Kate Garvey | Genealogy Lady

Just about fifteen years after Gladys wrote her last letter to Roscoe in 1945, Gladys wrote one of her first letters to her youngest son, David, when he went away to college. The baby of the family, born in September 1942, was now almost 18 years old and attending Indiana University at Bloomington. Mark, the middle son, had married and his firstborn child, a daughter, had been born just four days prior to the following letter. Gladys and Roscoe’s oldest son John was living and working in Indonesia. Having earned a PhD in linguistics, John had worked on several projects related to Native American languages during the 1950s.

September 14, 1960

Letter transcription:

Kentland, Indiana
146 W. Graham Street
September 14, 1960

Dear David:

First to answer your questions

(my) Place of birth: Terre Haute, Indiana, November 1, 1905.
(Dad’s) (Roscoe Schiele Yegerlehner) Clay County, Indiana, November 25, 1904

Dad has: B.S. degree from Indiana State Teachers College
M.S. degree from Indiana University
M.D. degree from Indiana Univerity (9 years)

I had two years business college.

Mr. Floyd Yegerlehner (or Mrs.) 1603 Garfield, Lebanon, Indiana.
Mrs. Earl Mutchler, Wilmington, Illinois. (115 East Street)

Or you could give

Mr. Mark Yegerlehner, 6107 N. Kenmore, Chicago, Ill.
Or you could give Dr. John Yegerlehner, Malang, Indonesia. (just joking)

In case you look for your suit, I hung it at the north end of your closet on a hook, a little lover than the road. Why don’t you use that laundry case for your clothes hamper – well that might be a little unhandy. I will send you a plastic bag, since I have so many of them here, but won’t have time to make any cookies to send along.

Received a letter from John. I will quote you something from his letter. “Kate Garvey and I have been giving a five-week seminar (10 sessions of two hours each) for high school English teachers here: modern methods of teaching English. When I think of the lies I was told about the English language by that old crock Kitsmiller…well. (Really the teaching of English is in the stone age in America. It would be as if they taught alchemy instead of chemistry in high school) We should be able to do better here.” He had received my birthday card, but since you didn’t send yours it couldn’t get to him.

Mark called Monday evening to tell us not to try to come up this week. Because of the hospital rules, we couldn’t get in to see Shirley and the baby, so maybe we can plan to go next week. Mark is going to Traders Point Friday to get Mrs. Ward, so he will stop here on his way.

I talked to Mr. Molter this morning and he said you would not have to make a special trip home to register, but that you could take care of it when you come home for Thanksgiving vacation. You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to come home if you want to come, but he said you didn’t have to make a special trip just to register.

Mrs. Fields called this morning to talk to Dad about Mark. He is still have some difficulty and she was to take him to the office at 10:20.

John’s first dividend check from Standard Oil came today – $27.50. Also your dividend check from GM ($2.00) which I will deposit in your account. Put that down on your check book, to keep your balance correct.

It is about time for Dad to come for lunch, so must get things ready.
Love Mother

P.S. Decided to enclose sack.

[handwritten notation on back in David’s handwriting – Received Friday AM Sept 16]