Tag Archives: Kentland

Election Day

Letter transcription:

[Kentland Wright 521 – in David’s handwriting]
November 14, 1960

Dear David:

I have been intending to write since Election day, but somehow I didn’t get around to it. Mark and Shirley and Becky came Thursday evening and the rest of the week I was pretty busy. Had to attend Myra’s wedding Saturday and the reception in the afternoon. Mark and Shirley went home (also Becky) yesterday afternoon. Becky is certainly a well trained baby. About the only time she is taken up is when she has to be fed. She has gained and weighs 10 lbs. 15 ounces – with her clothes on – which would be about 10-8 without. We measured her and she is 23” long, which indicates she may grow up to be tall like her uncle David. I suppose you are a little unhappy over the election. Now they are talking about doing away with the electoral college. I think it is about time. I hope now that the election is over that you can get down to some very serious studying. Lucile and Ed came out to see the baby Saturday evening. They said Jim was home. He comes almost every weekend, but since it is so close I can’t blame him. Mark invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them, so you will get a chance to see the baby. We took several pictures of her. She has grown so much she has changed since the last pictures we took of her. The baby bed Phyllis gave us fits in the NW corner of your room. Of course, when they move into a house they will take the large (it is much larger bed than the one they have now) bed with them. Please excuse this letter, but I am so used to writing to John in this fashion, it seems to come naturally. – Just an afterthought- even though the Democrats had a full slate in Newton County, none of them won anything. Everything in the county still in the hands of the Republicans. I am going to make a trip out to the hospital this afternoon. I have taken over the job of seeing that the gift cart is supplied and I have to go out and check merchandise. I plan to take Mrs. Myers along. I haven’t talked to her since the election. I know she feels the same way we feel about things. Mrs. Fields came out to see Shirley and the baby Saturday and when Mrs. F. saw Shirley, she said “I know you.” They were at I.U. and worked in the dining hall at the same time. Mark said he could remember her also, since she was on campus when he was. Small world. Mark Fields is walking now, but he still would rather crawl. He had a ball crawling around in our living room.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/09/election-day/

Winter Came Today

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[to Wright Quad 521 – written in David’s handwriting]
Kentland, Indiana, October 19, 1960

Dear David:

Winter came today. I suppose it has turned colder in Bloomington also. Since we will be leaving Saturday evening, I called Mark this evening just to talk to them and to know about Becky. Mark says she is growing and getting along fine. He took your telephone number and his address is 6107 N. Kenmore, Apt. 1-C, Chicago and telephone is Holleycourt (HO 5-4673), so in case you might need to talk to him while we are away. We told him we would be calling you from time to time and if they need to get in touch with us while we are gone, they can call you. We will call you Monday Oct. 24 evening at about 7 o’clock, so plan to be in your room when we call.

Yesterday was a full day. There was a club convention at the Church and I attended most of it. Last night I had the ABC class party. I was a little tired when the guests had all gone home, but my committee washed the dishes and helped me straighten the house, so when I went to bed everything had been taken care of. I slept a little late this morning, and didn’t feel any after effects. I have been getting some housecleaning done before we leave.

The open house at the parsonage Sunday was quite a success. They received 150 guests, so felt quite happy about everything. The Fields came to the party last night and brought Mark and his pen. He was good most of the evening, but by the time Miss Kitsmiller had finished her talk about her trip to Europe and had shown her pictures, Mark was getting pretty sleepy, so they didn’t stay for refreshments.

It has turned so cold I rather think Dad won’t have to mow the yard until spring. As cold as it has been all day I rather think all the flowers will be finished tonight. It has rained most of the day and those nasty worms are all over the front patio. I heard on the news that it had snowed in Chicago today. Since it has been such a warm fall this weather doesn’t seem to be right, but here it is the latter part of October so it must be time for it. It should be nice for us to head south now.

Did I tell you that Edna and her mother are going to stay here while we are away? We thought it would make it easier for her – so she won’t have to make that trip to Brook every day.

We will be leaving Saturday evening as soon as we can get away from the office and hope to get as far as Kentucky before stopping. If there is anything you need to talk to us about, call us before Saturday evening.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/08/winter-came-today/

Bus and Train Schedules

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[to Wright 521 – David’s handwriting]
Kentland, Indiana
October 6, 1960

Dear David:

I deposited $100 in your account Oct. 1. Your statement showed your Sept. 30 balance $19.02, so with the $100 you should be in pretty good shape financially.

I thought about the Monon after talking to you, so called the train station in Rensselaer. You can get a train out of Bloomington around noon each day and if you can’t find any other way to come, come home Saturday the 15^th and go back the 16^th (by bus). The train schedule isn’t too good as far as you are concerned. It leaves Rensselaer around noon going to Bloomington. If the bus schedule is the same as when you went for orientation, you could get a bus back, leaving here around 4 o’clock. If you come home by train I would meet you in Rensselaer. You will have check with the station as to the exact time it leaves Bloomington.

We are still having beautiful weather with just enough rain to keep the grass growing. Last night after office hours Daddy was able to get the west side mowed. He hopes to get the east side finished this afternoon – – – lawn finished. Dad has the ball game on and runs in once in a while to see how things are going (World Series).

We are planning to go to Earl Park tonight to a smorgasbord given by the Presbyterian Church and we are taking Hensleys as our guests. I will try to think about you when we are enjoying all that good food.

Enclosed is your Operator’s license. It just came today. You probably won’t be driving a car, but maybe you should have it with you.

It is just about time for me to go to Doris’ to have my hair worked on, so won’t have time to write any more now. Let me know how you are coming home.

Love Mother

P.S. The northern lights were the most beautiful and brilliant I have ever seen them, last night. We played cards a while after coming back from eating and we would all take turns running out to see the big “show.”

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/07/bus-and-train-schedules/

Upcoming Vacation

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Kentland to Wright 521 Postmark Sept. 25 (?) 9- AM 1960 – in David’s handwriting]

Dear David:

I am sending this reminder on to you, but I rather think you will have enough to do without taking Briefs again.

Dad has been moving the lawn this evening after office hours, but due to an accident he had to go back to the office. He didn’t quite finish the east lawn. The grass just keeps growing, but I don’t mind, because I would rather have the warm weather. Jerry is out shooting at the sparrows again this evening.

I understand Nancy came home for the week-end. Julie’s mother was talking to me Sunday about whether Julie would come home this next week-end. Dad was talking to Mr. Molter about your registering. Mr. M. said for you to go to the draft board in Bloomington and register and have them send it here. He forgot to tell me that when I talked to him one day last week. This draft board’s number is 58 (Newton County Draft Bd.)

We are planning to go to Florida on our vacation. We will leave here Saturday October 22. We will come to Bloomington and spend Saturday night there and after breakfast Sunday the 23^rd, we will start south. If you want to come home before that time it is OK, but in case you can’t make it, we will get to see you before we leave for Fla.

We had a robbery in town one day last week – two negros walked into the Kentland Hdw. Store and got $30.00 from Wayne. I am very careful to keep our doors locked all the time. One evening not long ago the man next door (in the little cottage) said he saw someone prowling around here. The prowler came to their house and tried to get in the back door. Our neighbor was a Marine and knows how to use a gun. He took his gun and went out into the yard and asked the visitor what he wanted. He said he was looking for cottage #14. I think when he saw the gun he probably thought he had better get away from there. He said something about wanting cottage 13 and it was rented. I told Mr. Banner the motel didn’t have a #13.

We received a wedding invitation from DeDe and Jerry. I wanted Mary B. and Marge Janssen to go with me. The wedding is at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, Oct. 8th. It is 150 miles to Canton, and they think it is too far for them to go. I haven’t talked to Esta, but they said she was just going over and back. I may go with her and I may not go. I haven’t decided yet what I will do.

Mr. Polk said to tell you the flags you ordered came. Jerry Harris said to tell you he is the official flag raiser.

N.I.P.S. is working in town now on the pipeline. We should be using that kind of gas by Christmas, or sooner. We don’t know just what the gas line will do to our driveway. The line will be put down by the street instead of back of our house.

We moved the peonies and they were so large we made 16 plantings. We are getting all the work taken care of around here. There won’t be anything for you to do when you come home, but wash windows. The neighbors got the spirea, so all Dad has to do now is fill the holes. He should be able to finish mowing the lawn tomorrow evening, then Thursday, if it doesn’t rain, he can fill holes.

My class (12 of them) went to Chicago Sunday to see Ben Hur. I talked to Dorothy Donaldson Monday about the trip and she said they thought it was worth going that far to see. Peggy and Howard didn’t go, but she said they were sorry afterwards they didn’t order tickets. There were 20 in my class Sunday. Rev. and Mrs. Fields are on vacation for a week. Rus Zell and Mel Fisher did the talking in church Sunday. There was a large crowd at Sunday School, but not so many stayed for church.

I am going to Boswell for a meeting tomorrow. Have to leave here at 8 O’clock. I should be back home by 3:30 (I hope).

You call the Stony Crest Motel and reserve us a room for October 22^nd. Tell them we won’t be in until late and if necessary make a deposit. You had better take care of that right away. Sometimes you can’t get a reservation there for just one night if there is a ball game scheduled for the week-end. If you can’t get us room there, get one at the Union Building or the University Hotel.

Dad has gone to a School Board meeting. We watched the debate last night. I have listened to some comments on it today. I suppose you watched it.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/06/upcoming-vacation/

Eighteenth Birthday

1 Reply

Dr. R. S. Yegerlehner
Physician and Surgeon
Kentland, Indiana

Dear David –

Here’s hoping you have a happy birthday.

Love
Dad and Mother

[postmark Sept. 21/1960 Wright 521 – David’s handwriting]

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/05/eighteenth-birthday/

Transplanting Plants Around the House

1 Reply

September 19, 1960

Letter transcription:

Kentland Indiana
September 19, 1960

Dear David:

Yours received this morning. You didn’t mention it, but I presume you have received the letter I sent with the plastic bag enclosed.

I saw Mrs. Fields in church yesterday and she said to tell you she misses you. Mark had evidently recovered from his cold and sore throat. He was as peppy as ever. There were several large bouquets of flowers at church – from the open house at the bank Saturday. The bank looked more like a flower show Saturday than a bank. We attended the open house and had a tour of the building.

We did some transplanting last Thursday. You will be happy to find everything taken care of by the time you come home (I hope). We plan to transplant the roses sometime this week. Last Thurs. we took the redbud tree from the three that you and Dad planted on the south side of the east lawn, and reset it on the east side. The ground was so hard we were able to get it out with a ball of dirt and the roots intact. The leaves on the tree didn’t wilt from the transplanting. We had a hard rain, so the lawn will have to be mowed again this week.

Mark called yesterday. It seems Shirley isn’t getting along so well. We would have gone up to see them, but there are three baby cases due here, so Dad thought he shouldn’t leave. One of those cases went to the hospital this morning, but Dad was home for lunch, so no results so far. I hope we can go to Chicago Thursday afternoon, because I am getting anxious to see the baby and Shirley.

We are waging a war on crickets. I have never seen so many as are around here this fall. The front patio is practically covered with them. I have swept them off several times, but they keep coming back.

I decided to wash your bedroom window this afternoon and before I finished washing windows I had washed all the windows on the outside. I also carried in the wood you didn’t remember to carry in. It wasn’t such a big job. I loaded the wood into the garden cart and pushed the cart right up to the living room.

You didn’t say where you attended church, or how you liked it. Have you made any contact yet with the Wesley Foundation?

We received a letter from John last week. He said he had some film ready to mail home. It hasn’t arrived yet. Unless it comes air mail, I won’t get it before another month.

The Stonecipher twin who goes with Collins boy is getting married October 9^th. The Stonecipher twins and Carol have been coming into my S.S. class. We also had two new members this past Sunday. The Prudential Ins. man and his wife. They live in H. Schlatter’s house.

How is your money holding out. Let me know.
Love Mother

Wright Quadrangle, Indiana University (Image courtesy of the Indiana Digital Memory Collection)

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/04/transplanting-plants-around-the-house/

A New Chapter

4 Replies

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]

Wright Quadrangle, Indiana University (Image courtesy of the Indiana Memory Digital Collection)

Simply Devastated

3 Replies

Letter transcription:

Kentland March 13

David Dear –

I have intended getting a letter off to you but have been ill & have done nothing. I will write a letter soon as I can. Your Mother & Mark came to see me yesterday after the big party at the gym. It must have been a lovely affair. They also had a carry in dinner for them at the church yesterday. Your mom looked so pretty. Mark said the kids are all sick with flu. I am simply devastated without your Dad & Mom. How I miss them. You seem to be working too hard – both of you. I love your letters.

Much love to you & Bonnie
Grandma

[Editor’s note: This is the last letter from Ruth Myers to David in the collection. The big party at the gym is one of the retirement celebrations the town of Kentland gave to Roscoe and Gladys when they moved away. Roscoe had accepted a position at Purdue, attending to the medical needs of the university’s students and they moved to West Lafayette.]

Thanksgiving 1966

1 Reply

November 24, 1966 envelope

Letter transcription:

November 24, 1966, p. 1

Thanksgiving Day 1966

David, My very Dear

The book which you so kindly purchased for me arrived, and can’t tell you how grateful I am for your getting it to me, and also, I hope you will forgive me for asking you to purchase your own Christmas gift, but you don’t know what it meant to me. I am enclosing check, and I had thought it would be more.

I have a gift for Bonnie, and your mother is going to include it for me in a mailing to you both before Christmas.

I am at home alone today, very disappointed because I wanted to see baby David, whom I have not yet met. Your Mom invited me for Thanksgiving dinner, and Mark and Shirley and the kids and Lea and her husband, and John. Last night about ten o’clock Gladys called me on the phone and said that both the little kids had broken out with chicken pox. Becky had had it a couple of weeks ago and they thought the two little children were not going to get it, and when they arrived in Kentland your Dad discovered they were in full bloom. So of course, my never having had it, they did not think it wise for me to come. Gladys brought me my dinner, which I am going to eat in a short while. Mark, Shirley and the children were returning to Indianapolis this evening because Mark must work tomorrow.

The day is very gloomy and overcast, but not cold. Looks as if it might do something. There are so many things I would love to discuss with you, but I do not have the strength to write what I would like to. I look forward every week to your letter, and you will never know how I appreciate it. I know your time is very precious to you, and it is wonderful thing for you to take part of it to write to me.

My very dear love to you and Bonnie, and I am sure she is thrilled to have her folks here.

Always your
Grandma

P.S. Gladys said she would write you about the Nizer book. Your Dad does not have it, but you will hear from her about it.

Thanksgiving

1 Reply

December 5, 1965 envelope

Letter transcription:

December 5, 1965, p. 1

Sunday, December 5, 1965
Kentland, Indiana

David and Bonnie
My Very Dear Ones

I hope you are not thinking that your Grammaw has become senile, but I really have been quite ill, and am just now beginning to feel stronger. My fingers are quite stiff, but will try.

David will never know how I have appreciated his wonderful letters, and how I have looked forward to them. I love the pictures and thank you so very very much for them. I also appreciate your Hebrew messages, and my wonder at your ability to do such, leaves me helpless to express myself. You two are so wonderful, working so hard and accomplishing so much it makes me proud to know you.

I was quite touched with your story of your visit to the museum, and it jolted me into realizing that I owe you some money, which at this time of year becomes something to think about. I am making the check for $8.00 which I hope will cover whatever tax you had to pay and maybe postage if you care to mail the album. If not just bring it, either way you wish.

Your mother tells me she is getting a new record player. She took the one she had to the office, as something went wrong with the radio. She invited me to have Thanksgiving dinner with then, and I had looked forward to it, but when the day came I was unable even to get dressed. I spent the day in bed. Mark & Shirley and the kids were there, also John and Lee and her husband, and your Aunt Ruth. She stayed several days. Gladys brought her to see me. She drove to get her and also took her home.

I hope you put some leftover turkey in your freezing section and you can have it for Easter dinner. Your mother has been doing some shopping for me and she is so good to me. I am not even attempting to mail cards this year. No David, I hardly every stay up to watch Johnnie anymore, I just get too tired.

Thank you again for your dear letters, and will be anxious to see you.
Much love
Grandma