Tag Archives: Kentland

Snowbound (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-12-44

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Jan. 29-30-31- & Feb. 1 came today so I feel like writing a long newsy letter – however I won’t promise too much. John is out in the kitchen making preparations to bake a cake. Mark is in the nursery working on the floor with steel wool – David is asleep. He almost went to sleep in his high chair while we ate – He of course had been fed. He still needs help – spills so much on the way. He woke up last night before I went to bed and didn’t seem to feel just right so I put him in bed with me. I think he had a little tummy ache – I could hear gurgling noises, and he would waken after dropping off to sleep but finally settled down. This morning I said I felt like I had slept with one eye open.

[page 2] We are still snow bound. The back yard has drifts in some places feet deep. I want to take a picture of it this afternoon. Would like to put D. out I the snow for a picture but it is too cold to take him out. It was 1 below in Chicago this a.m. at 8. It is supposed to be colder tonight. Our coal pile is getting low and we may have to resort to Ind. coal again for a while until the Coal Co. gets some “Milco.”

I rec’d a valentine card from Jim. It had a stamp size picture of Jim for signature. The card has a picture of a little yellow haired girl with cubby legs watering the family tree – The verse is “There are a lot of Family Trees, Some pretty nice ones too. But there’s on other Family Tree, That’s grown a peach like you.” The boys were discussing the card and Mark

[page 3] said, “Mother you didn’t look like that when you were a little girl, look this girl has fat legs.” So much for my pins.

I finally got the kitchen washed after three hitches. The paint is beginning to show wear in spots from so much washing, but on the whole it still looks as good as new – nice & shining & clean.

I see in the paper that Blanchard Childress and O.E. Powell are new Rotary members. Also that June Swihart Wedgbury has a baby boy – She lives in Remington. Speaking of Remington – They have a Dr. now who doesn’t have a car and charges $5.00 a call when anyone gets so ill they can’t go to the office and the Dr. has to walk abroad in the town – of course a country call where taxi service is necessary costs $15.00 – You can guess he doesn’t have many calls. There was a woman Dr. there but she got married and is having a baby so had

[page 4] to retire from practicing at present. More local news is the election of officers by Chamber of Commerce – Bill Zimmerman, Pres., Chafee Shirk, Vice, and Ed Johnson, Secy., Harry Healy, Treas. The C.C. has decided to transfer the sponsorship to the Rotary Club, of the Boy Scouts. Chet Van Scoyck has been acting as leader due to lack of anyone else willing to assume the roll.

After all the “steel wooling” on the floors this a.m. I am going to have to dust – an endless job, but has to be done once in a while. I can see webs stretched around in different places so will have to swing the wall brush around, too. Getting Mark to keep at a job is a job in itself – I can hear him turning the pages in the new Colliers and know he has deserted his work. I will finish this and go and inspect his work, which I am sure isn’t finished. He wants to go to town and I’ll let him go so he can mail this –

“Love Mother”

YEG1944-02 - Mark in snow

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/12/03/snowbound-gladys/

Prize Snow (Gladys)

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1944-02-11 (GRY)Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
2-11-44

Dear Daddy – Haven’t rec’d letters from you since Mon. and this is Fri. Your last was Jan. 29. We have had the prize snow of the season. Quite a lot of snow and wind which drifted the snow in some places until it is waist high. In the west side yard Mark walked out into a drift that was knee deep. I took some pictures of our home, Statons & Foulkes. John and Mark got into the pictures here. David was asleep so he missed, but it’s too much to try to get his picture in a snow drift. John and I shoveled the snow off the driveway and front walk yesterday and this a.m., it was drifted over again. John is out now working on it again. Mark has gone to the dentist – says he has a toothache. There isn’t any school today because the busses can’t get through. I don’t know how the town streets are but I suppose the Street Dept. is trying to keep the drifts cleaned off. Bart has been running pictures of service men in his paper – you guessed it – yours was in this week. But I don’t believe you will object – he didn’t say anything but how long you had been in service, etc. I see Jimmie Staton out playing in the snow. It is very invigorating out now, not too cold, but colder predicted for tonight. Just hope the cold wave doesn’t last too long – or that we can get more good coal. The way the wind blew when it was snowing, we had snow on the windows – the effect Arlene had with cotton at Christmas – you remember I helped her decorate one year. David is awake and ready for action.

Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/12/01/prize-snow-gladys/ ‎

A White Haze (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-10-44

Dear Daddy –

Another day without letters from you, but Mon. (7th) had five. Maybe tomorrow will bring more. Winter is upon us again and at present it is snowing. I am glad the ground needs moisture. It is so gray and overhanging it looks like it could snow all afternoon. It is a very fine snow and will take a lot to cover the ground.

I started washing the kitchen walls this morning. I didn’t try to do the whole thing because I get too tired so I can see definitely where I quit. The dirtiest the walls have ever been. The unfinished walls are needing something but I think they should wait until spring – then some kind of water color. Ed Johnson painted the walls in that house with a watercolor and it looks very good. Lucile said it

[page 2] is washable, too. However, since it is so inexpensive it would be just as easy to repaint as to wash.

I was just looking out the dining room window and without wishing to make you feel badly, wish you could see the scene. It is a white haze across the prairie, a little wind – gently blowing white waves across Zell’s roof. It makes me think of one day while you were still at St. E. and we drove up to Kent thru snow just like this. As far as we could see, white haze. I can see a little squirrel running across the yard now, probably looking for food. I noticed an ear of corn in one of the tall evergreen trees that one of the squirrels no doubt put there. I looked for it again and it was gone.

Last night while preparing supper David had been fed and was on “the loose” – I had set a pan of lukewarm milk on the cabinet and he reached up and pulled it off – It was so

[page 3] funny – seeing him stand there with milk dripping all over him. He didn’t know quite what to do – I was so amused I just stood and laughed to myself – but Mark isn’t very subtle, so he laughed rather loudly and frightened David. Until Mark laughed David was not sure what to do, but then he started to cry. John was so provoked with Mark – he said it might give David some kind of phobia if frightened by the incident. He seemed not any worse for the wear when I got the milk wiped off. He is always reaching up for things. I am glad it wasn’t hot, and from now on I will be careful to push things back so he can’t reach them.

I stopped for lack of subject matter and thought I would rest a while but David soon woke up so I got up and put D. on the toidey, then dressed him and decided to re-arrange the nursery so he could climb up on the couch to look out the window. The couch had been sitting along

[page 4] the north wall. While in the process I saw John coming home. I asked him why and he said can’t you see – the snow I mentioned developed into a blizzard and school had to be dismissed so the busses could get thru. The snow is drifting, so there probably won’t be any more school this week. John said the second semester was dry anyway, and this little vacation is welcome right now.

Virginia Zell is braving the snowstorm to go to the P.O. and is going to take this along so must get it finished. I scanned over the Dem. This morning to glean any news that might interest you – just in passing Frances Moynihan, now Sgt. In W.A.C. is to be married Feb. 11 to a mess Seargent. You remember her – the girl there was so much about when we came to Kent. John Krull was home for Mrs. Ramp’s funeral. He has gone back to Camp but Gladys remained here. She has been staying in Waycross, Ga., ear the camp. I see that the Eilers who married Helen Woodruff is back. I missing seeing anything about his discharge but he has one I suppose or wouldn’t be back here.

Love – Mother

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Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/11/29/a-white-haze-gladys/ ‎

Haircuts (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-9-44

Dear Daddy –

Rec’d five letters Mon. but none yesterday or today. It always helps to write the daily when mail had been rec’d. I am sitting on the couch and so is David – He likes to tease me by getting close to the edge. I’ll say, “David, you will fall” – and he just looks at me and grins. I talked to Lucile and she is going to bring Jimmy Ed out after his nap and I am going to cut his hair. She went with Ed to Monticello Monday to visit a few days but came back home. There are a few typhoid cases there and quite an epidemic in Peru and surrounding country. As close as Reynolds there is eight cases and has been one death. If it gets closer I am going to talk to Dr. M. about taking shots. I think Mrs. Roberts said they there were

[page 2] taking shots, so it must be around there too – I suppose if it gets worse or closer the school will take some action.

I didn’t know how cold it is out of doors until I started out with D. The wind was so sharp I came back in. He didn’t seem to mind. He usually is glad to ride but I think the wind took his breath a time or two. At present he is throwing things on the floor. Something just hit my poor leg. I don’t know how I am going to break that habit of his. His impulses seem so spontaneous and he enjoys throwing things. I know the last isn’t any excuse for allowing him to continue. When I started to write I had a few things in mind I thought would make an interesting letter but the interference on the couch with me has broken my train

[page 3] of thoughts. I brought a bunch of books up from the basement and have been trying to read to him. He likes the pictures but reading doesn’t interest him yet. He likes to play with roller skates. I tied a heavy cord to one and he pulls it around.

There is some kind of program children’s concert at Purdue the 18th that John wants to hear, in fact a number of his class want to go so I promised to take our car and take four besides John & I. I think I’ll let them out at P. and go on into town and shop. David will soon need a new pr. of shoes & other things. He is growing so fast. The little suits he had last fall look like he is poured into them. I have a few I thought he could wear in the spring but I am afraid they won’t do. I believe I’ll try my hand at some sewing, if I can find the right materials.

[page 4] Paul Yost is back. He and Betty Barce are being married. I don’t know many of the details except he flew back to have more time with his bride. I knew she wrote to him but didn’t know it was this serious. She has been working in Laf. since the family moved back to Fowler. I haven’t heard anything about Ed recently. I don’t believe he gets much publicity from here – either paper.

Lucile has been here and gone. I cut Jimmy’s & David’s hair. They both squirmed a lot but D. was worse than J.

It seems to be getting colder today. We are wishing for a good snow but it doesn’t look very promising now. It has been so dry a good snow would be very welcome.

I must get this finished and go get a few groc. & paper. No paper delivery now so we get ours from the drug store.

Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/11/27/haircuts-gladys/

Wiggle Worm (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-7-44

Dear Daddy –

Yours of 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 & 28 came today. Also a letter from Pauline and Aileen. Aileen sent a picture of herself. She looked very good, but said she has a cold. She always writes interesting letters. I would love to visit her sometime. I had sent her some pictures and she said I looked as young as I did 18 years ago. I was thinking the same thing about her. She said growing up with a family must be my answer. However I don’t agree with her about me. I can see what the mirror reflects, but that doesn’t worry me.

It was fairly warm (32°) this morning and sun was shining and I hung some white

[page 2] things out on the line. They must be dry by now. I hate to dry white things in the basement when there is any sunshine. It is cloudy now. I wanted to take D. out for a walk but it doesn’t look very inviting now. We started showing him picture books and he seems to enjoy them. I don’t know whether we will be able to get him to sit still long enough to read to him. Martha Jane says he is a wiggle worm. She likes to come over and play with him when Bobby or Jimmy aren’t around. I told Mrs. Zell I had often wondered what you would think of D. He is so very different from J. & M. in his constant urge to move about. J. & M. weren’t lazy or not normal but we could hold them and entertain them without being on the move all the time. You might call it

[page 3]  perpetual motion. Maybe it isn’t as bad as that – He does pretty good in church or when we are in the car but when he is home wants to be moving about most of the time. When J. & M. were this age I don’t remember that we had to particularly watch them, but D. needs someone on guard most of the time and added to all the foregoing he has all the charm one little fellow needs to make us all pushovers for him.

I expected Lucile out this afternoon. I am to give Jimmy a haircut. She doesn’t want to take him to the barber shop with so many colds around. I have given him one haircut. His hair is so blond it doesn’t show so much when he needs a hair cut like David’s does. David’s hair is a very pretty shade of brown and still curls when it is washed but the curls flatten when he has a cap on.

[page 4] Glad you have a watch. Did your old one fall apart? Hope this one will do until you can get back and get a better one. I still have the watch you gave me before we were married. I have thought about getting it repaired, but think maybe it would be better to put that much on a new one and I won’t do that now. I don’t want one that much.

I can see Bobby out playing. He is certainly the out-of-door type. He hasn’t a playmate just now but seems busy in their garden. I think Jimmy must be away and Martha for some reason isn’t out with Bobby.

I have to write Ruth M. & your folks, so must get this finished
Love
Mother

P.S. The card you rec’d from Cinda – she was visiting her brother near Bern, until Christmas.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/11/24/wiggle-worm-gladys/

What’s the Matter with Irene? (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-6-44

Dear Daddy –

Sun. evening – listening to the radio and sitting by the fire. John and Mark are out in the kitchen eating cake. They went to youth fellowship and didn’t have time to eat before going. I have the radio tuned in on the Henry Ford Sunday evening church service – it’s held in the early American village Ford had rebuilt. John wants to listen to Charlie MC so he has the kitchen radio tuned in on that. David is in bed and I hope asleep. He does something new almost every day. Yesterday, Betty Zell showed him how to talk over his telephone. Now he acts like he is talking over the phone. I took him to church this a.m. He didn’t do

[page 2] as good as the last time, but J. & M. sat with us and I think he is better when they aren’t with him.

Zells asked us to go out to see Portteuses this afternoon. When we got near their place discovered they had company. Five or six cars were parked so we drove on past. We drove down past the new Kirkpatrick house. The old one burned to the ground and they have a very modern looking new shingle house. Mary P. said some time ago that it is a well planned house. They could only get a certain amount of material but must have made good use of what they could get.

I saw Irene and Link get into their car this morning with a traveling bag. I suppose

[page 3] Irene is back in the hospital in Chicago. She certainly looks the picture of health. She also looked like the latest word from Vogue. You might think I am being a little catty, but I think if her mother would quite over there and leave her with the responsibility of Jimmy and everything else she wouldn’t have so much time to think of herself. So many people say, “What’s the matter with Irene? She doesn’t look sick.” If ever I have seen a case of imaginary illness, she has it, but I believe her makeup is such that she craves attention and she goes thru different phases to get it and I think this is a phase. I wonder what she would do if Link had to leave and go into the Army – Maybe if she had to buckle down she would. I think I have philosiphised enough for the present.

Mark has a scare since the rabies in Krull’s dog. He is afraid

[page 4] to go out. I allowed him to remain home from school Fri. because he was so upset. He was talking a little while ago about being afraid to go to school tomorrow. I told him he has a bike and most of the children don’t have. I think he will get over this as time goes on. I just hope this will help get rid of stray dogs but that is a lot to hope for. The people who own dogs are ordered to keep them in but the stray dogs are still at large. The Town Board should take care of the strays but they won’t do that – you know what I mean, Bang, bang, dead dog.

The pin in the stoker broke today. Had to rebuild the fire and told John to watch it while I was gone but he didn’t so had to take the coal out and start the fire again. I have a bucket of coal & clinkers mixed. I will have to feed in by the door. I think there is a little Ind. coal mixed in that was on the floor when the better coal was put in. That Ind. coal is hard on pins.

Love – Mother

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Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/11/22/whats-the-matter-with-irene-gladys/ ‎

Where’s Daddy? (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-5-44

Dear Daddy –

No letters since Wed. If I thought it meant one thing I wouldn’t care but am almost afraid to build upon that idea. I will hope just as I have been all along.

It is windy today but not very cold. However it may get cold. The weather has been unusually warm for this time of the year. Some days the grey overhanging sky seems very bleak and I long for sunny days and to putter around in the yard.

David just awakened from his nap and Mark took him to the bathroom. He doesn’t show much tendency toward helping us train him. If we take him to the bathroom at the right time we save a diaper, otherwise it has to be washed. Mark & I were in the nursery with him and Mark said, “Where’s Daddy?” David was on the couch and got down as quickly as possible and went to the living room I such a hurry we followed to see where he was going.

[page 2] He went to the table and tried to get your picture. I gave it to him and he pointed to it and said “Da.” His picture & yours sit side by side but he seems to know which one to get when we say, “Where’s Daddy?” He understands so many things we say, we have to go around spelling things that concern him. I suppose he will soon catch on to the spelling.

John is listening to the opera and doesn’t want to be bothered. Mark and I are keeping David in the nursery, because you can’t concentrate on much when he is bothering around. Mark is entertaining him while I write. Now it isn’t as bad as it sounds, but he is a live wire.

Mark was so afraid he had been exposed to Rabies he was ill. Fri. morning he said he didn’t feel like going to school so I let him remain home. I tried to tell him he couldn’t get rabies from just touching Sammon’s dog, but he was too scared to

[page 3] be convinced. Buddy & Betty are having to take shots because their dog died from Rabies. Fortunately Mark hadn’t been around Krull’s dog recently. Tommy Britton seems to [be] very glib in telling stories. He was telling that Buddy had rabies. Dorothy was so angry with Tommy she said he was a little so and so and she would like to slap his face, etc., etc., etc.

– My nurse maid ran out on me and D. is up on the couch climbing around me and how long I can write before I stop and put him down is a question.

I saw Nick’s car pull in down at his Mother’s. I suppose he was bringing her back from her mother’s funeral which was held this morning in Rensselaer. Mrs. Ramp was visiting here with Mrs. K. when she died Thurs.

Dorothy Cobb Stevens’ husband is in the Navy and at present is in Base Hosp. #5. She doesn’t know where he is except in the S.W. Pacific. He had an operation recently for hernia.

The sun is shining faintly so think I’ll put D. out in his buddy and let M. watch him. Mark is out skating with Virginia.

[page 4] We baked a cake and cookies this A.M. – John mixed the cake before he went to take his music lesson. It is chocolate. That isn’t good for John’s pimples – he still has a few but we go lightly on the choc. most of the time. The Gym Class took some new exercises this week and John was sore for a day or two. They took a hike around Kent Pond. I told him it was a good thing for the class to do something like that, otherwise he wouldn’t and I think he needs more exercise than he takes.

Zells are still working on the upstairs. They are going to put a dormer in the front where that little decoration on the roof is. They will have quite a nice room when they get it finished. Mr. Z. had to take a physical but doesn’t know whether he will have to go because Purdue says the Co. Agents are to be deferred for occupation. However it is known that he has taken the exam and the stories are circulating. One story Dorothy told Lucile for positive was he had enlisted in the Navy. Lucile said she didn’t think he had but D. said it was so. Well the truth is he hasn’t enlisted and didn’t have any intention of doing so. When

[page 5] he talked about enlisting he was told he should remain on his job as it is considered very essential. He isn’t taking all the “gossip” very well. He says he wishes he had gone to Brookville and gone with that group and no one here would have known anything about it. He is registered at Brookville.

I haven’t seen Art Kenny. He has been home several days. His mother is very ill and he probably is spending most of his time with her, because he is on his way “out.” He says he will be in the South Pacific.

I haven’t heard from Jim but once since Christmas. I wrote him not long ago and told him to let me know if he is sent out. In that event Thelma would return home and I am sure would let me know.

I must get this finished so it can be mailed.
“Love Mother”

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/11/20/wheres-daddy-gladys/ ‎

Post War Planning (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-4-44

Dear Daddy –

The third day without mail but tomorrow is another day. I attended the Post War Planning meeting at the high school last nite. Al Case acted as chairman to start the meeting, then appointed Howard Washburn, Stu Beatly and H. Healy to select a chairman, Vice and Secy. The committee nominated Al for Chairman, Mary Roe, Vice and Bud Weldon, Secy. Others present were Newell Lamb, Judge R. Bower, Bill Ross, Mr. Brandt & Mrs. Brandt, Rebecca Cannon, Lucile Rhude, Howard Hiestand, Ira Dixon & Kenneth McCarty. The State is asking for such committees to be organized all over the state, in every town and city, and the purpose is to help take care of re-adjustments,

[page 2] etc., after the war. The think the committee decided to begin working on now is a recreation center for everybody, to be built next to the high school. Other projects were discussed but it was decided it would be better to concentrate on one thing. They are going to invite one of the Funk men to represent the company, Harold Foulkes, the Cheese Co., and Link having already been appointed to the committee to represent D. Davis Co. Since all three are sizeable concerns, for this size community, should be represented. I don’t know how all mentioned were appointed. I was asked to represent the Woman’s Club and Mary Roe the Jr. Club. I imagine Rebecca Cannon is from the Amer. Legion. – One thing that was mentioned was the ditch, and Bill Ross doesn’t want

[page 3] anything done that will interfere with his farm drainage, but I doubt if anything will be done about the ditch soon. We have had it this long so why hurry. To get along with the meeting, Judge Bower having a poker party in progress at his home had to leave before the meeting was over also Mrs. Cannon had to leave to attend same poker party. I wanted to tell the rest of the committee I was glad they could remain. Of course I didn’t say anything, but you know how important it is to our townfolk to keep up their poker, etc. I thought Rebecca was unusually quiet for her and I suppose she didn’t want to say too much when she didn’t intend to remain thru the whole meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for

[page 4] about a month from now. Will give you more dope on it later. I don’t know what you think of the whole thing, but I believe some good can be accomplished if this same group work on it.

It is warm and sunny today. I hung clothes out. There is just enough breeze to swish the clothes a little.

Nick’s grandma Ramp died yesterday at Mrs. Krull’s. She was 88 years old. I suppose you met her sometime. I never did. She was quite a character from all accounts.

There is a rabie scare around. Krulls had a dog that died and it was determined that he died from rabies so now all dogs are to be quarantined. Mark was so worked up over it he thought he might get rabies because he touched one of Sammon’s dogs. I told him he could only get the disease from the dog biting him or getting saliva into a cut – His imagination ran away with him for a while. John said he didn’t like dogs and they don’t like him.

Love Mother

P.S. David it out in his buggy getting some sun. Must go see how he is getting along.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/11/18/post-war-planning-gladys/ ‎

Local Military News (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Feb. 3 – 1944

Dear Daddy –

No letters again today, but have up to Jan. 21 letters, so can’t complain.

It is foggy today and not cold. The sun came out for a little while but it’s cloudy again. It was so foggy this morning we could hardly see the trains go by. David likes to watch the trains. He isn’t tall enough to see them so unless he is in his bed we lift him up so he can watch. When the boys come in and give him their caps, he takes them to the closet to put away.

[page 2] I hope he keeps the good habit when he is old enough to put his own clothes away. He has a habit of pulling his bye-bye clothes out of the drawer most any time during the day. Unless it is bye-bye time, Mother has [to] put the things back and say, “No, not now.”

I see in the Democrat this week that Lt. Dale Jones has been promoted to Capt. and is in England. Gene Wilson is overseas, no address given. John Milligan is in the same place Floyd Remsburg and John Couch are stationed, somewhere in the S.W. Pacific. Pinky’s 10 furlough is up and he has gone back to Grenada, Miss.

Art Kenney is home now. Says he is on his way to the Pacific. He was wishing you would

[page 3] be home before he left, but evidently that won’t be. I heard over the radio news today that the Army is going to bring the men back for a furlough who have been out 18 months. That is news, because that is the first I have heard about the Army having such a program. It wasn’t so very long ago that an announcement was made that the Army promised no leaves for the men in the Pacific, but the Navy men would come home after 18 months.

Mrs. Zell told me yesterday that Bob Schurtter’s application for a commission in the Navy has gone thru and he is waiting now for his appointment. There was some mistake about

[page 4] it and he thought he hadn’t been accepted, but that was cleared up.

I think I wrote this before, that Al Cast is going to resign from the school system and take over Ellsworth’s business while E. is in the Army. E. is still home on deferment.

I hear a faucet dripping – so I must go and shut it off.
Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/11/16/local-military-news-gladys/

Dear Dr. Yegerlehner

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Letter transcription:

Kentland, Ind.
2/3/44

Dear Dr. Yegerlehner,

We planned to send you a Christmas greeting, but lots happened around here about then and mothering but mere essentials got our attention. Although we have not met, it seems I know you fairly well by knowing the rest of your family.

Mark and I do some swapping of work. Not long ago we cleared off and burned the gardens one evening after school. Another evening he burned brush and helped me saw up a maple top on Rinehearts lot to the North of our lot.

Ed Johnson and I had fun fixing up the electric train. Ed did some soldering and I got a new screw for the engine. Last Sunday all of us had dinner with your family. While the women decided some big problems, Mark and I put the train in operation here. He said he had some trouble this week but changed transformers and all is OK.

We want to tell you how much Virginia appreciated your letter last fall. She has faithfully kept it. It seemed to ease her. All of us regretted the whole incident so much.

You probably know Al Cast is going into Prairie Realty at the end of this school year.

[page 2] “Socky” is reported to be due for service soon, so I suppose Al will take over. Al and I were closely associated last summer on Farm Labor work. He is tactful and can put a lot of “fire” in the job when he wants to, so I think he’ll make good. The back porch “chorus” will be short at least one voice when Wilson leaves.

Sometimes I’m doubtful about being in the good grace of your family, especially you, after hearing reactions to other specimens known as county agents. I do work though and even get dirty at times. We are trying to do a lot of 4H club work including livestock and cropwork. Much of our time in the past 2 years (even before I came here) has been spent in helping farmer with labor and production efforts. The favorable weather, and the fact that farmers know no hours have done the job. Better seeds and methods have helped some I hope.

Speaking of active service, I passed my final physical last Tuesday. When I am called will depend upon how my Employer’s policy works out with Selective Service. Purdue (my Employer) has been requesting that experienced men stay on, but I know nothing except Army-Navy Doctors say I’m healthy.

Our office often helps organize “Drives.” Attended Red Cross planning session today. County Quota is $11,500, 150% of last March. Ira Dixon handles publicity. I know he would appreciate any story of Red Cross activity you have thought outstanding.

All of us join the members of your family wishing you a speedy return to the States.

Sincerely,
Russell Zell

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
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