Tag Archives: Kentland

About to Vanish

Letter transcription:

1-17-63

Dear David:

Your card came today. Sorry you won’t get to come home, but you should know more about your time schedule that I do. It is about time for Dad to come for lunch. He was in the hospital all day yesterday and all night last night. He didn’t even get a chance to change his shirt this morning. Pat Unger Murphy has a son (one that Dad delivered yesterday).

Mark and family came Friday evening and stayed until Sunday afternoon. Becky ran into the hearth and got a goose egg on her forehead, but we put ice packs on it and the next day it didn’t look so bad. She howled for awhile, but as soon as we let her up from the ice packs she made a quick recovery and was running and playing as usual. Kirk is growing so fast, it doesn’t seem possible. He is still very good and sleeps most of the time, but when he wants his food he lets out quite a noise.

We received a letter from Lea yesterday and at long last, she is going to have a baby. She said she is due in August. I know she is probably as happy as a person can be about anything. I will have to start collecting things for the new one.

The Company that is to replace our window is supposed to do the work this afternoon. I am glad the temperature is up a little. I would hate to have that sort of thing going on in sub zero weather.

We brought some Minnesota Mining last week and it has been going up. However, yesterday there was a dip in the market and MM went down a little, but it is still over what we paid for it. We bought it as 57 7/8 and it closed yesterday at 59 3/8. It did go up over 60 one day.

Kentland Bank is having a stockholders meeting Saturday afternoon and a dinner Saturday evening. Dad said he wouldn’t get to attend the meeting, but we plan to attend the dinner. Did we tell you the Bank stock is going to split? We have 50 shares now and after the split we will have 62½. Since John has the same amount, we will either buy his ½ share or sell him ours. I rather think we will buy his.

I plan (weather permitting) to go to Lafayette Monday to see a tax consultant. Mark and I worked on taxes while he was here over the weekend, but he is just learning and I decided I would like to have an expert check our figures. There is a legislative seminar (sponsored by Council of Churches of Indiana) and I was supposed to attend, but decided not to. The Seminar is next Tuesday the 22^nd and since I have an appointment in Lafayette on Monday, I decided that would be too much driving for me.

I talked to Miss Kresler Monday night about arranging our trip. We decided since she is a professional guide – she conducts tours every summer and has for 20 years – except during the war – we couldn’t find anyone who could better advise us. I took some of the literature along that I have accumulated since we have been planning our trip. She pointed out some things she thought we wouldn’t like in the literature we have. If we decide to take the trip she sells, it will be entirely by jet, but I think we will see much more that way. Once of the places included on the Olson Tour is Athens. The Olson Tour also includes the Holy Land and I want to see the Parthenon. She toured in Asia last summer, visiting Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and a few other places. Dad told Dr. K. yesterday that we are planning to be away next Jan. & Feb. He didn’t tell him any more than that. Miss Kresler told me that she is conducting a tour of Europe next summer and that Dr. & Mrs. Kresler and children, the Battons and another family are going on the tour with her.

I was going to give you the candy that was left over from Christmas, but discovered after you left that it was still in the refrigerator, so when Mark and Shirley left Sunday I gave them a box of Fanny May and opened the box of Snappers for us, so the only Christmas candy that is left is what came from South Africa and it is about to vanish.

—Dad has been home and we have had lunch. He had to make two house calls in Sheldon and is there now. The people who were supposed to replace the window haven’t come and since it is past 2 o’clock I doubt if they get here today. – I just answered the door and it was the glass people. They are now tearing out the broken window.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/30/about-to-vanish/

New Window

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 Postmark Jan. 9, 1963 – handwritten by David]

Dear David –

It doesn’t seem possible this can be Jan. 8, but here we are. Dad is having to spend most of the day – or the morning at least in the hospital. He has been getting a few evening at home however. He brought the drawers, from the cabinet where we keep the change box out to the house and after a sanding and varnish job they book like the rest of the drawers Kitterman put in. He also hung a door in front of the safe. Someone backed into our aluminum railing and bent it out of shape, and broke the base of the post on the north side – the post that rested on the bottom step. Dad had just secured the thing at the top, now we have to have one new post put in. We have no idea who caused the damage but, they had to be “away out” to manage to bank into it.

We are to get a new window put in a week from Thursday. The Insurance adjustor told Doris Wilson he could get it installed by a firm in Lafayette for at least $30.00 less than it has been costing. We said fine, you take care of it. It sounds like we have been “had” on all the other replacements – or the Insurance Company, since they have paid for all of the windows.

Mark called last night and while he was talking to me he said “Becky, stop that” – I, of course, asked him what she was doing. She was hitting Kirk in the face. In about a year, I think Kirk will probably be returning the blows. The way he is growing I think he will be able to take care of himself. They are coming

[page 2] down for the weekend. Taxes to figure and Mark wants to have his car worked on.

I have to attend a meeting this afternoon, so must get myself a bit of lunch and get a few things done before I go.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/29/new-window/

Christmas Plans

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
12-5-62

Dear David –

First I want to tell you that you were correct about your bank balance. It was $36.34 until I made the last deposit and it is now $236.34 – unless of course, you have written a check since Monday.

We are having some wintry weather today. Had a little rain last night and a few snow flakes today.

I noticed some Christmas trees on the Court House lawn today. I hope to get one while there is still a good selection.

I talked to Mark last night and they are coming down on Friday the 21^st for the whole weekend. They will go on to the Wards before Christmas and come back here Christmas day. I told Mark I didn’t like that arrangement, because last year Becky was so tired on Christmas day, she was irritable. He wondered if I had any suggestions. I told him they could leave Becky here. You can imagine how that went over. Becky usually won’t say anything on the phone when we are talking but last night she

[page 2] said grandma – you know how she says it.

I haven’t been out to see the new Field’s baby, but will probably stop one day this week.

The kneeling rail on the altar is 35½”x8.” You will of course have to get more material that a piece that size to allow for the edges and the depth of the foam rubber. I think Dad said we have the rubber. It is probably 1” thick. Get ample material.

I got out Christmas decorations last Saturday. I have the lovely candelabra the Kreslers gave us last year on the table. I have a bowl of tree ornaments on the coffee table and that, I think, will be the extent of my decorations. I took the crèche to the Primary Dept., also the choir boy and other wax figures I have had for years. I have decided to give that set to the Dept. and start a new one for Becky & Kirk.

It is about that time – 5 p.m. – so must get along.
Love Mother

Just keep saying – “Come on Louie, you can do it.”

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/28/christmas-plans/

Kitterman’s Bill

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

11-11-62

Dear David –

I had intended getting a letter written to you all last week, but my time seems to have gotten away from me. I have thought about you so much this week and hope you are able to make up your mind about your future. It is something you have to decide for yourself. We just want you to be sure you are going what is right for you. Pray for guidance.

We are enjoying a very pleasant day not too cold and the sun is shining, which helps during this season.

The pheasant hunters awakened me this morning in the field across the street. This is the first years I have seen hunters there. They must have had permission from Ken McCarty since there is a no hunting sign at the corner.

I attended a meeting at the hospital (luncheon meeting) and was home by 2 o’clock. I just finished writing to two more companies about around the world travel. There were so many ads in the Tribune yesterday and I saw one that included Hawaii and thought I would

[page 2] send for their literature. I just hope we don’t get so much we won’t be able to decide. I hardly think that will happen. Dad was saying yesterday we are going to have to decide soon.

Kitterman finally got around to bringing us a bill today. You know we didn’t ask him for an estimate. We just told him what we wanted and let it go at that. I was agreeably surprised when I learned the total bill was $2,916.96 – of course that doesn’t include all the other expenses connected with the remodeling, but I thought his bill was very reasonable. He still had to put the railing at the front step and of course that isn’t included I this bill, but that won’t amount to much.

I am studying to take a driver’s test this week. I have to renew my license this month.

I am finished reading Auntie Mame and Dad is just about to finish it. Same book.

I finished the coat for Becky and now I am knitting her a pair of mittens.

Let us know how you are getting along.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/27/kittermans-bill/

The New Arrival

3 Replies

Letter transcription:

Thursday afternoon
October 11, 1962

Dear David:

Yours received via Corbins. It is a wonderful day and just like summer. I suppose it is a few degrees warmer where you are. Dad has had a very busy week. He had to spend most of his time this week in the hospital, taking care of accident cases, surgery and baby cases. He is getting some work done around the yard this afternoon. He is going to the office at 5 o’clock to put a new handle on the inside front door. The old one keeps getting out of order. We keep getting a few more things done at the office and Dad is working on the speaker system to get the FM radio hooked up. Don’t worry about my record player. If we want to, Dad can make it into a stereo. We have been too busy it seems to even listen to records, but I hope this pace doesn’t keep up. Anyway, you know I am not (at this time) interested in spending anything on record players. We will charge the FM off to office expense when Dad gets it ready to be installed. I am so used to writing John without using any paragraphs that I just decided to do the same with you. This is the easiest way. I hope you get your studies. You sounded so busy in your last letter, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to get it all done. We haven’t heard from Mark’s since a week ago today. Mark says Shirley isn’t due until the 20^th or 21^st. Of course, that isn’t going to keep her from going a little early if the baby decides not to wait until the date set. It would have been nice to have Becky here during this nice weather so she could have played out of doors some. I will let you know when the new arrival gets here (or there, rather). Lea and Bob came last Saturday and spent the night and Sunday with us. We took them to the KC for smorgasbord Sunday noon. We didn’t know they were coming. I was supposed to attend a class party at the parsonage, and had baked a cake, after I finished baking yours (incidentally that was your birthday cake, if a little late) to take to the party. I cancelled attending party and had cake to serve for dessert Saturday evening.

Dad has gone to the office to work on the door and I am going down to do some work on a thing or two I can’t get done while the office is open for business.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/26/the-new-arrival/

Carpenters Haven’t Finished

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Tuesday October 2/1962

Dear David:

I presume you received the little birthday gift – you didn’t mention it. We will get your time taken care of when you come home. Is your telephone number the same, in case I need to call?

We entertained bridge club Sunday evening. We went to KC for smorgasbord. Mrs. DeAntonia (Ann Funk) has the place fixed the nicest I have ever seen it. We had a very good meal and if anyone didn’t get enough to eat no one can be blamed.

I hope you are over your cold. I am sending you some vitamins and I want you to take them. Since you are having sore throats and colds, is a very good indication you need vitamins.

The carpenters haven’t finished a few things around the office yet and we haven’t paid them anything since that first $400.00. I am going to call Mr. K. tonight and give him a little reminder that he hasn’t finished one of the cabinets – two drawers we especially need every day aren’t in yet. We have the old cardex file cut down and painted grey – it nearly matches the metal ones and Edna is gradually getting the inactive cards transferred from the hall into the cabinet. As usual the office has been very busy and some days I go at 4 instead of 5 to help. Dad is fixing up the FM radio I have here at the house, with extra speakers and we are going to put it in the office instead of my record player. We learned from Dr. Ferguson that one isn’t allowed to use a record player in a public place. Dad was telling him about our preparations for getting music in the office and when he learned we intended to use our record player, told Dad that. Dr. F. has FM in his office. He gets it from Indianapolis. We will have to have an aerial put on the office building, but that won’t be much of a job.

I finally got around to having the carpet cleaned. I didn’t have Fowler Laundry, but had Dale Hamman here in town who uses the Duraclean method. It looks very clean now and we are trying to keep it clean for a while. When Becky comes it may get dampened once in a while. I intend to put training panties on her and get her to use a potty chair I have borrowed. We may have a few little accidents before her visit is over, but I hope to get her out of diapers. Mark is to bring her down as soon as the new baby comes. He says it should arrive any time after the 14^th of this month.

So far the new janitor has been giving satisfactory service. Howard and his wife both do the work and seem very anxious to please. When I hired Howard I told him I thought he could usually clean the office in an hour each evening – with extra time once in a while for heavy cleaning and that is about what it has been running. We were certainly being taken by the former cleaning woman.

I will put $100 in the bank for you this week.
Love Mother

I listened to NBC’s special program last nite about Mississippi. I have no sympathy with those southerners. They certainly can’t see the handwriting on the wall.

Becky, 1962

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/25/carpenters-havent-finished/

Working for Arvella

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Memorial Hall I.U.]
Aug. 1-1962

Dear David –

What are your plans for coming home? As I remember you will get out of school the 10^th. Let me know. The carpenters have really been working this week. It should be in pretty good shape in another week. They took the old linoleum off the waiting room floor and what a mess. They were sanding the floor yesterday afternoon but didn’t finish. I am getting ready to go to pick up mail now – I am hoping they will be thru by the time I get there. I think Arvella will be more than ready for her vacation August 12. Having the file cards in the emergency room makes so much extra walking

[page 2] We are also using the emergency room for a waiting room. Things are a little hectic at times.

Dad talked to Mrs. Donahue (secretary Draft Board) Monday and she said you wouldn’t be called up for a physical until you are 22 or 23, so you evidently don’t have anything to worry about now. From my understanding of the situation you don’t have to do anything until you hear from the Board.

The K. J. Brown Co. folded. M. Myers said the manager didn’t know enough about selling grain to keep the office on a paying basis. She thinks another company will come in.

[page 3] I am not going to Lafayette for therapy now. I decided I could do my own at home. That was a lot of driving. I didn’t feel like I was getting enough good from an 80 mile trip – since I can do the same things at home. Dad fixed some equipment I use every day (in furnace room) and I am making a little progress (as much as I made before) every day.

I put $70.00 in the bank for you recently. That should take care of your needs until you get home.

The mail should be in. Let me know when you are coming home.

Love Mother

We start to work for Arvella August 13.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/24/working-for-arvella/

Draft Status

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

[Memorial Hall I.U. – 7/27/62 – Handwritten by David]

Dear David:

I thought you might like this card. I asked Al and he said there would be time to see about whether you need a ticket when you get back from I.U. I haven’t asked the Draft Board about your status. You can do that when you get back. (or maybe I will inquire tomorrow – I am getting ready to go to Lafayette now). I told George Dye you would take the class from August 12. He said he was glad. Dad got the incinerator built yesterday (with my assistance). He had built a form and poured cement into it. It should last for a while and it looks like it is large enough to take care of our needs. The men are working on the office and the front looks like an entirely new building. They had the outside just about finished. They are going to tear out the waiting room partition today I think. It will be a mess for a while, but we will just have to put up with it. I think the worst will be over before I have to work for Arvella (I hope). I am leaving town at 9:30 and it is 9 now, so must get along.

Love Mother

A Few Pounds

3 Replies

Letter transcription:

[Memorial Hall I.U. – Handwritten by David]
Monday July 23, 1962

Dear David –

I just finished cutting 2 stencils for office sheets. I had made some but wasn’t satisfied with results so decided I would have to do the job over.

I went to Lafayette today for therapy. I went by myself last Friday and today. It is much less bother than trying to find a driver. I leave here at a little after nine and get back home between 12 & 1:00. Peggy drove for me twice. Joan went once or twice and Sarah drove three times. I think I am improving. I can swing on a trapeze, which is something I have been working on for several days. I will be glad when I get thru with these treatments. I am also taking off some weight. Now balance the scales at 118 which

[page 2] is 6 or 7 lbs. lighter than when I went to the hospital. I really count my calories. The way you eat you will never believe how hard it is to lose a few lbs.

Dad is working on a form to pour cement into. He has the base poured for the new incinerator and one of these days is going to get the frame out there and pour the top.

The carpenters haven’t worked on the office for 2 weeks. I was to the point of taking no more inactivity so I called Mr. K. this evening. The excuse had been the windows were holding up the work. He said the windows came today and he was coming back on the job in the morning. I don’t know what I would have said to him if he hadn’t told me that but I had several things to tell him. We would like to get it finished before we go on a week’s vacation Sept. 1 to 9.

[page 3] I don’t know how reliable his word is but he promised to finish this time. It has been a mess. They left a pile of sand by the front step and we have had sand tracked all through the office every day.

Jim Walter has signed to teach at Reynolds, so they will be moving sometime this fall. Jim Walker has signed to teach at Monticello so Kentland loses another good teacher. The school board has been having a lot of difficulty. We have heard so much adverse news about the situation we are wondering if the new school will ever be built. Mr. Nicholson has resigned. He is going into the Airbourne T. V. Program at Purdue. The school teaching business around here is getting to be something like the doctor situation. I am glad Dad isn’t on the Board. With all the guff he has to take in his daily work, he doesn’t need the extra aggravation. However, I think if he had been on the school board things might have not gotten into quite the deplorable condition they are in at present.

[page 4] The enclosed card came from your friend in S. Africa. I thought you might like to get it.

If you have time, drop Marge Cheek a get-well card. She had to have an emergency operation a week ago today. She is at the Geo. Ade Memorial Hospital, Brook, Ind.

We were going to have Bridge Club Sunday night (out of turn because I don’t want to try and have it at the end of August when I will be working in the office) but Krulls are going to have it. We will plan for September and you will be back in school. I’ll bet you hat to miss that – ha!

How’s your money holding out? We haven’t had any word from D. Mace since last Sunday. We just hope no news is good news.

Love Mother

Mackinac Bridge

3 Replies

Letter transcription:

[Memorial Hall I.U. – Handwritten by David]
Thurs. July 19, 1962

Dear David –

I went to Lafayette yesterday and while in the hospital had a chance to see Dr. Ferguson. He wants me to continue therapy two more weeks – or until I have normal motion with my right arm. I am to go again tomorrow. I think I had too much therapy yesterday – my arm is a little sore today.

I asked Rev. Fields about the book you wrote about but he didn’t know anything about it. He was to give me a list of books he does know about. He is at camp this week and I didn’t get the list from him. While the Fields are away this week the painting is being done.

Well, what do you think about the defeat of the little Kennedy boy’s legislation? If he can learn from anything I think it is time for him to take a hint. I think the Dri strike in Canada possibly had some effect on the way the voting went.

While Mark, Shirley & Becky were here Bob & Lea stopped for a little while on Saturday. Sunday afternoon Virginia (Zell) Gale and her family came. I don’t know when Mark’s will be back. We couldn’t figure out a date while they were

[page 2] here. Shirley is going to visit her family for a week after she quits work August 1. She will stop here for a little while. We are planning to go to Chicago September 1 for a week’s vacation. We thought we would go up and see the Mackinac bridge one day. I hope you plan to be home all the time when you get back from summer school, until you return to school in September. We are counting on leaving you here to look after things while we are away. And of course you have to be here to help me during Arvella’s vacation.

The work on the building is at a standstill. Mr. K. says the windows haven’t come and that he can’t do anything more until he gets them.

Dad has been so very busy, I will be glad when he can get away for a vacation. Dr. Brady is gone from Morocco and the people in Morocco have no hopes of getting another Dr. That just makes more work on Dad all the time.

Marge Cheek had to have an emergency operation Monday evening. Appendicitis and complications. I was at the hospital Tuesday but didn’t try to see her because she wasn’t able to have company.

I have to write to John and do a few other things today – I will be traveling tomorrow so won’t get much done at home.

Love Mother