Tag Archives: John Henry Yegerlehner

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Happy New Year!

As I sit at my computer transcribing today’s letter, I am also thinking of the New Year and how life is constantly cycling around and around. The changing of the years is one such cycle. For me, the New Year is the beginning and the end of another year of my marriage. My husband and I were married on New Year’s Eve. We always start the New Year with the beginning of another year of our marriage. It also makes it really easy for my husband to remember our anniversary.

I have never been one for making New Years’ resolutions. Why bother with resolving to do something that only lasts a few weeks and is quickly forgotten? And then later, when it is remembered it becomes something to regret. I don’t like regrets. I don’t like to dwell on them either. That’s too much energy wasted. I like to make decisions and move on from there. This year however, I really want to set a goal for myself. I’ve had my grandparents’ letters sitting in a box for over 10 years. I want to share them and really truly read them all. So I’m setting myself a goal, to transcribe and publish one letter per day through the entire year of 2013.

I have a lot of things to look forward to this year. Some of them are predictable, as in, they happen every year; for example, the annual ritual of selling Girl Scout cookies. I know I get frustrated with the bureaucracy of the whole process and it pretty much does fill up the months of January through March. But I do ultimately like doing it. This year, my family has a couple of landmarks to experience. My oldest will be leaving elementary school and moving on to the big bad middle school later this year. Much like the shock of achieving 18 years of marriage yesterday, I wonder: where did the time go? My baby girl is now a pre-teen, staring down at the hormonal cliff of puberty. I’m also planning a trip back east to visit family and friends, many of whom I have not seen since high school. Definitely an event to look forward to!

My grandparents’ letters remind me that even though my grandfather was away from home, life still went on. Bills had to be paid. The rain still fell (or in my grandfather’s case it didn’t). There were things that they were looking forward too, like the birth of their youngest child and a time when my grandfather could be home for good. So I hope you stay with me as I share the next 365 days (and more) of their lives, 70 years ago.

_________________________________________

: July 6, 1942 Envelope

: July 6, 1942, p. 1

: July 6, 1942, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Mon.

Dear Mother,

Just read your July 2^nd +3^rd letters. Didn’t get any mail Sat. The mail comes here in the P.M. and since there are no deliveries in the P.M. I don’t get the letter until Mon.

I can’t figure what the Insurance to the P. reality Co. is for. That seems too much unless they are figuring the car but that isn’t due until Aug. So don’t pay it until then Aug 11 to be specific. The house Ins. Surely isn’t that high unless its the 3 yr. coverage you talked about.

We had a very busy P.M. must have had close to 400 and only three of us. Hope some of those new (Jgs) get here before long. Maybe I shouldn’t have applied for the Flight business. That would htup stop any transfer to peru (penn?) etc-Maybe we can get a transfer there after the course is finished.

Do the boys know or do they just suspect your condition etc? You spoke of them being so considerate.

We haven’t had any rain here since the night you left. Just a few little spurts you can imagine how dry it is.

(page 2)I didn’t say anything to the folks about the Flight school. Because I don’t know if it will go thru etc.

I thanked Boonie for the candy, wrote Ruth + the folks yesterday.

That bank account sounded pretty good hope we can continue it there for a while. When + if I get the uniform money I think we should apply it on the note to D. Ream + stop that interest. Maybe if I get a leave we can attend to those things.

Well, I write more next time,

Love Daddy

Sunday’s Obituary – Clarence Earl Yegerlehner (1897-2001)

6 Replies

Clarence Yegerlehner was the oldest son of John H. and Lovina (Schiele) Yegerlehner. He lived until the ripe old age of 104. I find it curious that his youngest sibling Floyd, born 14 years after, only outlived him by 5 months. There isn’t much more that I can add to Clarence’s story that hasn’t already been written in his obituary or the biography from the Church booklet. I am also adding a piece that Clarence himself wrote about the Yegerlehner farm.

Transcription of Clarence’s History:

Yegerlehner Homestead History

Clarence Yegerlehner’s History of the Yegerlehner farm

Just recent information tells of David Yegerlehner and wife Magdaline Strahm Yegerlehner with their children Christian, John, and Rosina after leaving Switzerland in 1851, landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fayette County, Paint Township. Years from 1851-1860 are not known, but in June of 1860 census, they lived in Homes [Holmes] County, Ohio near Winesburg south of Mt. Easton Church. By trade David was a carpet weaver. Migrating west they came to Marion Mills near Patricksburg in Owen county, Indiana. Christian came over in Clay County and purchased 104 acres farm. (Forty acres direct from government and balance in 1860[sic] from those living near by.) David never owned the farm, only a building on the south side of the road for his shop. Christian made boots and shoes on northside of the road. The road then going direct from Clay City to Bowling Green between present house and barn. The other two of David’s children located in northern Indiana near Ft. Wayne. As only seven acres of homestead was cleared Christian had quite a task of clearing the land, John of second generation, purchased the farm. There was still some acreage to be cleared and he spent a summer draining the low lands with tile and changing of branches as low land was only swamps and crooked woods. None of the third generation, seven in number, owned the place, but only two born there and balance grew up and lived there until married and had homes of their own. Clarence, the writer of this history, was of this generation.

Kenneth, his son, was of the fourth generation, then purchased the place. No resemblance today as to previous. House has been replaced, the Swiss-type barn burned and replaced as a modern dairy barn, including silos, loading, sheds, etc. Alan, his son, lives on adjoining farm purchased from his grandfather, Clarence (originally owned by Clarence’s father, John). In all these years (122), it has been father and son working together on both farms. Now still a Swiss decendat [descendant] as of long ago, milk 50 to 60 cows, typical of the Swiss. So seven generations of Yegerlehners make up the 122 years of the old homestead history.

We hope that in future years it will be Luke, Alan’s son born October 1, XXXX, that will finally become the next owner. Then the Yegerlehners name has never been changed in ownership in all 122 years. Seven generations in all.

Written by: Clarence Yegerlehner, August 1982

: Biography of Clarence, p.1

: Biography of Clarence, p. 2

___________________________________________

: July 3, 1942 Envelope

: July 3, 1942, p. 1

: July 3, 1942, p. 2

Letter transcription

Fri.

Dear Mother,

Got lots of mail today a letter from you, Ruth M + Mom – a package from Boonie + wife and a package (carton of cig) from Dorothy. I wouldn’t pay any attention to Dorothy because you know how her stories are. Sometimes they stretch-Don’t let the boys get hold of this. Maybe you will have a brighter outlook after you get the letters this week. I forgot to write Free on the letter yesterday so don’t know if you’ll have to pay for it or not. I remembered it after it was mailed.

I’ll have to write Boonie thanking him for the candy-probably will do that Mon Sun. You can call Dorothy and thank her or go and tell her. You can’t afford to be mad at her now.

It’s been pretty hot and Humid here today no rain but just damp.

Someone called me yesterday Eve. just before I got home and Mrs. E told them to call back later but they never did. I suppose it was Jim-Said it was a man. He’s the only man I could think of. Might be several women? (O yea)

Just had to run down and answer the phone

(page 2) someone wanted to talk to the “nice man”.

Tomorrow I’ll be on duty and may not get a chance to write, but will on Sun again. I won’t be off until 9:30 or so on Sun. That being the night of the fourth I suppose we’ll have lots to do.

It’s about meal time and I’ll get the little slips you sent and mark the amounts to be paid.

That Warren Feed bill seems high. You won’t have to go far back because I paid him each mo. Never did run an account with him larger than one mo. and I didn’t remember buying that much from him the last time he was there. I may have mail ordered just before he came the last time and that would be on that bill. What did you send back.

Well, if I were there for a short time I could figure it out but it doesn’t look like I’ll get to come for a few days yet.

Love Daddy

Sunday’s Obituary – Samuel Albert Yegerlehner (1891-1944)

2 Replies

Obituary for Samuel Yegerlehner: Terre Haute Tribune, Wednesday May 3, 1944. p. 2

Samuel Albert Yegerlehner was my grandfather’s oldest brother. Samuel was the son of John Henry and his first wife Emma Harden. I don’t really know much about Emma Harden or why she died. She was the daughter of Henry and Melinda (Boleck) Harden. Emma and John Henry were married in Clay County on April 6, 1890. Samuel was born almost exactly one year later. Two years passed and then in 1893, at age 21, Emma died. I can only imagine the heartache experienced by my 26 year old great grandfather John Henry. Since John took over his father’s farm and his mother continued to live on the farm until she died, I can imagine that John had the support of his family to help take care of young Samuel. Three years following in 1896, John Henry remarried. John’s new wife, Lovina Schiele, by all accounts treated Samuel as one of her own. John and Lovina had six additional children, including my grandfather.

Samuel received an 8^th grade education in one of the small rural county schools. He was married on January 31, 1915 to Esther Zurcher. The Zurchers were another Swiss German family that lived in Harrison Township who were also members of St. Peters German Reformed Church. In 1917, Samuel signed up for the World War I draft. I don’t think he actually served during the war. According to the 1930 census, Samuel was not a veteran so he most likely did not. Samuel and Esther had three sons, the oldest of which died in infancy.

Biography of Samuel & his wife Esther, from the Centennial booklet of St. Peter’s Church, 1854-1954

Samuel was a farmer, like his father. He had his own farm nearby his father’s land. I do not know if this was land he purchased himself, or a parcel his father had given him, or even perhaps something he might have inherited from his maternal grandfather Henry Harden. Samuel’s family did not inherit the Yegerlehner farm which went to his brother Clarence and his descendants.

Samuel was also active in his church, serving as a Trustee, Deacon and an Elder. According to his biography in the Centennial booklet of St. Peter’s Church, Samuel also helped take care of the church property, due in part to its proximity to Samuel’s farm.

Samuel died suddenly in 1944 while my grandfather was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Base. I have not read ahead in the letters of my grandparents during this time so it is possible that there is mention of Samuel’s death. In fact, as I look through the letters there seems to be a gap for this period. There is a letter postmarked May 2, 1944 (the date of Samuel’s death) and then nothing for almost a month. I feel like I am jumping ahead in the story, and I don’t want to disturb the narrative. To quote one of the sayings of a favorite science fiction character, she would at this point say “Spoilers!”

Samuel, his wife Esther, and two of their sons are buried at St. Peter’s Reformed Church Cemetery on the Owen county line.

_______________________________

: June 25, 1942 Envelope

: June 25, 1942, p. 1

: June 25, 1942, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Thur P.M. 1715 (postmarked June 25, 1942 8:30 PM)

Dear Mother,

Just got home and have had a chat with Mrs. E. Dr. Lentz didn’t bring me home-he called and informed me he had other arrangements. Don’t know what’s cookin. He got a telephone call Tue Eve. Don’t know which one it was from.

The mail enclosed will probably be the last maybe some tomorrow-That makes $18⁰⁰ that has gone thru the mail this week.

I got your letter last night (wed) Glad to hear you made it OK and in such good time. I have the duty tomorrow and may not get a chance to write. I could

(page 2) write OK but the mail isn’t taken from the base after 1500 so that makes it the same if I write the next day.

Guess I’ll have to eat at Pearl Harbor this Eve. because its too far to walk any farther and I don’t want to spend .20 to ride the cars to + from eating.

I got three telephone calls this P.M. and on each of the three I expected orders, but nothing happened. One was about the allotment. They had made a mistake and they couldn’t make corrections so had to fill out another card. After one or two of those calls one get the jitters wondering where he’s going to land.

Well, so long until tomorrow

Love Daddy

Sunday’s Obituary – Raymond C. Yegerlehner (1902-1922)

Surname Saturday – Yegerlehner

2 Replies

: Letter postmarked May 25, 1942 – Envelope: Roscoe & Gladys’ 13th wedding anniversary

: Letter postmarked May 25, 1942, p. 1

: Letter postmarked Mary 25, 1942, p. 2

Yegerlehner is a rather rare surname. You can generally bet that anyone in the United States with the surname Yegerlehner is related to me. Yegerlehner is Swiss in origin, and in fact, is correctly spelled Jegerlehner. When my ancestor David Jegerlehner arrived in America in 1851 with his wife and 3 children, they changed the spelling to reflect how the name should be pronounced. In the Germanic languages, the letter J is pronounced as an English Y. The second letter e in the name is also pronounced ā (long a). So the Je (in Jegerlehner) is pronounced Yay.

My grandmother always told me that the name Jegerlehner meant “hunter of the hills”. I always thought this was rather romantic considering there are some rather impressive hills in Switzerland that I would like to see some day. Jeger, the first part of the surname, is the German word for hunter. So that part of the translation seems to be correct. I haven’t really been able to come up with a satisfactory translation for lehner though. Lehner appears to be “a status name for a feudal tenant or vassal, from an agent derivative of Middle High German lēhen ‘to hold land as a feudal tenant’. (http://genealogy.familyeducation.com/surname-origin/lehner)

David Jegerlehner had two sons, Christian and Johannes (John). After first settling in a Swiss populated area of Berlin Township, Holmes County, Ohio for a few years, the family decided to move further west. Christian and his father moved to Owen County, Indiana for a few years and then permanently settled in neighboring Clay County. The other son John moved his family to northeastern Indiana around Ft. Wayne. The descendants of Christian traditionally spelled their name Yegerlehner. John’s descendants wrote the name Yagerlehner. Over the next few generations members of the family continued to alter the spelling of the name, mainly in an effort to aid pronunciation. I have seen variants as: Yager-Lehner, Yagerline, Yegerline, Yegerlener. John Henry Yegerlehner, the son of Christian and grandson of David, continued to spell the name Yegerlehner. John Henry is the only son of Christian’s that continued a male line into the 21^st century. So that is why if you find someone with the name Yegerlehner today, they are most likely related to me.

If you would like to learn more about the surname Jegerlehner, one of my distant Swiss cousins maintains this website: http://www.jegerlehner.ch/world/

Letter translation:

Mon Eve 1800

1026 Magnolia Ave

Dear Mother-

We are now in our new home and I think we are very lucky to get such a nice place for 5.00. We have twin beds and plenty of drawer space but the bath is upstairs. Ou

Our working hours have been changed from 4:00 to 4:30 but we still have to be there at 8:30 three mornings per week and 7:30 the other three.

I think in a week or so you should come down and stay a week. We can get rooms at the Chamberland Hotel for $2.50 per day but of course we would have to ride the street car unless you could bring the car but we can see about that in a few days.

We had our first air raid warning today – just practice. Everyone had to stand by for 30 min. The station Unit X had to be prepared – all windows closed lights & water shut off. It was day time. The

(page 2) warning is a weird sort of a noise – sounds like a big Jackass but at least every one can hear it. There hasn’t been any night block out since I’ve been here. I don’t know how much of this stuff I’m supposed to write or not write but I did anyway.

The two letters I got Sat. were the only ones I have received so far but the others will be forwarded when they get here. I don’t believe I’d ever get a letter thru the naval station. From the

Hope the collections are still coming in as we will need them. I’m not sure yet how the finances are coming out. The income tax probably will be the hardest to meet but next year it won’t be so much.

Well, I’ll try to do better tomorrow-

Love Daddy