Thank you for your grand newsy letter. You will never know how much I enjoyed it. I am so happy you are comfortably settled and so interested in all your new purchases. Have not heard from your Mother & Dad as yet. It is dry and hot today and the dust is impossible. Have the place closed and fans on. When you have time I will be thrilled to hear from you.
It seems too bad to start out with asking you to forgive me, but I must. First I want to thank you two darlings for the dear little spinning wheele. I just adore it, and please accept my belated thanks. I just love it.
At the time of my birthday, Aug. 4th, we had a heat wave to end all heat waves. Back in the old days in Mattoon we used to have much higher temperatures, but I guess this was the first time I have been 75 years old, and I did “suffer with the heat” this year. Then, I have had company, you know the woman I told you about who is a real democrat, my husband’s cousin. Then I had another, my own cousin, who is one of the few relatives I have left, and she became ill while here, and I had to employ a man and wife to take her home. She lives in Pekin, Ill. and is a friend of Everet Dirkson. I have been having a little more than I am able to cope with.
I want you to know how much I did appreciate your two letters David, more than I can say. You and Bonnie are very dear to me, and I hope you will forgive me for not writing to you.
David, you have always been a bright spot in my life, and I miss you this summer. I am so thankful you have your dear Bonnie.
I find it hard to sit in a straight chair to write letters. I had Harold take me to Dr. Curtis this afternoon to have my glasses adjusted.
I feel the same as you do David, about Goldwater, but it hurts me to have you cast your first vote for a dem., but I can’t blame you. This time I am thankful that I have lost my right to vote. Please forgive my poor typing, my hands are very crippled. I am so confused about the political situation; I don’t know what is right.
I would love to hear from you when you have time, and please I want you and Bonnie to know how much it means to me to hear from you.
Please, please, forgive your delinquent Grandma. I loved your letter, and have read it many times and while I cannot comment on all you have told me, I appreciate every word of it. I am so very happy that you are on the Dean’s list and your Mom and Dad will be there next May.
I had a nice letter from Bonnie about the book, but David, I am so thrilled about the work you are doing. I hope you will let me know about the Boston School of Theology.
I did not go to the hospital, but I have not been at all well, and the simple mechanics of living have taken all I could do. I can prepare what little food I eat, and keep myself reasonably well groomed, and of course I have to have help to clean my apartment and I do not get out except to get over to Mildred to get my hair done.
I have been in a sort of lethargy, and don’t seem to have strength enough to write letters or do so many things I used to do. When your Dad gets home we will check on me.
I had Doris take me down to see Dr. Stahl about my hip, and he said there was nothing he could find that would be causing unusual pain, which I had been having, except of course, advancing arthritis.
I am so proud of you and the work you are doing, and am very happy about your moving into Dr. King’s residence. It must be a very nice thing for both of you. I should think they would be very happy to have you a part of their household. I am sure the home cooking is a pleasant change for you. I suppose Bonnie is back in Bloomington by now.
I have had some very interesting cards from your mother. The last one was enroute to Jerusalem. I wonder if they were not in Athens at the time of King Paul’s funeral. The pictures they will bring home will be something to see. She said they had been able to buy more film.
Please forgive my seeming delay, it was not from the heart, I will be so anxious to hear about Boston School.
Dearest love to you and Bonnie
Grandma
March 18, 1964, p. 2
(over) David, You will probably get this on Sat. March 21st, which will be my 50th wedding anniversary. I was married on Sat. afternoon, March 21, 1914. I hope you and Bonnie may spend your 50th together.
Dave Dear – Thank you for sending the album. Talked to your mother yesterday. She tells me you [are] just slightly busy. We are having real jingle bells weather which means I am housebound. I do hope all goes well with you and Bonnie on your journey.
David, My Dear: I am getting this ready to give to the postman on his rounds in the morning, the only way I have of mailing letters now. I am so glad to be able to tell you that the hotel is sold. Harold Funk bought it, and is taking Dick Ryan in as a partner to run it for him. I think they plan some changes. They will take over on Oct. 1st. I have been filling in at the office now and then. Probably this Sat. for the last time. It seems queer not to be in business after almost 50 years, but good.
September 20, 1963, p. 2
[page 2] I hope you are not completely swooned after all your activities and will be able to settle down to a more routine way now, although I realize how little time you will have.
Your mother stopped in a few minutes a few days ago. I will be anxious to hear all about you but don’t worry about writing when you don’t have time. I understand.
I will be thinking of you on your 21st birthday, and wish I could bake you a cake. It is a history making day for you. Give my love to Bonnie
I hope things are going well with you during your last lap of school year, and that you are enjoying it. Your mother was in several days ago and brought me a copy of LIFE which published your letter. Hurray for you, how true and well put. Hurray for you, how true and well put. I’m proud of you. I do not get LIFE and therefore did not read the letter on which you commented, but I had read about her and her activities in other publications. Her children are to be pity and I hope they are able to think for themselves when they grow up.
Your mother also told me about your trip to Indianapolis with Bonnie, and I had good report on Bonnie also. When she comes home with you I shall look forward to meeting her.
The deal which was hanging in the balance regarding sale of the hotel has not come through and things seem at a standstill. Also Pronger has been very slow in getting the apartment ready, but I am going into it as soon as it is finished, whether the hotel is sold by then or not.
We are having summer today, and I hope it remains so there will be no more big fuel bills. There will be one for April, certainly, it was so cold most of the time.
By for now
Love
Grandma
Editorial letter in Life Magazine (May 3, 1963, p. 21)
Forgive me for not writing last week, as I did so much appreciate your letter of March 20th, which I received on the 21st, being my 49th wedding anniversary. I, too, love the psalm 27. I feel comforted and unafraid of the future.
I long since gave up any idea of making the hotel into apartments. It would require more money than I care to take a chance with at my time in life, also huge job of merely doing it leaves me weak to contemplate. My one desire now is to dispose of it.
I am going to take an apartment this spring while there is a downstairs one available. I will tell you all about it when you are home. I have been going through a trying time, sorting out a burdensome accumulation of one sort and another. It is appalling what one has on hand to dispose of after living many years in one place. I am trying to do such a good job of it this time that it will not be such a chore the next time.
I just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you and loved your letter, and I won’t try to write again until after I have seen you.
Your mother was in for a few minutes yesterday. She wanted to take me for a ride, but Harold was out so I couldn’t leave the office unattended.
I also saw your Dad last week, I was at the office and have been taking some medication. Hope all is well with you. Did you see Goldwater on the Jack Paar Show? I did. Didn’t quite know what to think.
Please know how I appreciate the two good letters I have had from you since I have written, and I started to write you yesterday, and then thought I would wait until this morning and see if a letter came from you, as they usually arrive on Tuesday morning.
First I want to explain why I have not written. I have really been going through a turning point in my life. I have been in a state of very deep depression for the past several weeks, and simply have not been able to carry on the normal activities. I have decided to make a serious effort to sell the hotel as soon as possible. Harold agrees with me in this and is going to help me carry it out. This has been my home for the past nineteen years and at my age it will be hard to pull up the roots in view of my handicap, but I feel that I must do it.
I have now placed my affairs in God’s hands, and I know that His law of love and justice will take care of me, since I have done all that I can do to help myself. I know you share my belief in a personal God who cares for us.
When I watched the appearance of Nixon on TV I hoped all the time that you also were watching. I was delighted, and you know, I believe if he had displayed that side of his personality during the campaign he would now be president. However, I can well understand how it is impossible to be one’s own self when trying to please so many difference factions. I thought he was charming. I am anxious to know if you and Bonnie got to see Sen. Goldwater and what your reaction was.
It must have been thrilling to talk with Bishop Raines. You have the opportunity now to meet and know so many worthwhile people, which is an education in itself and helps to build your own personality and character, and I am sure they all feel it is very worthwhile to know a young man like you.
I am glad to hear you did well in your test on history of the reformation. And I must say that the only real laugh I have had in some time was to imagine YOU as a Catholic priest doing the twist with an angel. Really, I flipped.
March 19, 1963, p. 2
[page 2] While your mother had the children here she was in for a few minutes with Becky one afternoon, and a few days later she brought Kirk in to see me. David, he is the sweetest baby, just beautiful and so good. I told your mother I was so happy for her because he is such a wonderful baby. She said he did not even require a feeding during the night, but slept right through.
I will close now and I will write you next week or sooner if I have any news. Your letters always give me a lift and I thank you for taking the time to write me when you are so very busy.
Your fine letter of Feb. 16 was received with great pleasure and appreciation. Chris’s picture, well, “Wow,” she is indeed all you say, very beautiful indeed. She looks just like a movie star, and a lovely one at that. I will be thinking of you tonight and picturing you helping her with her dramatic reading, and also tomorrow night. If her talent matches her beauty, I don’t see how she can miss.
I missed that TV program you spoke of, I had looked forward to seeing it, but had to be on duty in the office and guests wanted another program. Tomorrow night on NBC there will be the life of Maurice Chevalier, but of course you will not see that as you will be at the pageant. I enclose a clipping I have been keeping for you about him. How well I remember those girls Rosie and Jenny Dolly, twins, in their heyday with him about fifty years ago.
I would love to have seen your panel program, and your Dr. Hill sounds wonderful. What a rewarding thing for you to know people like this and be associated with them. Your program for this semester sounds wonderful and I am sure the subjects are ones which will keep you interested and feeling you are doing what you want to do. The requirement of attending eight Beethoven concerts would not be hard to take. I love to hear the cello. When I was a youngster in Chicago and saw all the big musicals, I formed a habit of picking out one instrument and following it through the performance. Thank you so much for the reprint. I remember reading it. I always read everything on that subject with great interest.
We are back again in the deep freeze, and of course you are too. It fell below zero again last night, and the roads very icy and high wind, which all occurred early in the afternoon, so men who were out on the road hunted cover, and we had the first good night’s business this year.
I am so happy for Lea. It is tragic for those who want a family not to have it, as I well know from my own experience. It is a terrible things to grow old without a family. I hear the schools in Brook and Remington have been closed on account of the flu, and Harold said this morning that Patty says half her class are out sick, and there is talk of closing the Kentland schools. I pray it passes us and we are spared such a thing.
Please let me know as soon as you can about the Miss IU contest. I will close and get this in the afternoon mail.
Much love
Grandma
The ten finalists for the Miss Indiana University pageant, 1963, can be viewed in this newspaper clipping.
Just a line to say that I hope all is well with you, and that you are accomplishing all the hard work you told me was before you when you got back.
No doubt you have been wearing your ear muffs and long johns, I hope. It is a little warmer here today. I have not been out of the house, I even cancelled my usual date with Mildred.
Your mother came in with the pictures which were taken at Christmas time. They were all fine, and I selected some I wanted her to have made for me, which she said she would do. The one of Becky and me, one of you and the two babies and one of your dad and mother with the children.
We are having great difficulty today, plumbing trouble, involving three bath rooms, which is going to mean taking up some stools and other work, a stoppage some place. Whoops, more expense. Harold is busy with tax work and there is always someone in his office, so I try to stick close to the hotel desk to take care of that.
I have not seen any clippings which I thought worth sending you, but I watch the Trib every day. No doubt you see the Indianapolis papers.
Bye for now
Much love
Grandma
Yegerlehner Family, 1961: (Standing) David and John, (Seated) Roscoe, Gladys, Shirley, Becky, and Mark
Genealogy Lady 