a sirloin steak – (Mark & I decided to be extravagant while John is away) and enough round steak for Mark & I today – so I gave her the sirloin. We don’t have steak very often because it’s hard to get and expensive. I have chicken to fry yet that your Mother brought up so thought I could get by without one steak.

I found last winter that I am allergic to sulfa – when I had the sinus infection – The other day I skinned my thumb on the furnace door – and by the way had been indulging in new tomatoes so had some breaking out on my fingers – and the

[page 3] place I skinned was broken out – I put sulfa powder on it and got a minor complication – the sore healed but that sulfa powder made my exczema so bed I can’t bend my thumb yet. It is better but I know now not to put sulfa powder on an irritated place again.

Eddie Ray Wilson sat down on a piece of broken glass and cut himself – It was so bad they had to give him ether to sow it up. He has had a time this summer. Margaret Kruman was here today & said Susan Clark caught her heel in the bike sprocket & injured her heel to the extent that she may not be able to walk on it. – Now I shouldn’t have written that because I didn’t have first hand information and when Ruth Parttens was injured the story was she wouldn’t walk again & Dr. M. said there was nothing to that. I didn’t mean to cast any reflection on Margaret but I don’t know where she got her information.

Dorothy keeps promising to bring their movie camera out to take some pictures of D. but so far she hasn’t shown up with it. Floyd & Ruth have taken pictures of him twice – at three & six months. They wanted to get him at 9 months but couldn’t make connections –

[page 4] I think you can almost see him grow in the pictures I have sent. I can’t weigh him until we get the cast off his leg – and that will be two weeks yet. He weighed 20 ½ at 10 months – I don’t know whether he will gain or lose by his 11^th month – I thought he might gain – but he is about as active as he was before – I think he works just as hard – Maybe harder. He is a busy little fellow most of the time.

I told you once before – Arlene is having another baby in Dec. She has Donnie off the bottle and he isn’t a yr. old yet. She says he eats more than Bobby does. Mark has been building planes for Bobby. Bobby was up here this afternoon – He is as cute and witty as ever. Arlene thinks Donnie will soon outgrow Bobby – and at the rate Donnie is going he may.

David’s two upper front teeth are so near thru I think one edge on both will make it thru today or tomorrow.

The cricket are singing all the time now – I think the old saying is “6 weeks till frost when they begin to sing” – but you can’t always depend on old sayings – as hot as it is today I can hardly think of frost.

Love Mother –

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/26/sulfa-gladys/

Climbing the Stove (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 7, 1943 envelope

: August 7, 1943, p. 1

: August 7, 1943, p. 2

: August 7, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Aug. 7, 1943

Dear Mother,

In thinking over your letters that I tried to comment upon yesterday. I remember one interesting incident I forgot to mention and that was D. ability to climb. It does seem a little odd that his mother would let him climb upon, of all things, here her stove. I thought the thing pretty cute. I’d have like to seen him myself. I sometimes wonder if he is spoiled much but I’m certain not too much wh with the mother he has – Of course she may give him a little range now and then but in the end he probably gets it in the end if he becomes too much opinionated for the best of society.

Yesterday after writing you I sent John

[page 2] a two dollar bill for his birthday. Hope he gets it in time. I must remember to send D. something in time for his birthday just the same as the other boys although he probably won’t appreciate it so much.

No need for this warning but just a little reminder about the coal situation for the winter – I think you told me you were keeping the bin full at all times.

Some of our officers who came out with us seem to be getting restless about going back to the States. Of course, I am also but not to the point where I become obnoxious about it. I just figure that when the times comes OK but I don’t know that there is a thing we can do to hurry it along only keep more or less contented and the time will pass more rapidly as I have often written before. I’d just as soon stay a little longer

[page 3] now and then have a little longer time in the USA when I do get back. There are lots of men who have been out lots longer than I so I don’t feel I have too much to complain about. What with all however I’d certainly like to be back – I hope you understand that.

Stopped for lots of conversation about the war, its course and affect and of course we have the whole plan all worked out in our own way but it might not be the way it goes nor the way other think, anyway it doesn’t bother to do some talking on our own.

Well, guess I’d better slow down and so something else
Lots of Love
Daddy

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

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/25/climbing-the-stove-roscoe/

To Be Married (Gladys)

3 Replies

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
8-7-43

Dear Daddy – Yours of July 12 – 24 & 25 came today up to the 28^th came earlier this week. The weather we have is something to write about – not then cool then hot again all in one week. It was cool last nite but is warming up this afternoon. Mark has David out in the buggy while I write. David is so full of pep – he wants action. John is to come home Mon. I am to meet him in Laf. Your mother said Tillie Z. – Earl & his bride are going to Whiting & had asked her to come this far – said she was afraid she would wear her welcome out but I am going to write her to come if she can. I suppose you know Earl is to be married Aug 15. Mark has been trying to get the lawn mowed this week but hasn’t finished it yet. John has done the lawn work this summer and Mark had the garden. John had the hardest job because he had to mow every week & Mark hasn’t worked that much in the garden. You mentioned talking to someone who had come out in June and how things have changed. When you wrote about Mark or John sending you an envelope of steak odor – we said “what steak” – that is about a memory with us – We indulge once in a while but not often – It takes one person’s entire week’s points to buy 1 lb steak. Plain round steak is 46¢ lb. Mother is about the same today – can’t see much change. The detasseling is over & camp broken up today. That project gets bigger every year. I see Mark coming with David.

Love Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/24/to-be-married-gladys/

Birthday Greetings (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 6, 1943 envelope

: August 6, 1943, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Fran Calif.
Aug 6, 1943

Dear John,

This is one time when I’m not going to write Mark because it’s your birthday and you deserve something special – you will find a slight token of my regards to you enclosed in this letter.

I almost sent my dollar bill which entitled me to be a “Short Snorter” but that would cost me in case I were asked to produce it at some time.

When this arrives at home you will be getting ready for school and I’ll bet you will be glad.

From what Mother writes I believe you boys have really worked hard this summer and have made me proud of you.

Don’t forget the usual kiss you are supposed to give Mother for me and also tell her I still think lots of her.

Love Daddy

John holding David, summer 1943

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/23/birthday-greetings-roscoe/

Hard Beds (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 6, 1943 envelope

: August 6, 1943, p. 1

: August 6, 1943, p. 2

: August 6, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug. 6 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Yours of July 26 came today. Had the 27 & 28 yesterday – so that brings my mail up pretty good. It is cooler but the sun is warming things up today. It was cool enough to have the windows & doors closed yesterday – Mark has been sleeping with me since John has been gone and last night he helped keep me warm – but you know me – covers for the first cool breeze. John got to go to the picnic – I had a letter from him yesterday and he said he would try not to get sick – you remember what happened to Mark one year. I don’t know whether Mark knows John got in on the picnic or not – but I don’t believe he will care because he is so built up on the 4-H outing the 16^th to 19^th. He runs errands for Arlene and I am trying to get him to save his money as he earns it so he will have some spending money when he goes to camp but money in his pocket seems to bother him. He always fins something he thinks he has to spend it for.

[page 2] Mother had a restless night. I wanted her to take a sleeping tablet but she didn’t want to. I gave her some potatoe soup yesterday noon and she threw it right up. She has been taking strained foods like I give David and keeps them down. Dr. Cole said she has a colitis condition and her recovery would be slow. She isn’t making any progress. If it weren’t for the hard beds in the hospital I would take her back down but she says she doesn’t feel she could stand the beds there. I am going to talk to Dr. Cole about her when I take David down Monday. He wants to see his cast again Mon. He sure gives that cast a beating – the way he rolls around out on it. Mark has him out in the buggy now. He is so “wiggly” it’s hard to keep him satisfied. Dr. Cole said the cast being on 4 weeks would retard his walking but I doubt it. He pulls up and gets around his pen & bed pretty good. He certainly has been good about it. He doesn’t fuss – just seems to take it for granted –

Ellsworth brought the policy out this morning. He said to tell you the baby was in for a – of a disappointment when he sees you. He said “you write & tell him I said that.” He said something about you being toothless & bald to David – E. is all hot & bothered about having to go. He said

[page 3] how’s my wife going to live on $50 – a month. I think a little military discipline might do him some good. I imagine the Army has tamed wilder ones – don’t you?

I paid my Ins. policy loan yesterday and groc. bill. We have a bal. of $233.55 – and a few other small bills to pay yet – water 4.80 – Geo. Monroe 4.75. Geo. has come every 60 days & oiled the furnace and looked things over. I will pay Ruth & Earl 100⁰⁰ if you think I should – we have a bond a month now for this year. I have 185⁰⁰ yet to pay on the piano (as previously stated). The car Ins. is due after the 11^th and your Laf. life in Sept. I haven’t been paying any Gross this year – Agnes Molter said I shouldn’t and as I once before told you the 1942 Gross paid on Service salary is to be refunded – or so the Indpls Star stated. I am enclosing a funny I clipped out of Colliers. I you have seen it I am sorry, but I thought it might amuse you. Since you folks get a kick out of reading about local black-outs I thought this might amuse.

David is now raising a fuss to go out – I have fed him since starting this letter. He sure has a good appetite and likes potaoe. Ate a whole one today – That is I mashed one whole potatoe for him.

I must get this finished so Mark can take it to town. –
Love Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/11/22/hard-beds-gladys/

A Bitter Pill (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 6, 1943 envelope

: August 6, 1943, p. 1

: August 6, 1943, p. 2

: August 6, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran. Calif.
Aug 6, 1943

Dear Mother,

Your air mail of July 20 and July 22 came yesterday. I don’t think you are doing wrong when you ask the Red Cross to ask for Jim to come home. Of course by the time this gets to you, you will have made the decision one way or the other but maybe this will help. Anyway I hope so. Requests for me thru the Red Cross I’m afraid would do no good even if they were gotten thru in time. I remember about one month ago when one of our officers go[t] word that his wife and baby died and he is still around with no though[t] of getting relieved. That is just the way with war and of course is a

[page 2] bitter pill to swallow. I suppose I shouldn’t have told you that but maybe it won’t make you feel too badly. However, we all felt terrible around here for a few days.

I’m sorry I can’t offer any suggestions about your mother – Has there ever been a definite diagnosis made? Is it just plain colitis, ulcerative colitis and one other possibility I hate to think of and that is carcinoma? Have you ever been informed? Or are they holding the information from you? Those are questions which you may have answered but the letters just haven’t arrived as yet from you with that information.

The treatment with this bacterial fortified medicine is new to me maybe it was developed after I left home. However, I do remember a treatment similar to that which was obsolete many

[page 3] years ago. I can’t believe that Dr. Cole would be that far behind however.

I hope you enjoyed the Rotary program but from the way you wrote it seems it must have been more of a brawl than a Rotary meeting, but I guess it isn’t out of the way to let your hair down now and then.

I wonder if Gladys K. really feels that way about John or whether it’s an outward show. Fran In knowing something of their past it’s a little hard to believe too much in that type of feeling.

I’m going to write John later today and send him his usual 1.00 for the his birthday present. I suppose it will get there in time.

Well, mother I’m hoping your mother is better and that you won’t have to worry too much about her.

Lots of love
Daddy

Emma Foster with her grandson John, circa 1935-36

Emma Foster (Gladys’ mother) with her grandson John, circa 1935-36

This Is August (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
8-5-43

Dear Daddy – Yours of July 27 & 28 came today – Hope you have been getting mine in order. It is very cool today for no apparent reason. I suppose there was a storm that has caused the change. Yesterday it was so sticky hot I felt a little wilted but it is more like fall weather now. Mother is feeling better today. I hope it doesn’t get so hot while she feels so bad but this is Aug. and hot weather to be expected. Mark has David out in his buggy. He saw Donald out in the pen in the yard so he wanted to take David to see him. David likes to be out of doors and has been lots this summer. Two weeks are almost gone from his four to have his leg in a cast. He gets along fine thru it all. He is more patient that I had expected. Had a letter from John. He is having a good time with Dwane & Glendon. I am to meet him in Laf. Monday. Mark is going with the 4-H Club to camp at Dunes State Park the 16-17-18-19 – and Bob Shurtter the ag teacher from here. I think Rev. Servies will go – he went before. Mark went to band practice last night – the first time all summer due to tonsillectomy – He is all enthused about a new horn – I want to get him a reed instrument – I believe he would do better on an easier horn. He is much better in his nervous habits, at present he seems normal. I have had to keep him in with me much of the time this week and he hasn’t played so much. I think part of his trouble was playing too hard.
Pd. Ins. Loan 173.69
Love – Mother

Too Much Noise Not Enough Music (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 4, 1943 envelope

: August 4, 1943, p. 1

: August 4, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug 4 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Yours of July 22 came today. It is hot & sticky today – It has been cloudy & raining for two days now the sun is making the ground steam. It is more oppressive out of doors than in. It is very pleasant upstairs. There is a good breeze thru and isn’t as hot as I thought it would be. Mother doesn’t feel so well toady – I would fix her a bed downstairs but she would rather be up. She stays in the little bedroom most of the time. I try to get her to stay in our room but she likes that bed in her room the best. It’s softer and also I put a feather bed on for her. As cool as it is I thought she would feel better today but she isn’t so well. She ate about as much today as usual which isn’t much. She is entirely on a soft diet and I sometimes think I’ll run out of things to fix because she soon tires of one thing.

David is taking a nap. He is coming along fine in his cast. Doesn’t seem to mind it. He certainly knows how to get people to admire him. He smiles so much & seems to like everyone who will smile at him. He stands now that we will allow him to. He pulls up very good considering the heavy cast on his left leg. The worst thing about it right now is the odor – can’t help that but I keep him powered & that helps lots.

[page 2] I haven’t been away from home except to take D. to the Dr. & get Mother’s medicine, so don’t know much news. Ellsworth Wilson called me about the renewal on the car Ins. He says his no. is 13 and he thinks he will have to go this fall. There were headlines in the paper to the effect that all pre-Pearl Harbour father’s would be subject to call. I told him I thought the Army would be a good place for him and some others. He said you women just wait until the men are gone – and I said “What do you think I have been doing for the past year.” He said “Oh you have an officer’s salary to go on” – I said “yes, you people think we get rich off our salary.” He said it was better than a buck privates, and soon and on. He said something about the allowance for each child being $1⁰⁰ per mo. – said he would have to go into mass production to get anything at that rate.

I gave you the finances yesterday but will give a little repeat – With the ck you last sent and my allotment I have a bal. of $444, but haven’t paid the groc. bills yet – I bought 7 – 18⁷⁵ bonds lost month & pd 100⁰⁰ on the piano – wrote to the Ins. Co. for the amt. to pay off that loan but haven’t heard from them yet. Will give you a full report when I get the bills all pd. & Ins. loan pd. off.

Mark had his cornet out in the yard – I think I’ll have to call him in. He makes too much noise & not enough music with it. He says he is going to band practice tonite. If I can find a reed instrument for him I think he will do better. John says a reed is easier to blow and I think he would practice better on something not so hard.

Love – Mother –

Gladys, Mark & David, 1943

August Finances (Gladys)

1 Reply

: August 3, 1943 envelope

: August 3, 1943, p. 1

: August 3, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Aug. 3 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

No letters today but had July 21 & 23 yesterday – Some more unusual weather we are having. It started to rain last night and it’s still raining today and much cooler – Before the rain it was hot. We have the doors & windows closed today so you know it’s cooler. I am glad for Mother it is cooler – She suffers so when it’s hot. Dr. Cole said yesterday to continue with the same medicine. She doesn’t seem to do anything much either way. Only on hot days she feels worse. With John gone this week it’s rather quiet around here and with the rain today the neighborhood all around is quiet. Mrs. James & Jimmy are back & so are Arlene & Bobby but so far Bobby hasn’t been around this week. He had a start of hay fever but as soon as Arlene got him to Green Bay it stopped. While Arlene was gone the Lubberty girls took care of Donnie – Sunday Theresa had him out and stopped here. He is the picture of Bill – He is still larger than David but D. has more hair. When they get together they take each others’ toys – not exactly exchange – if one takes a notion for the toy the other has he just reaches, grabs & pulls – the one that can pull the hardest wins. Of course since D. is in his cast he isn’t a match for Donnie. I believe Donnie will like to fight when he gets old enough. I think Bobby has taught him a few tricks.

[page 2] Sister J. said it wouldn’t hurt David’s leg for him to stand so I allowed him to pull up today and enjoy standing and did he love it. He sat some but that breaks the cast across his bottom so I try to keep him from doing that. I was surprised to see how well he handles himself with that cast on but it doesn’t bother him any. Margaret Kruman brought him a soldier doll from Culver – she said she didn’t know whether he could have a soldier’s doll or not. It’s about half as big as he is but he like to pound it.

I checked on our finances this a.m. Our present bal. is $455 – but I haven’t had a reply yet from the Ins. Co. so I am sure about 180⁰⁰ will come out of that bal. I went ahead & got the piano & hade a bal. of 188⁰⁰ to pay on it by Dec 1 but think I’ll clear it off before then – I pd. 100⁰⁰ on it and got 15⁰⁰ for the old piano but had to pay 6⁰⁰ on the hauling. I bought 7 – 18⁷⁵ bonds last month and will try now to keep buying one one a month. That makes a total of 21 – 18⁷⁵ bonds & 6 – 37⁵⁰ we have – and John has 2 – 18⁷⁵ – David 2 – 18⁷⁵ & Mark one 18⁷⁵ – The difference there is that Mark didn’t save his money & John did. I have car Ins. to pay this month and your Laf. Life pol. Comes due in Sept. and as soon as the Lbr. Co. gets coal in we should get a supply – I am no on the waiting list. Of course I won’t pay for coal until we get it – I haven’t been to town yet and our monthly groc. Bills will have to come out of the bal. above. If I see there will be a surplus I’ll buy bonds. I ate some sliced tomatoe at noon and feel a little itchy so I won’t eat any more if I can help it – and I think I can.

Love – Mother