Tag Archives: Linda L. Yegerlehner

A Family Tragedy

After May 2nd, 1944, the letters go silent for a week. While Roscoe and Gladys were writing letters to each other further north, in Clay City, Indiana, a family tragedy was taking place. During the day, Roscoe’s oldest brother Sam fell off the back of a truck while working on his farm. He fractured his skull during the fall and died several hours later. At this point, it is unknown whether or not Roscoe, Gladys & the children traveled to Clay City for the funeral. Romaine, the daughter of Ruth (Yegerlehner) Mutchler, does not recall attending the funeral, although she does remember the sadness which accompanied the tragedy. With gas rationing and other travel limitations in effect during WWII, it is hard to say whether or not the family did go. However, the lack of letters would indicate that Roscoe and Gladys were together.

SAMUEL A. YEGERLEHNER

CLAY CITY, Ind., May 3. – -(Special)- – Samuel A. Yegerlehner, 53 years old, died at 8:30 last night at the Clay County Hospital from a fractured skull sustained Tuesday morning when he fell from a truck two miles east of Clay city. Mr. Yegerlehner is survived by the widow, Esther; the parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Yegerlehner of clay City; two sons, Paul and Earl of Clay city; one sister, Mrs. Ruth Hutchler of Wilmington, Ill.; four brothers, Clarence and Ralph of Clay City, Roscoe of the United States Navy at Great Lakes, Ill., and Floyd of Bluffton, and one grandchild. The boys was brought to the Schoppenhorst Funeral Home and will be returned to the residence in Clay City Wednesday afternoon. Short funeral services will be held at the residence at 1:30 o’clock Thurdsay afternoon followed by services at St. Peters Reformed Chruch at 2 o’clock with Rev. Bredeweg officiating. Burial will be in St. Peter’s Reformed cemetery.

YEG1940 - Sam, Esther, Earl, Paul & Leanna

Samuel, Earl, Esther, Leanna and Paul Yegerlehner, c1940s

Something Wrong with the Alarm Clock (Gladys)

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
10-26-43

Dear Daddy – Yours of Oct. 18-19 & 20 came today. You evidently hadn’t rec’d any message thru the Red Cross about Mother’s death. I haven’t had any confirmation from them as to whether it was sent. You may get my letters first. – It is a typical fall day. Wind and rain, chilly, leaves falling. There was a heavy freeze predicted for last night but the temp. according to the radio this a.m. was 44. The Onargo Co. finally replaced the evergreen (a week & half ago) and I had a few more shrubs put in the back. I was going to water them but I think the rain will do it for me. We overslept this a.m. – John wondered what was wrong with our 7 a.m. alarm (David). I heard him about 6:15 & gave him dry pants & put him in bed with me & he went back to sleep. When I woke up he was about ready to get out of bed. He doesn’t like his play pen any more. I am afraid it has served its purpose here. He does stay in it a little while at a time but prefers the wide open spaces. Paul & Leanna’s baby was 4 wks. old Sun. and they took her to church. I didn’t take D. Your Mother stayed home with me. She said she didn’t know what we would do with him in church – he is so noisy & can’t sit still. The Tommy Thompson’s have a baby girl. Coke came over to solicit for the U.S.O. drive & she told me the news. I gave $1⁰⁰ to the drive. I have a chicken cooking for dinner. Your Mother gave it to me – It was a young rooster weighed over 7 lbs.
Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/05/06/something-wrong-with-the-alarm-clock-gladys/

Thirteenth Month (Gladys)

2 Replies

: October 23, 1943 envelope

: October 23, 1943, p. 1

: October 23, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Clay City, Ind.
Oct. 23, 1943

Dear Daddy –

Today is David’s 13^th month. We are visiting with Esther & family today. When Leanna was ready to come Imogene, Ruthie, John, Mark, David & I went down and brought her & Linda. Linda is a very healthy looking young lady. Is on pasteurized & Karo. It seems funny for them to go to town and buy pasteurized milk since I have been here but your Dad just milks one cow and she is a Jersey and since David is sensitive to rich milk I thought it would be better to get the pasteurized. However I boil it – remember you said to boil it until the baby is old enough to boil his own. Ruth & Floyd brought their movie camera & want to take some pictures tomorrow if it’s sunny. It is raining now. Ruth took some of J. & M. & Sam’s new dog but David was taking a nap & didn’t get in that picture. They (R. & F.) are coming out tonite and show all their movies. Mom asked all the families to come tonite & see them so we will probably have a house full. After dinner Imogene showed us their wedding gifts. Her brother is in Hawaii and sent her a luncheon set from there.

– – – We have been to town, stopped at Clarence’s on the way home & now back home. J. & M. stayed to play monopoly with Dwane. Clarence’s went to T.H. today to get Wilma. She gets every week-end off so far. She likes her work. I asked her when she would get her cap and she said Feb. We are to go to Clarence’s for dinner tomorrow, then start home soon after dinner. I want to stop in Brazil on the way & see Dave & Marie. So far we have visited all the relatives (except Clarences & them tomorrow). Everyone thinks David is quite the boy. I saw several people in town – I thought I would see more but we were too early today & it was raining.

[page 2] Dot Salter Hoffman had a roll of 116 film she sold me so now I can take some more pictures of David & the rest of us. Ruthie said she would try & get me some so maybe I can manage pictures once a month now for a while.

David is in the baby bed playing with two sauce pans grandma gave him, having quite a time & jabbering like he really is saying things.

I must get this finished and get busy – Have to get David’s milk boiled for supper,
Love Mother

Samuel Yegerlehner with his wife, Esther, their sons, Earl and Paul, and Paul’s wife Leanna, circa 1940 (Photograph courtesy of Don Yegerlehner)

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/04/30/thirteenth-month-gladys/

My Birthday Present (Gladys)

5 Replies

[Editor’s note: It appears that this letter was ripped when it was removed from the envelope. I have attempted to fill in the missing words.]

: October 22, 1943 envelope

: October 22, 1943, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Clay City Ind.
10-22-43

Dear Daddy –

Writing from Faye’s. She asked us to come for dinner and we just arrived & I am trying to get this written so the mail man will pick it up. Glendon’s dog is very much annoyed at all the strange people around and is carrying on so Glendon had to hold her while we came in.

We went to town yesterday afternoon and I got a suit & top coat. I had been wanting a suit and top coat to match so found just what I wanted at Robinson’s. Don’t have to do any altering to anything. Also got a pr. of pjs. They are red and think you would like the colors. The suit & coat are brown. Looks like cocoa. I told your Mother I would count that my birthday present from you – that may be stretching things a little but that gave me a good excuse. (If I needed any)

J. & M. are out playing football with Glendon. They are teaching G. & D. the mysteries of football. Mark has a new football I got for him early in the fall. He took it to school with him almost every day. John even likes to play. Everyone here has a spell over how much John is growing. He is taller than your mother & almost as tall as I am but not quite. We think he will be taller than you if he keeps growing. Now won’t that be something to come home to a son as tall or taller than you.

We are invited to Sam’s tomorrow & are to see Linda Louise. I must get this into the box.

Love – Mother

The Yegerlehner cousins in the mid 1930s. The first row of row of boys is: John, Dwayne, Glendon and Mark.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/04/27/my-birthday-present-gladys/

Tonsil Advice (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: October 17, 1943 envelope

: October 17, 1943, p. 1

: October 17, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Oct. 17, 1943

Dear Mother,

Your v-mail letters of 9-28 & 10-4 came yesterday and your air mail of 10-3. That made the v-mail one day later than the air mail – That is the last v-mail. They were both printed or pictured on the same day. Too bad Glen had to go home but finances are an important thing in this day & age.

I can’t give you any advice about your tonsils because I don’t know what the condition of your throat was after your illness last winter. So you will just have to rely on Dr. Ade and yourself. I do believe this however that if removed in the spring you will have less trouble with raw irritation during the winter but maybe just raw irritation wouldn’t be as bad as a full blown sore throat all winter long.

I don’t believe I mention or commented on the new great grandchild – no doubt

[page 2] the whole family is proud and even more so since a female turned up at that time.

Your finances were more depleted than you stated in your previous letter but if you had all bills paid up to Oct. 4 maybe you can skimp along until Nov. 1 when your regular checks come in – and maybe by that time I’ll be able to send a little again.

The boy is here cleaning and he keeps mumbling and I’m trying to write in between. He wants my Jeep this P.M. and I have to think of a good excuse because he drives too reckless. The colored boys around here are have wrecked a few so they can’t be trusted to far. I’ll just have to send a driver but they don’t like that.

Well, I have to go treat the natives again this A.M. and it is about time.
Love Daddy

P.S. We heard Sat P.M. football game between Navy & Penn. State a direct broadcast this A.M. at breakfast time – figure that out.

Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/04/17/tonsil-advice-roscoe/

Paul & Leanna’s Baby (Gladys)

1 Reply

: September 29, 1943 envelope

: September 29, 1943, p. 1

: September 29, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland, Ind.
Sept. 29 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Sept. 18 came today. Also the letter I sent you Apr. 24 came back and I am enclosing it with pictures I had enclosed with that letter. I had addressed it A.P.O. 43 the same as previous letters then but it was returned with all king of markings on it. This is a beautiful warm fall day. Both David & J.L. are out in Taylor Tots enjoying the sunshine. David just took a short nap after his dinner so I put him out as soon as he woke up. Bobby has been out there entertaining them, but got too helpful around Glen & he sent him away – Bobby pushed Martha Zell out of the trailer (they have a trailer to haul things in that stands over by our garden & the children climb around on it). When told to go home Bobby will say, “I don’t have to.” He has an answer for about anything.

Had a letter from your Mother telling about Paul & Leanna’s baby – She has to have a section done. It is a girl Linda Louise. I have three pr. of baby sox I think I’ll send to the new niece. I bought them to give to Mary McGee Arnott but didn’t get them sent out so have decided to send them to Linda instead. I have changed positions – I am sitting out in the yard with the babies. It has been so seldom this summer I have been able to sit down out here. The yard has been nice this summer but the grass isn’t so good in spots now – that crab grass seems to take the back & west side yards every fall. It doesn’t last long but looks awful while it’s here. John finally quit mowing – said he got the biggest job this summer. Mark’s garden didn’t require

[page 2] nearly as much work as the yard. The garden still has beans, tomatoes & carrots we can use. We have enough carrots to store some for winter. Mr. Zell is experimenting with a tile for their vegetables. Buried a tile and filled it with vegetables. I think I’ll just put our carrots in the basement in a jar.

Glen & I sent with Mrs. Zell to Laf. yesterday. I wrote you a v-mail about it. I called Dr. Cole & he said all he was going for Mother now was giving calcium & sedative. He stopped all other treatment because of no results. They have tried ammonium nitrate to reduce the fluid in her abdomen without any results – Insulin to stimulate her appetite – Vit. B shots for the same purpose. Dr. C. said she isn’t good – I thought she looked a little better yesterday but he said it was only temporary.

Glen & Pauline are getting ready to start home. They have been waiting because of Mother but feel they must get back. Glen feels so bad most of the time. Is all chocked up today.

I saw Dr. Ade yesterday for a throat treatment. My throat feels good today but has been bothering me quite a lot since cool weather. I suppose having strep last winter is the cause of this early attack this fall.

I saw Harold Foulkes in town Mon. afternoon and he said his brother-in-law (the Dr.) is back. He was sent South – somewhere around S. America. I heard that Dr. Flack was back from Panama too. However I have not seen anyone yet myself. Just have heard about them being back.

Thanks again for the roses – the pictures rec’d Mon. & the ck. – which I banked that day. When the roses were delivered & Miss Bergen said they were wired from San F. Mark thought you were there and was all excited about it. I told him how it was.

Love Mother

“Foreign Service” (Roscoe)

3 Replies

: June 13, 1943 envelope

: June 13, 1943, p. 1

: June 13, 1943, p. 2

: June 13, 1943, p. 3

: June 13, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

June 13, 1943
Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner
Navy 60 F.P.O. S.F.C.

Dear Mother,

You will note that I cut the address down considerable on the inside – just lazy.

Yesterday your letter of May 25 came. It was the one with the hospital programs etc. The part that was most amusing was Dr. Holliday’s “Foreign service.” He was out of the States possibly 2 mo., maybe less, and then only on a ship which touched lightly at several islands. He of course doesn’t look healthy and never

[page 2] was much of an athlete. Played professional base ball only a few years ago. So much for that. I think that gives a cross section of the feeling the rest of us have about things like that.

A letter from the folks came yesterday also. It was written May 27. The most news it gave was the fact that they might be great-grandparents – which just goes to prove – well whatever you want it to prove – but if you’re not interested just drop the subject. The above was merely diarrhea of words and constipation of thought, which one gets afflicted with at times.

[page 3] I haven’t answered the Rotary letters yet but will get in the mood one of these days.

You have mentioned several times about my clothes being stored. Don’t worry about them because I doubt very much if they will be any good and I’m not going to buy as much as I did before because those whites and that blue top coat were a waste of money and next time I’ll buy only what I need for where I need it.

I’ll have to leave those things there however because I might get sent to a colder climate

[page 4] before going home. I think I’ll be able to go back there and pick them up when I’m thru here.

You told me one time what that loan amounted to but I forgot so if you think of it write it again. As an investment the paying of the loan on your policy would be as good as any since that costs 6% also, but I don’t suppose there is enough money for that. You might consider that if there is any spare –

Well, I’ve jumped from here to there etc.

Love Daddy