Tag Archives: Norma Zell

Christmas Greeting (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Dec. 12 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Thought I would dash off a note to slip in with my greeting. I went to the Church tonight to hear a Christmas cantata sung by the choir. Mrs. Z. drove her car and I went with her. She had intended to walk (but I hadn’t because of a slight sinus condition) but a lively snow had started and she thought she had better drive. There is such a flu epidemic around now I didn’t want to walk that far thru the cold and get my nose stopped up. So far we haven’t entertained this present flu bug. David still has a little cough from his cold but doesn’t run any temp and so many people have after coughs that hang on. After the service we stopped at Shirks – Sarah is in bed and quite ill with a sinus infection. Terry had the flu and she got it from him. We didn’t see either of them but talked to Chaffe. We wanted to help some way – I thought I could do the washing in the Bendix and Mrs. Z. could help with the ironing, but Mr. Shirk had gotten

[page 2] someone to do the washing and they are getting a school girl tomorrow to help in the house. Before I came back Ruth M. called. She wants to know if we will come there for Christmas. I wrote her we would rather they come here. The way this coal works in the furnace it has to be stirred several times a day or it breaks a pin – We have had three broken pins since using this coal. It seems it clogs up the retort more than the other. At any rate I can’t promise her anything yet. It is colder now than it has been so far and the colder, the more often the furnace needs attention.

The snow tonight was very pretty – the kind we would wish for on Christmas eve. One day this past week we had such a pretty snow – it clung to the trees & shrubs for a while until the sun melted it. I would like to catch a scene like we have around here with a movie technicolor, over on the Kent grounds the snow really makes a beautiful picture. Hope all this snow talk doesn’t make you feel too badly about not getting some under your feet.

It is getting time for us to go to bed. John is practicing. Mark & David are both in bed, and I could use a little extra rest myself – David has such a habit of waking me before I am quite ready – but after all he goes to bed several hours earlier than I do so wants to get up earlier.

Love – Mother

P.S. Mon. Morn – 5 above –

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/08/01/christmas-greeting-gladys/ ‎

Lafayette and Back (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Dec. 10 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Just back from Laf. Took Lucile down to shop and purchased a few things too. John wanted records for Christmas so got him “The Nutcracker Suite.” In case you don’t know what it is, it’s from an operetta. I was going to take David and Lucile was to take Jimmy and we would leave both babies with her sister, but David still had some cold and I didn’t want to have him around Jimmy – so I got Clara to come stay with D. and also she got all the venetian blinds washed and windows while here, so I got some housework down even tho I wasn’t here. I didn’t want to take David away from home while he has any cold. He slept last night without coughing and didn’t run any temp. today but coughed quite a bit all day. He is asleep now and

[page 2] seems to be resting very good. I called Dr. M. wed. about giving him sulfadiazine and he said give him ¼ tablet every 4 hrs. I did that 36 hours then stopped. After I got back from Laf. this evening I went down and talked to him about d. He said if he continues to cough to give him sulfa again in two days. This cough seems to get so many people. I don’t know how contagious it is but know of no one being close to D. that had a cough. Ed Johnson has had it for several weeks but he hasn’t been close to David only out of doors – last Sun. he took some pictures but it was in the yard, I didn’t take D. into their house. At any rate it hasn’t made him feel bad and so far he isn’t running any temp. He is not as bad as he was yesterday, so I suppose I will just have to keep him in and keep him warm. When I came home this evening he was walking around the house having a grand time. I fed him and put him to bed, then I went

[page 3] to see the Dr. Mark said he would go along. After seeing the Dr. decided to get my supper downtown – I was hungry and didn’t like the idea of coming home and frying eggs – (meat frozen isn’t easy to work with) so Mark & I ate at Krulls – the first time I have eaten out for weeks – but eating in Laf. is quite out of the questions with us – We try to eat before we go or after we come back. Sometimes we have stopped at the Triple X on the hill and get a sandwich and drink. The Krull children were going to the ball game at Remington and asked J. & M. to go along. I come home as soon as I finished eating so John could go. I am here with David now, trying to catch up with my correspondence while it’s nice and quiet (except for the stoker).

I saw Phyllis M. downtown and Art is soon to be traveling. He is to go to some eastern port for 8 weeks, then, who knows where. The Emmet Millers have a baby boy. Born just shortly after Emmet was sent out.

[page 4]  They were somewhere in the South – he was sent to N.Y. and she came home one day and had her baby the next. She made the trip part way by plane, so you can understand why. James William came 3 wks. early. She was in the hospital in Laf. but I didn’t try to see her today – I figured she would be home by now.

Mr. Z. had been in Laf. attending something at Purdue since Tues. Mrs. Z. was going down today to get him, but Virginia took a cold and Mrs. couldn’t go, so Lucile and I brought him back with us. I was going to take Alma today but she had another one of those terrible attacks last night and wasn’t able to go. She has been doctoring with Rumkorf since you are away. Jack told her to either go see him today or have him over but I haven’t talked to her this evening so don’t know whether she did either.

Yours of Dec. 3 came today – not bad, eh. Just hope you get mine as fast as you have been. If 18 months mean anything – oh well, you know the answer. Thanks again for the check. As I said before it will help a lot, as we are a little low.

Had a letter from Juanita and Ralph was going to be drafted so he joined the Navy, so you see the pre-Pearl Harbor fathers are being taken –

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/28/lafayette-and-back-gladys/

A Cold Today (Gladys)

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1943-12-08 (GRY)Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
12-8-43

Dear Daddy – Another wintry day and no mail. It has been 10 days since I last received a letter. David has a cold today. I called Dr. M. and he said to give him ¼ tablet sulfadiazine every 4 hrs. He certainly is peppy enough but coughs and has a runny nose. He did have a temp. this A.M. but none this P.M. John & Mark are both home from school. Mark is out playing with Dean M. – John is practicing on the piano. There is a lot of flue around. John said 30 were absent from school today. David seems to have what is going around. He hasn’t been around anyone with a cold but got one anyway. Mrs. Z. and Martha stayed away from us while they had theirs last week. I was going to take Lucile to Laf. today but didn’t because of David. If he gets over his cold may go Fri. or tomorrow. I haven’t much shopping to do, but usually find something to buy – want to get a record for John. Dr. Van & Dr. Limp have redecorated their office and the Sr. Dr. is ready to do business again. I heard he didn’t want to come back but of course could do nothing about an honorable discharge – guess it was a retirement. Not much news today – haven’t been away from home.

Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/24/a-cold-today-gladys/ ‎

Chicken Frys (Gladys)

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1943-11-28 (GRY)Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
11-28-43

Dear Daddy – Sun. evening – John is practicing – Miss S. gave him a new piece Sat. and he has been working hard on it. Doesn’t work so hard on the oboe this year due to the absence of a band teacher. Mark isn’t in band at all due to the above mentioned reason. Mark is building a model plane for Bobby at present. David is in bed asleep. He took such a long nap this afternoon he wasn’t quite ready to go to sleep when he went to bed. We had dinner with Zells today. They had the first of their Sept. flock. They want to have them all sold off by Christmas. I want to buy a few to put in our locker. Took David to Sunday School again. He likes to go very well now. Tried to sing and did a pretty good job making a noise most of the time. I think he should be able to go with the little tots by spring, but at present he is better with his mother. He isn’t the quite type like J. & M. were about going to meetings. He distinctly doesn’t like [to] sit on laps long at a time. He likes to move around the most of his waking hours. So far we haven’t had much cold weather – no really cold spells yet. This time last year we had had a heavy snow and the cold had set in for all winter. We are still using the 2 tons of Ind. coal I got the first of Nov. I think we still have half of it. Chet said he was definitely promised Va. Coal in Dec. & we could have a ton, so I think we will get along with our coal supply in good shape. The furnace is working very good now with this Ind. coal. Here’s another wish for a Merry Christmas. Yours of Nov. 9 rec’d yesterday.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/02/chicken-frys-gladys/

Army vs. Navy (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Nov. 27 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Nov. 19 came today – making almost as good time as at your last station. Just hope mine gets thru as quickly to you. Sat. P.M. & the football game tuned in and John listening. It’s Army & Navy playing today. Mark is building a model plane for Bobby. Bobby stays in a while then says he must go out & play with his kidlets meaning Jimmy & Martha. David is asleep. Mark took him out for an airing and a little sunshine after lunch but it was so cold I brought him back in after about 15 minutes. I hung a few things on the line and they froze so brought the colored things back in and John hung them in the basement. With my throat & sinus being so sensitive this year I figured it wasn’t worth hanging clothes out and take the chance of making my throat sore. We went to Laf. yesterday and took Mark to see Dr. Cole. He gave me a prescription for Sulfamerazine and I brought it here to be filled. The drug stores here haven’t merazine so had to call Laf. to get it. Mark just has a slight head cold but those things can grow into something worse and I know Sulfas nip those cold bugs but I don’t like to give sulfa without Doctor’s instruction. I kept Mark home all week from school due to signs of nervousness. He, I think, has been playing too hard since school started and I hadn’t been making him go to bed early – however there is a new ruling for Mark – he goes to bed at 8:30. I think with plenty of rest and not so much strenuous play he will soon be himself again. He is taking Vi Delta now too. I didn’t give either J. or M. the oral cold shots this year. I can understand how he would get a cold bug – with my throat & sinus bothering me all fall.

I saw Dorothy this a.m. She was in Chicago with Marie Steinbaugh yesterday & Marie fainted. If you rec’d all my letters you know Marie had one breast removed some time ago and has been taking X-ray treatment all fall. However the clinic had dismissed her. Dorothy took her to Billings and she had an X-ray made but couldn’t stay in the

[page 2] hospital – no beds – They are going to write the clinic for her first X-rays and she is to go back to Billings later.

You remember the Couch family – you delivered the 8th baby. Mr. Couch died this week. I was told his trouble was his blood turned to water. He was in St. E. Hospital then was brought home just before he died.

Just now on the radio there is a broadcast from a Navy Sub (Capt. Steve Basket) & Army Bomber (Col. Ed Garbarge) – two former Army & Navy football players carrying on a conversation about the game they played in several (20) years ago. This conversation was brought into the broadcast at West Point.

I talked to Dr. Cole yesterday about Mother’s illness. He said the cancer was in the head of the pancreas and had probably been there a year. I didn’t get a written report on it but didn’t think it was necessary, after he explained it to me. There was a partial obstruction, due to the growth.

The Zells are having their first fried chicken from the flock they started in Sept. and we are invited to dinner tomorrow. They are all “sold” on David. They want a boy so much and they have been very much interested in David since his arrival. Of course you have been informed from different sources about David’s personality and can understand his popularity. Mrs. Zell says their children didn’t have good appetites when they were babies, and David does a very good job of eating, and they enjoy watching him eat. I am giving him hemoganized (boiled) milk now. Have to get it from Bans.

My new lenses seem a little strange today, but the man at the optical co. adjusted the frames so they fit better.

I have to write a letter to Pauline. She asked me to buy some sleepers for James L. She couldn’t find any out there in “those wide open spaces.” I got two pr. and must send them out to her today so she will get them soon. IT sure takes a lot of time to keep up my correspondence, but I like to receive letters so must write if I receive.

I will again wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you get the boxes we sent. This is one time you will have to overlook the smallness of the gift and remember the spirit it was sent in.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/01/army-vs-navy-gladys/

Shopping After Thanksgiving (Gladys)

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1943-11-26 (GRY)Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
11-26-43

Dear Daddy – Just home from Laf. again. Had to get my new lenses. Also took Mark to Dr. Cole. He has a slight head cold which doesn’t seem to improve with nose drops. Dr. gave me 2 prescriptions. Dr. Cole is so buy with so many baby cases his office is crowded from the time he goes there until he leaves. He is doing his share in the war effort taking care of so many cases, more than he would ordinarily. I think there is only one other baby Dr. in Laf. besides Cole. Alma W. went with us. She saw Van Buskirk for her sinus and is to go back next week again. My throat & sinus have cleared up since I got heat in our room again. Mrs. Z. kept David this afternoon – It was her idea. I was going to take him along & leave him in the car with J. & M. I went over and got him and John took him up to bed. I hear him now making a sleepy noise. John wanted a monopoly game for Christmas so I gave him the money and he bought it today – He and Mark are having a game now. I told him he couldn’t play with it until Christmas but he & Mark wouldn’t listen to such an idea. I got Mark a few things today & David too. Was going to get records for John but couldn’t get what he wanted. I really did better on my Christmas shopping today than I thought I would – in spite of crowds & scarce goods. Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/06/30/shopping-after-thanksgiving-gladys/

Happy Thanksgiving 1943 (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Nov. 25 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

One more year your birthday comes on Thanksgiving Day. Hope you cards have caught up with you by this date. Mark said “life begins at forty.” I said that may be true for Daddy, only I am hoping yours will begin again for your family soon after 39. That may be put crudely, but I think you will get what I mean.

It’s after 4 P.M. and David and his mother slept from 2 till 4. I kept him out in the warm sunshine until he got cross, then decided he should have his nap. He used to take a nap after his bath, orange juice & oil at 10 a.m. but won’t go to sleep any more at that hour so we wait until afternoon now. It has been sunny the past few days so in order to get him out during the best of the sunshine take him out right after lunch. He will stay in his Taylor Tot a while then wants to get out & walk around. His 8th tooth is almost through.

[page 2] I didn’t want to go into the locker because of my sinus & throat condition – which seem pretty good today – so Link said he would be going over. We wanted a chicken for dinner but Link forgot all about going. He had told me he had to go for them. So we had beef roast instead. I made dressing, baked potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, raw carrots, celery, pumpkin pie and tea. I think we fared well enough. J. & M. kept referring to the meat as turkey. The Zells ate with Shirks. Chafee won a 16 lb. turkey at the raffle and couldn’t find anyone to dress it, so Mr. Z. dressed same then Shirks invited Zells to dinner. The Shirks & Zells used to live in Brookville at the same time. Johnsons also won a turkey and dressed it and put it in our locker for Christmas. So far I haven’t planned much for Christmas. I don’t want to plan on going to C.C. I think that is too far to go with D. in cold weather. We may possibly go to Mutch’s or have them come over here if Earl can get the gas. If not we can just remain home. I suppose R. & F. will go to C.C. If it gets as cold this year as it did last I would much rather stay home than try to go visiting. After all with the four of us we can make merry right at home. Of course we would

[page 3] enjoy being with the family, or having a part of the family come here.

I’ll mention again in case those other letters do not reach you – I rec’d two bouquets of flowers. Lt. Palmer wrote a nice letter to Bergens and they passed it on to me. He was very complimentary about you. But why shouldn’t he be – you deserve it.

I rec’d a letter from Dolores. She sent me some pictures of her & Steve. I think he is a nice looking young man. She didn’t mention his present location. He must have had several days off when they were married – she said in her letter she went back to work the day after Steve went back to camp.

I have to make another trip to Laf. to get the lenses for my glasses. I had planned to go Tues. but Mark was home and I couldn’t get Clara to come and stay with Mark and David, so was going to have Arlene get the lenses for me, but they have to have my frames to drill the holes in the right places, so we plan to go tomorrow. School being out J. & M. can take care of David in the car. I will try to do a little Christmas shopping but I know I won’t do much. The stores are jammed and the stocks are low.

[page 4] There seems to be three or four persons to any article for sale. The stores are short of clerks. I don’t like to buy anything I don’t have to. You can hardly imagine the change in business conditions. I want to buy gifts for Jimmy, Bobby, Donald, & the Zell girls and frankly I am “stumped.” The prices on toys are high and the toys offered this year are nothing compared to former years. I am not complaining. It’s just a natural condition arising from circumstances – Just wish I could find something to give that would do as good as toys. I suppose I will if I think hard enough. I told J. & M. I am going to give them money. Of course I will get something else – probably some clothing & wrap it to put under the tree. They have been wanting to know what to get me. That is as much a problem as any, but we will solve all these by Christmas and try to have a Merry Christmas.

Last Thanksgiving was a week earlier than this year and it turned cold and stayed cold all winter. I remember we hung clothes out on the line & they froze. We didn’t hang clothes out today but it was nice & warm.

It’s five o’clock and I have rambled on without saying much but hope it will take up a little of your time
“Love – Mother”

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/06/29/happy-thanksgiving-1943-gladys/

Death of a Child (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Nov. 21 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Sun. evening – listening to the radio – The Chase & Sanborn program on. J. & M. & I just left the kitchen after a scanty supper. Mark had a stomach bug Fri. evening – I had to clean up the bathroom floor downstairs and the hall floor upstairs – It seemed the bug was working both ways and at the same time so had underwear to wash too – Then last night (Sat.) John went thru the same thing and at the same time my throat was tightening – I felt like I was getting it bad (had had a treatment Fri., but Sat. was warm and I went out of doors several times and think I got chilled some). However to go on with my tale – I started taking sulfadiazine to nip my sinus & throat bug and must have in doing so nipped the stomach bug the boys had – No doubt I would have gotten it because I had to clean up after both boys – Just hope David doesn’t have to go thru the same experience. So far he is as peppy as ever. Dorothy & Nick came out this afternoon to take some movies

[page 2] of David but he didn’t perform very well. He won’t walk along out in the yard. I suppose the space looks to wide for him. In the house he walks from one piece of furniture to another. Out in the yard he wants to get down and crawl around on the grass. He is trying to say word nos. He often repeats words after he hears us. So far has tried to say dog, button, pretty, and I have mentioned da-da & bye bye – also mom-mom. I took some pictures yesterday and left them to be developed and should get them tomorrow. Of course will send any that are good on to you.

I was talking to Arlene last night on the phone. She was having pains – and it’s still 3 weeks until time for her to go to the hospital- She had walked to town and back and I suppose that was what brought on the early pains – however she was feeling normal this morning so the pains must have been false. She said she didn’t want to go to the hospital before time. She figures she will be there over Christmas. Says she thinks Christmas would be a nice birthday for her baby. Louise is back with Funks for the time being. She is going to have a baby too, but intends to stay with Arlene a while. At least until she can get other help or get along without.

[page 3] Later I mentioned in a previous letter about a baby at Kent apt. The mother is a daughter of the manager & her husband is a Seebee. She has been living here for some time with the baby. She called me Thurs. & said her baby was sick – after talking to her I discovered she had had Dr. Mathews. I told her to follow his instructions. He told her to take the baby to the hospital and I told her to do as he advised. She said she couldn’t stay with him, but I told her she could because I had stayed with David when he had his leg accident. The next day I called the apts. to inquire about the baby and her father told me the baby died during the night following an operation at the Jasper Co. hospital. They had talked to Bob Schurtter about the baby and weren’t satisfied with Dr. M. Bob told them to call another Dr. If they weren’t satisfied, but get another Dr. quick. They called Rumkorph and I suppose he was the one to operate – however it was too late to do anything then because the baby had lockbowel & ganggreen (sp.) had set in. I felt terrible about the whole thing because I hadn’t gone up and tried to do something, but she didn’t call me until Thurs. afternoon and he died that night and had been sick several

[page 4] days. Also I was keeping the Zell children and had Martha & David to take care of that afternoon, and had promised Mark I would come to the school and show them how to knit – Lucile took David & I took Martha with me to school. After school we came home and Zells hadn’t returned from Indpls. So had my hands full with their girls & our boys. After learning the baby had been ill several days I knew I couldn’t have done anything when she called me. If I had known about it sooner probably would have insisted on her getting him to a hospital. I have learned too that the whole family are Christian Scientists of long standing, which helps explain the delay in getting a Dr. Schurtters live at the apts. too and Bob & Dot knew the baby was ill. Bob had gotten Matthews for them in the first place but from all I gather they were slow to follow instructions.

Arlene called me and wanted me to go to Hassetts with her this evening. She had the car and I wrapped up good and went – We then stopped at the drug store. I have no drainage from my sinus now so the dash out didn’t effect me any. If I could keep taking sulfa but know that won’t do because after 24 hrs. I usually begin to itch – My throat feels clear & my sinus too so maybe I have taken enough this time to clear me up. At any rate I took the last tablet about 6 o’clock.

Have to call the plumber tomorrow. The radiators upstairs are heating – must have air. I thought the upstairs felt chilly and now I know why. The downstairs keeps warm enough.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/06/25/death-of-a-child-gladys/

Hope for Early Return (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
11-18-43

Dear Daddy –

Yours letters seem to be picking up again – Two today – of Nov. 9 & 10 – The last I had was last week of Nov. 4. It’s strange you would only get Ruth’s letter of Oct. 17 when I wrote directly from the hospital Oct. 15 – and regularily after that date – In fact I wrote to you every day during Mother’s entire illness, missing very seldom. The Red Cross was supposed to get a message to you but evidently didn’t.

Hickey wrote to his father about your visit to him and same was mentioned in the Democrat this week. I was going to tell some of Hickey’s family about his P.S. on the letter but haven’t seen any of them yet. Marg Carlson & her mother run the Democrat now and she had a front page article with news about people in service from Kent.

We had Zells here for dinner this evening. Mr. & Mrs. went to Indpls. Early yesterday a.m. The girls came here after school & spent the night and had lunch with us today. Their folks weren’t home yet after school this afternoon so I prepared

[page 2] dinner and they got home just about time to eat. Virginia & I had gone over to the brooder house to fill the feed & water containers when they came home. We really had a house full last night with three boys & three girls.

This afternoon Lucile walked out with J.E. It was a nice warm sunny day for a change. I wanted to get some pictures of David and he for the first time wouldn’t act nice for the camera. I wanted him to stand up and he would just sit down or cry. I was going to the school to help teach Mark’s room to knit and didn’t want to take David along so Lucile kept him. He stays in Jimmy’s play pen when he is there and is pretty good. Jimmy’s things are different. When I stopped to get him Lucile said he had behaved very well. I told her I would keep Jimmy for her when she attends afternoon club meetings. She doesn’t leave him much. Lucile is a very devoted mother, I think. I don’t leave David very often but had to more or less during Mother’s illness. I left him Tues. when I went to the Dr. but Mrs. Zell stayed here with him. She says she will keep him tomorrow while I go again to see Dr. Ade. I don’t like the idea of taking him along because the stores are full of Christmas shoppers now & I don’t think it’s the best place for him, and I certainly don’t want to take him

[page 3] into Dr. Ade’s office at this time of the year. I have a little nose & throat bug but there are so many people now having same or worse waiting in his office for treatment.

Mrs. R. came over with her three last night. She says Joe is still thinking you & he will get to come home after your 18 months. Also she told me that Earl is out somewhere now but she doesn’t know where. His wife has been with him all the time but is back home now. J. had sent some pictures home of his work with the natives. There was one of a woman with a dress on. Much cleaner looking than of some I have seen. Maybe it was a new dress & hadn’t had time to get dirty – or am I too critical?

I see by the paper that Dr. Van spoke at Rotary last meeting. I understand he isn’t very happy about being home. Shame he can’t trade places with you, eh what? I know you are there to do your duty and cheerfully, but it would be nice if exchanges could be made in some cases, but since those things aren’t done we will just be patient and hope for your early return.

Had to make Mark go to bed early tonight. He has been doing too much & not getting enough rest. He was working arithmetic and was reduced to tears about it so I insisted he go to bed and get up early in the morning & do homework. John is playing the piano just now.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/06/19/hope-for-early-return-gladys/

Brooder House (Gladys)

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Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Nov. 17 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

No letters for a few days – the last being of Nov. 4. It is windy and cold today. The sun is shining but I haven’t been out. After the throat & sinus treatment of yesterday thought I had better stay out of the wind. My eyes are normal again after the refraction yesterday. I am to go Fri. (19th) for recheck and another nose & throat treatment.

The Zells went to Indpls. today. Clara M. is there today working and got lunch for the girls, but they are coming here to spend the night. C. Shirk is going to take care of the brooder house stove this eve.

[page 2] It won’t be long until they will have frys to sell. They want to have them all sold by Christmas so they can go home for the holidays. The brooder house is situated so I can see the chickens from the dining room windows – John says he doesn’t care so much for them because he can taste the cod liver oil. The mash they eat is highly treated with cod liver oil. However I notice he usually eats his share when we have “hot house” chicken. There was an announcement over the radio this a.m. that farmers can butcher and sell pork without a permit to get the present supply taken care of. There is at present more than the markets can handle so I am going to try & get a hog or half to put in the locker – Portteus promised me half of one they

[page 3] were to butcher but they haven’t mentioned it recently so may have disposed of it. As yet the locker that was to be built here hasn’t gotten thru Washington yet. I owe Brand’s our present rent but didn’t want to pay a whole year if Kent’s locker will be ready soon – but it won’t be soon if the plans have to wait in Washington for approval.

I am to go to Mark’s room tomorrow to help teach the children to knit. Mark wanted me to start him last night but my vision on close work was still too blurred. Buddy had a birthday yesterday & I forgot to get him a gift so must get a “doghouse” card and a gift for Mark to take to him this evening. Buddy asked Mark to dinner tonight. He wanted to have him last night but

[page 4] they were busy in the restaurant and didn’t get around to it. They are closed from 11 to 3 p.m. & then they are usually swamped. I suppose the people who used to eat lunch at noon just wait till evening and eat an early dinner.

The wind today is blowing any loose leaves around. They cling to places like our terrace in the back. I left leaves around the shrubbery and they seem to be staying put. David is in the nursery in the play pen. He jabbers so much and manages a few words. He can say kitty, wave & say bye-bye. Has said Dada & mom mom for a long time. Has another tooth almost thru. When left alone can be good for quite a while but if he sees me wants attention.

J. & M. both fine too.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/06/17/brooder-house-gladys/