Tag Archives: Keith Myers

Stitch in Time (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
1-29-44

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Jan. 18 & 20 came today. This is a lazy Sat. a.m. John isn’t taking a music lesson. He stayed home from school yesterday with a cold. I gave him sulfamerazine and the cold is about gone. He still coughs, but so many do. David still coughs too. David is so full of pep he can wear any of us down. I got a little throat bug yesterday – so started sulfamerazine and feel better. It is down too deep to have it swabbed so thought the best thing to do was take something to nip it before I got something in my sinus. I could hardly go to sleep last night my throat kept filling up, but that is better now. We really don’t take sulfa all the time. This is the first John

[page 2] and I have taken any since last fall but rather than let anything get too bad thought a “stitch in time” would be better than waiting for something worse to develop. It was sunny and windy out yesterday and I hung clothes out on the line and think I got my throat irritation when out in the high wind.

Again I’ll repeat that the taxes was the gross I pd. One quarter I quit paying after that because we don’t pay taxes anymore that is while you are out of the states. Service people don’t have to pay any gross and when you get back home we can see about the Federal.

Irene is home from the hospital but I haven’t seen much of her. Link took her job at the factory so I don’t know whether she is working now or not. Your diagnosis seems to be correct. One day I went to see Coke about

[page 3] some knitting and she brought up the subject of Irene’s condition. I wasn’t going to say much but Coke said she thought the thing Irene needed now was to see a psychiatrist. She also said I wouldn’t be sick or think she was sick so much if she had a husband like Red. She said if Irene didn’t think she was ill every time she had a little pain, etc., etc., etc. She really sized the situation up pretty well. She said she told Mrs. James she thought Irene need[ed] to see a psychiatrist. Red told her she would get herself in trouble if she wasn’t careful, but in her opinion it was time for someone to say something. Dorothy said Link told Nick the Dr. said there wasn’t anything the matter, all in her mind. – Well so much for that. The way I got started

[page 4] was the remark you made in your letter.

We have had lunch and dishes washed since I started this, besides baking a cake & 7 dz. cookies. John wanted me to try a cake receipt he saw in a magazine.

The Myers twins & Bob Wilson made the paper this week. The twins are in training at Pensacola and Bob is a Lt. in the 13th A.A.F. in the S. Pacific. Mary & Al Myers have moved to either Whiting, Gary, or some city around Chicago. The Josserands are living in the Myers house now. V. is still going around as usual but doesn’t have many friends, it seems, I see her so often by herself or with her little Susan. There is a Horn family living here and she does go around with Mrs. H. some.

Had a letter from Dolores – her husband is back in Cuba. She is hoping he will get another furlough in the spring so they can go home together.
Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/11/05/stitch-in-time-gladys/

Pensacola (Gladys)

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#WWII1943-11-04 (GRY)Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
11-4-43

Dear Daddy – Yours of Oct. 27 & 30 came today. Some service I would say. I haven’t seen any of Hickey’s family yet to tell them his hello! I am much relieved to get your last two letters and am anxiously waiting more. Hope you are getting mine right along. I wrote Lt. Palmer a thank you note for sending the flower order to Bergens. Some of roses are still pretty. The bouquet was red roses & white mums. I got two ton of Ind. coal and with what was in the basement think we will get along for a while – at least until after the first of the year. I am keeping the thermostat at 70 in this weather but will probably set it up when real cold sets in. We had a heavy frost last nite & the temp was 29. It is warmer now. I have clothes whipping on the line. David is “loose” at present walking around the furniture & walls having quite a good time. John & Mark are trying hard to get him to say words. It’s still mostly jabbering. He has another tooth which makes seven and another about thru. Dr. Van K. is back – He is retired from the Army so I image [imagine] will re-open his office here. The Myers twins have been sent to Pensicola, Fla. for final 3 months training. Do you remember we once thought of that station? We could dream couldn’t we?

Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/05/22/pensacola-gladys/

Teen Age Draft Bill (Gladys)

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Teen Age Draft Bill - 1942-11-13The Teen Age Draft Bill was working its way to President Roosevelt’s desk on November 13, 1942. The bill that required men to register for the selective service lowered the age requirement from twenty to eighteen. The war effort needed assistance from men as well as women, persons of color, and individuals of every age. A month previously on October 12, 1942, President Roosevelt returned from a two week tour of the country. He shared his new hopes and visions with the nation in a Fireside Chat. In this speech, he spoke of lowering the age requirement.  He felt that this was necessary for a more speedy victory of the war. A month later, Roosevelt signed the Teen Age Draft bill into law.

I am including two links to audio recordings of this speech:
The first link is to the Miller Center in Virginia which includes a rough transcript of the speech. The link to the audio is on the right hand side of the page.
http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/detail/3329
The second link is to My Old Radio which has many of Roosevelt’s other speeches in its archives as well as many old radio shows and commercials. http://www.myoldradio.com/old-radio-episodes/fdr-set-prejudices-aside/16

Letter transcription:

Kentland Indiana
Nov 13 – 1942
(Fri)

Dear Daddy –

Got up early this am (but went back to bed) David slept thru the 2 a.m. feeding then woke up at 5 – and then Mother wanted to get up at 5 because she was going to T.H. [Terre Haute] with Servies and they were coming for her at 6. I got part of washing done yesterday & finished today. With a little “fellar” there is always a washing to do. I am still able to hang things out but when it gets too cold I will put them in the basement.

Rec’d a letter this morning – and you were somewhat out of sorts when you wrote. Well maybe by this time you have a few more letters and know I am receiving yours and have all you have written to date. That is, the one I rec’d this a.m. was dated Nov. 4 & this is the 13th so that brings it to date. Now that you have rec’d some of those “back numbers: maybe you will get all or most of them. Remember you asked for your comm. & I sent it. Sorry, those two letters I wrote Oct 24 & 25 didn’t mention receiving your letters regularly, because I did mention it in most of my letters.

About Mark – I couldn’t get him a bike unless I found one second-hand – because you have to have a requisition from the ration board and I am afraid I wouldn’t have any reason for getting him one. I think I could get him a Jr. bike but that would be foolish because he wants a full size. He is learning to play the cornet and Mr. Webster says he is doing fine. That he has a better tone range than most of the band children. The only thing he lacks is perseverance. I have been bragging on him and he has been practicing a little better this week. I told him if he learned to play the cornet I would buy him a better horn but I didn’t want to invest anything is a horn if he wouldn’t stick with it. He can blow Taps & Silent Night. I am going to get him a tool set for Christmas and fix him a work shop in the basement. He would do something worthwhile I am sure if he had some help. That is what he says he wants and has one picked out in the Sears holiday book. John is doing as usual. He is playing a large Sax now and still takes piano lessons. He was in a play that is a ”stunt” by the 7th grade. When he came home last night I had to clean make-up off his face. Mother went to see it and said the 7th grade stunt was the best. Now I wonder why she thought that (or do I wonder so much)

[page 2] By Mother getting to go home before her birthday I had to go to town and get her something yesterday evening since she left at 6 a.m. today. While in town I saw Lucile Johnson and she said I could use the baby carriage she has until she is ready for it. The one Zell’s have will require so much work however I may fix it up so I can use it when L. wants hers. I saw Ira D. and he said he had another letter from you. I told him he could keep you posted on the local gossip – and he promised to do that. Ellsworth [Wilson] was in the drug store at the time and I talked to him about the Ins. policy for David and he is going to write it in the Laf. Life. He said that was a good company. Hope that meets with your approval.

Had a letter from Henry R. – Jr. today and he wanted to know about you. Evidently he is still at Moffett Field because his letter came from there. Here is his address – you write to him. his address is H. W. Reinhard, Ylc, CUB Two, Moffett Field Calif. He said “would like very much to know something about Jake.”

I sent you a birthday box and put the Lentz pictures & films in it. By getting Boonies candy as soon as you did you should get the box I sent. Again I’ll quote the present bank bal (721). I get my checks each month. It comes in two since you made the additional after you reached Calif. I haven’t done any spending yet this fall. Got the boys some new clothes, but haven’t paid that bill yet (50⁰⁰). That includes some things I got for Mother. I also gave her 10⁰⁰ this morning when she left. The bank bal. of course includes the birthday money. If you get all the letters I have made repeats in you may be sorry you asked for “rehash.”

The baby had a crusty formation in his eyebrows and I was afraid it might be impetigo – how he could get anything at all is beyond me because you know my “mania” for keeping clean. I had been using water on his face but but he got a rash or something so just used oil and the rash cleared but this thing started in his eyebrow – so decided to use some samples I rec’d – “Pragmusal” I applied it three nights in succession and it cleared up. I read the label on the tube carefully and decided it would not be too strong for his skin even if it didn’t help – but it did the trick. Of course if it had gotten worse & spread would have taken him to Dr. C. but didn’t want to make an unnecessary trip. I am not due to go back for more than a week yet. I want to make the trip just before gas rationing but then after that will have to make trips because will have to get David started on his shots when he is old enough.

The Myers twins were just sent to Laf. to the Naval Station there. They had enlisted in Aug. – 18 went from Newton Co. Nov. 6 – Jim Fletcher’s widow [Emma Fletcher] is working at Sharps. Just put in the above from glancing at the Enterprize. You should be getting it soon as Bart is sending it every week.

Have to register for gas ration card next week. Hope this finds you with all the letters you should get

Love Mother
(hope you can read all this)

©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney

Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/06/23/teen-age-draft-bill-gladys/

Halloween (October 31, 1942) – Gladys

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Today’s letter features some great re-capping on Gladys’ part. At this point in the letters, Gladys knew that a chunk of letters were missing in action. We learn a bit more about the night David was born and Gladys finally has the news that Roscoe was aware of David’s birth. She provided a lot of answers to questions that Roscoe had been asking over the last month or so. How much money was in the bank account? Who was helping around the house? Who had enlisted and who was still in town?

Letter transcription:

Kentland, Indiana
Oct 31-1942

Dear Daddy-

At last I received a letter from you saying you had the news about David – and the middle name is Anthony – I wrote all the details in a letter while I was in the hospital but just in case it was lost I will try and give you a brief resume .

My water broke at 11 P.M. – without any pain. I called Dr. Cole & he said to come to the hospital. I called Bob & then Dorothy – Clarice also went along. After we started I began having hard pains and Bob drove as fast as he could. We were on 4th floor by midnight. David was born at 2:03 and I had ether as soon as they got me strapped down so didn’t know much about the pain at the last. I was just beginning to get very hard pains when they took me in to the delivery room (1:30) so you know I got thru in fine shape and of course no tears inside or out because the little fellow only weighed 6-11. I suffered more with my breasts than I did having him. I tried to nurse him and he kept losing weight – he went back to 6 lbs – and my breasts were well stimulated. They gave me stilbestrol and I had to take twice as much as I did the last time. Dr. C. made me stay in the hospital two weeks. When we came home David weighed 6-3 ¼ and now weighs almost 8 lbs and he will be 6 weeks old Wed (Nov. 4). When I left the hospital I sent for my bill and the nurse came in and said it had already been taken care of. We are feeding David Carnation, Dextri-Maltrose – orange juice & Oleum Per.

Everything here is going along pretty good now that I am able to be up and doing again. The furnace is O.K. So far the boys have been taking care of it with help from the neighbors now & then. Link has taken the clinkers out and Mr. Zell cleaned the soot & clinkers out once. I think the boys & I will be able to keep it in shape now. Joe got the storm windows put up and after the leaves all fall I will have the guttering cleaned. I think everything has been attended to. I had antifreeze put in the car & winter oil put in. I keep the tires checked. The bank acct. at present is around 700⁰⁰ that includes the birthday gift. I have paid the coal bill and of course ins. as it comes due. There are a few drug bills to pay but altogether they won’t amount to 100⁰⁰. I will pay those one day when I take a

[Written on side margin] Jim’s address is still Camp Bradford Norfolk but he is moving to another location so don’t know what it will be.

[page 2]notion. They don’t bother me much with statements maybe if they did I would pay them.

Tomorrow is my birthday. Mrs. P. sent me 5⁰⁰ and a gift to David (3⁰⁰). Dorothy Krull sent me a potted plant. Mother brought me a gift when she came in Sept and gave it to me then – a set of bowls. She is still here and I don’t know when she is going home. Nothing has been said about it lately. I tried to get help with housecleaning but “no go.” I will do it myself as I have time & feel like it. I am not going to make myself sick doing it however.

The boys (John & Mark) are taking Sherman oral vaccine. Maybe that will keep them from taking cold. John had a slight head cold when he started taking the pills & after two his cold was gone. He had a sneezing all thru hay fever tie. I was of the opinion he had some allergy.

If all my letters get to you, you will get all the local news because I tried to put all of interest in my letters. So many have gone into service – here is a list – Art Kenney – Paul Bruck, Kenny Jones, Emery J. Jr., Eddie Britton, Leo Yose, the two Mullen boys, the Myers twins (Al didn’t enlist). There are many others but I can’t think of them now. I think I told you Newell Lamb has the office. He was appointed Prosecuting Attorney due to the present one going to service. Clifford S. as you know is running for election on the Dem. Ticket. He didn’t do much with our collections. I saw A. Taylor yesterday & he gave me a check for 9⁰⁰. He said he thought that was all he owed. I told him I would send him an itemized statement. He said if I was right he would pay the rest.

I talk to Mrs. R. rather often. She calls me or I call her. I told her you hadn’t had news for a long time & didn’t know about the baby. Earl stopped there en route to an Army Camp in Pa. and she told him. He came to see me and was going to help me get word to you when I got your letter saying you at last had my V-mail letters. I sent several while I was in bed at home and in the hospital. I don’t believe you rec’d all. If you get my previous letters this will be a rehash.

I tried to call Mrs. Ash while in Laf. But didn’t get an answer. I haven’t talked to her since she saw me in the hospital. I didn’t write to Mrs. W. Sorry he had to go, because I know you enjoyed his company from your letters.

I rec’d two letters yesterday and six today which brings things pretty much up to date for me. Hope you get the Christmas boxes being sent. We sent one. I am sending another for your birthday but don’t know when you will get it.

Love
Mother & Boys

[written on side margin] I wrote yesterday explaining the radio-gram.

©2013, copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney

Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/05/30/halloween-octo…31-1942-gladys/