Tag Archives: Shirley (Ward) Yegerlehner

Snow Drifts

1963-01-24-gryLetter transcription:

January 24, 1963

Dear David:

Right now it is a chilly 13 below just outside our window. It did get down to 16 below just before we went to bed last nite. My car got stuck in the driveway yesterday, so when Dad came home from the office he was able to get it out and into the garage where it is going to sit today. Bill Williams (next door) has a large earth moving machine he has been running up and down this street and cleaning out driveways. The wind blew all day yesterday so the driveway kept getting full of drifts and when I tried to get out just before 5 o’clock got stuck in one of those drifts. According to all the weather men this is the coldest we have had in a number of years.

I talked to Rev. Fields about you and Quarterly Conference. He said it wouldn’t be necessary for you to come then, but some Sunday when you could be home, he would call a special Board Meeting after Church and take care of the matter. I will let you know when you need to come.

Bill Corbin went to Mrs. Shoaf’s yesterday and got your shirts. I have them all packed and ready to go. I want to talk to him about how he plans to get our package from the train station to the Quad. I think he shouldn’t try to carry it all that distance. I thanked him for running the errand for me, but you might thank him again.

I was supposed to attend a meeting (Legislative Seminar) in Indianapolis this week (Tuesday), but Dad thought it wasn’t necessary for me to go and the more I thought about it the more I agreed with him, and I certainly was glad I didn’t go. The weather was rather disagreeable that day and I was glad I had stayed home. Since we are planning such a large vacation next Jan. and Feb. I intend to save all the unnecessary trips this year possible.

I finally got the taxes (Federal) finished. That is such a large job. When Mark was here we didn’t have time to finish, but next year I hope Mark will be able to take care of the entire job himself. He plans to come the first weekend in February to do book work. The weekend of Feb. 22 (Washington’s Birthday) Mark gets a long weekend, so they plan to go see Shirley’s family. I don’t know whether they will stop here or not, but they will have been here Feb. 2 & 3. I forgot to tell you Quarterly Conference here at our Church will be March 18th, which you can see will be on a Monday and not a day you would be out of school.

Take care of yourself and take your vitamins.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/31/snow-drifts/

About to Vanish

1963-01-17-gryLetter transcription:

1-17-63

Dear David:

Your card came today. Sorry you won’t get to come home, but you should know more about your time schedule that I do. It is about time for Dad to come for lunch. He was in the hospital all day yesterday and all night last night. He didn’t even get a chance to change his shirt this morning. Pat Unger Murphy has a son (one that Dad delivered yesterday).

Mark and family came Friday evening and stayed until Sunday afternoon. Becky ran into the hearth and got a goose egg on her forehead, but we put ice packs on it and the next day it didn’t look so bad. She howled for awhile, but as soon as we let her up from the ice packs she made a quick recovery and was running and playing as usual. Kirk is growing so fast, it doesn’t seem possible. He is still very good and sleeps most of the time, but when he wants his food he lets out quite a noise.

We received a letter from Lea yesterday and at long last, she is going to have a baby. She said she is due in August. I know she is probably as happy as a person can be about anything. I will have to start collecting things for the new one.

The Company that is to replace our window is supposed to do the work this afternoon. I am glad the temperature is up a little. I would hate to have that sort of thing going on in sub zero weather.

We brought some Minnesota Mining last week and it has been going up. However, yesterday there was a dip in the market and MM went down a little, but it is still over what we paid for it. We bought it as 57 7/8 and it closed yesterday at 59 3/8. It did go up over 60 one day.

Kentland Bank is having a stockholders meeting Saturday afternoon and a dinner Saturday evening. Dad said he wouldn’t get to attend the meeting, but we plan to attend the dinner. Did we tell you the Bank stock is going to split? We have 50 shares now and after the split we will have 62½. Since John has the same amount, we will either buy his ½ share or sell him ours. I rather think we will buy his.

I plan (weather permitting) to go to Lafayette Monday to see a tax consultant. Mark and I worked on taxes while he was here over the weekend, but he is just learning and I decided I would like to have an expert check our figures. There is a legislative seminar (sponsored by Council of Churches of Indiana) and I was supposed to attend, but decided not to. The Seminar is next Tuesday the 22nd and since I have an appointment in Lafayette on Monday, I decided that would be too much driving for me.

I talked to Miss Kresler Monday night about arranging our trip. We decided since she is a professional guide – she conducts tours every summer and has for 20 years – except during the war – we couldn’t find anyone who could better advise us. I took some of the literature along that I have accumulated since we have been planning our trip. She pointed out some things she thought we wouldn’t like in the literature we have. If we decide to take the trip she sells, it will be entirely by jet, but I think we will see much more that way. Once of the places included on the Olson Tour is Athens. The Olson Tour also includes the Holy Land and I want to see the Parthenon. She toured in Asia last summer, visiting Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and a few other places. Dad told Dr. K. yesterday that we are planning to be away next Jan. & Feb. He didn’t tell him any more than that. Miss Kresler told me that she is conducting a tour of Europe next summer and that Dr. & Mrs. Kresler and children, the Battons and another family are going on the tour with her.

I was going to give you the candy that was left over from Christmas, but discovered after you left that it was still in the refrigerator, so when Mark and Shirley left Sunday I gave them a box of Fanny May and opened the box of Snappers for us, so the only Christmas candy that is left is what came from South Africa and it is about to vanish.

—Dad has been home and we have had lunch. He had to make two house calls in Sheldon and is there now. The people who were supposed to replace the window haven’t come and since it is past 2 o’clock I doubt if they get here today. – I just answered the door and it was the glass people. They are now tearing out the broken window.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/30/about-to-vanish/

The New Arrival

1962-10-11-gryLetter transcription:

Thursday afternoon
October 11, 1962

Dear David:

Yours received via Corbins. It is a wonderful day and just like summer. I suppose it is a few degrees warmer where you are. Dad has had a very busy week. He had to spend most of his time this week in the hospital, taking care of accident cases, surgery and baby cases. He is getting some work done around the yard this afternoon. He is going to the office at 5 o’clock to put a new handle on the inside front door. The old one keeps getting out of order. We keep getting a few more things done at the office and Dad is working on the speaker system to get the FM radio hooked up. Don’t worry about my record player. If we want to, Dad can make it into a stereo. We have been too busy it seems to even listen to records, but I hope this pace doesn’t keep up. Anyway, you know I am not (at this time) interested in spending anything on record players. We will charge the FM off to office expense when Dad gets it ready to be installed. I am so used to writing John without using any paragraphs that I just decided to do the same with you. This is the easiest way. I hope you get your studies. You sounded so busy in your last letter, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to get it all done. We haven’t heard from Mark’s since a week ago today. Mark says Shirley isn’t due until the 20th or 21st. Of course, that isn’t going to keep her from going a little early if the baby decides not to wait until the date set. It would have been nice to have Becky here during this nice weather so she could have played out of doors some. I will let you know when the new arrival gets here (or there, rather). Lea and Bob came last Saturday and spent the night and Sunday with us. We took them to the KC for smorgasbord Sunday noon. We didn’t know they were coming. I was supposed to attend a class party at the parsonage, and had baked a cake, after I finished baking yours (incidentally that was your birthday cake, if a little late) to take to the party. I cancelled attending party and had cake to serve for dessert Saturday evening.

Dad has gone to the office to work on the door and I am going down to do some work on a thing or two I can’t get done while the office is open for business.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/26/the-new-arrival/

Mackinac Bridge

1962-07-19-gry-p-1Letter transcription:

[Memorial Hall I.U. – Handwritten by David]
Thurs. July 19, 1962

Dear David –

I went to Lafayette yesterday and while in the hospital had a chance to see Dr. Ferguson. He wants me to continue therapy two more weeks – or until I have normal motion with my right arm. I am to go again tomorrow. I think I had too much therapy yesterday – my arm is a little sore today.

I asked Rev. Fields about the book you wrote about but he didn’t know anything about it. He was to give me a list of books he does know about. He is at camp this week and I didn’t get the list from him. While the Fields are away this week the painting is being done.

Well, what do you think about the defeat of the little Kennedy boy’s legislation? If he can learn from anything I think it is time for him to take a hint. I think the Dri strike in Canada possibly had some effect on the way the voting went.

While Mark, Shirley & Becky were here Bob & Lea stopped for a little while on Saturday. Sunday afternoon Virginia (Zell) Gale and her family came. I don’t know when Mark’s will be back. We couldn’t figure out a date while they were

1962-07-19-gry-p-2[page 2] here. Shirley is going to visit her family for a week after she quits work August 1. She will stop here for a little while. We are planning to go to Chicago September 1 for a week’s vacation. We thought we would go up and see the Mackinac bridge one day. I hope you plan to be home all the time when you get back from summer school, until you return to school in September. We are counting on leaving you here to look after things while we are away. And of course you have to be here to help me during Arvella’s vacation.

The work on the building is at a standstill. Mr. K. says the windows haven’t come and that he can’t do anything more until he gets them.

Dad has been so very busy, I will be glad when he can get away for a vacation. Dr. Brady is gone from Morocco and the people in Morocco have no hopes of getting another Dr. That just makes more work on Dad all the time.

Marge Cheek had to have an emergency operation Monday evening. Appendicitis and complications. I was at the hospital Tuesday but didn’t try to see her because she wasn’t able to have company.

I have to write to John and do a few other things today – I will be traveling tomorrow so won’t get much done at home.

Love Mother

mackinac_bridge

Mackinac bridge (Image by Jeffness Wikipedia Creative Commons license)

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/21/mackinac-bridge/

DuPont Shares

1962-07-13-gry-p-1Letter transcription:

[Memorial Hall I.U. Postmark July 13, 1962 – Handwritten by David]
Dr. R. S. Yegerlehner
Physician and Surgeon
103 North Second Street
Kentland, Indiana

Dear David –

Sorry I couldn’t send you a cake, but I have not done anything I haven’t had to do (except a thing or two). After I get thru taking my therapy I am so tired I usually sleep a while. I just went down once this week – didn’t do today but plan to go Monday. Dad fixed a swing for me in the furnace room and I pull my arm on it two of three times a day.

Shirley & Mark & Becky are coming this evening for week-end.

1962-07-13-gry-p-2We received 5 shares of GM for our ten shares of DuPont. That is the way DuPont is disposing of their GM stock without upsetting the stock market. That suited us. We should have had more DuPont (we had 10). Int. Silver had climbed back up to 33.

[page 2] I checked with the bank and you had $51.00 – I put $50.00 in one day recently.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/20/dupont-shares/

News from John

1962-07-03-gry-p-1Letter transcription:

[Memorial Hall I.U. – handwritten by David]
Tues. July 3 1962

Dear David –

I had a therapy treatment yesterday and will get another Thurs. Since the 4th is a holiday won’t go tomorrow. Marge Janssen is going to drive for me Thurs. Joan drove yesterday. The Fields are in the process of moving today and will finish tomorrow. The Bowers moved yesterday.

Rec’d a letter from John this a.m. He hasn’t been getting any fresh news from U.S. – says all the papers there are full of news of New Guinea and he was wondering about the stock market. He said he hadn’t been able to get any U.S. news magazines recently. This letter had been mailed from Singapore by a friend so he was able to say a few things he wouldn’t have said otherwise. He is afraid letters mailed from there (Malang) might be censored.

We have had lots of rain in the past two days and the atmosphere is very oppressive today. Makes my arm ache. I am trying to get myself into the mood to take therapy. Sometimes I have to force myself.

1962-07-03-gry-p-2[page 2] I rather expect Mark & Shirley to come for the week-end.

Love Mother

P.S. a pair of gray pants came back from cleaner. Do you want me to send them? Let me know.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/18/news-from-john/

End of Term

1962-05-22-gry-p-1Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
May 22, 1962

Dear David –

We will be hoping you get the bus into Kentland Thurs. at midnight. We will wait up that long.

Mark’s were here Sunday. They came in time for noon meal and left shortly after supper. Mark has changed jobs. He is with Kemper Insurance. Shirley is going to have a baby in October. I told them I would keep Becky while Shirley is in the hospital. It had been so hot in Chicago last week – as it was here – that Becky was broken out with a heat rash that looked like measles. They promised to come back for a week-end soon – probably while you are home.

I had a baby shower for Marion Walters last night. They have adopted a little girl (2 months) old.

I found the man to fix the record player – Mr. Mallioux from Kentland T.V. He took it one day last week and brought it back yesterday and it works.

See you Thurs. (I hope).
Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/16/end-of-term/

Esta Herriman

1962-04-02-gry-p-1Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Kentland, Indiana
April 2, 1962

Dear David:

Altho this is Apr. 2nd, we had a heavy frost last night. The sun is shining and there is a promise of higher temperature this afternoon. Dad finally got the mower over the east lawn and one mowing took care of the long dead grass from last fall. He is having a little trouble with the mower. Seems the repair man from Sears put on a part that didn’t quite fit. Things are beginning to look more like spring, but the trees are still bare. It has been so cool that the early, early things are still without bud (like the forsythia and a few other early comers). I suppose one of these days it will be warm enough to turn off the heat.

I bought a New English Bible. I heard Rev. Fields say (and I should have known this) it is a new translation, not a revision. I sent to Melton and it only cost $3.96. I haven’t had time to do much reading in it yet. I was a little tired yesterday from too much activity during the week – attended an ex comm. Meeting at Linden Friday. I drove as far as Oxford and went there with three others. It was an all day affair and I was awfully tired Saturday and still a little tired Sunday, so I didn’t attend the special Lenten service Sunday night. The minister from Raub was the speaker. I talked to Marge Janssen last night and they didn’t go either and she said they were probably on their preacher’s “list.”

I am depositing $150 for you today. I haven’t checked on your balance lately, but since this is the first of the month, I will get your statement today. I have told the girls at the bank not to let your account be overdrawn, so I am trusting nothing like that has happened.

We have quit taking the daily papers, except the Wall Street Journal. I was not reading the papers all the time and there were so many to burn, we decided with the news we get on TV and from the journal, we don’t need the others. I am also going to quit taking some other publications I do not have time to read.

It has been several weeks since Mark’s have been here, but I expect to see them in the near future. Mark is learning my book work and this is the month tax forms (social security & withholding, and gross) have to be sent in. We haven’t heard from them since I talked to them on Shirley’s birthday, so I presume everything is AOK. Mark seemed to think his new job was an improvement over anything he has had so far. I hope he continues to be satisfied. Dad had B. Batton check on the Beck Oil Co.’s rating and Bob says it is a very good firm and he thinks Mark made a wise choice in going there to work. At the same time Mark had his application in there, he also had made application for a bank job downtown. He was hoping he would get the Oil Co. job.

– Yours received. I checked with the bank and your bal. as of this AM before the $150 deposit was $58.23, if that means anything to you. I shouldn’t have put any in for a while now.

When I told the girls you had seen Faye Emerson, Arvella said “she is a democrat” – as if you couldn’t talk to one.

I just talked to Esta on the phone (lights were out for a while and she called me as to whether lights were out here also). She said she had someone looking at the Motel yesterday – prospective buyer. She is trying to get out of the business. She had a dinner for the Carlsons last night. They (the Carlsons) celebrated their silver wedding anniversary yesterday with Open House and Esta had a dinner for the family at her place. She also took care of Janet’s baby, so she said she was pretty tired last night when everything was over. Janet’s baby is very cute and her hair is really something to talk about – so much of it and the shade of red. I told Janet that she is almost as cute as Becky, but that her mother would probably say Becky is almost as cute as Julie Jo.

I have a lot of work to clear off my desk, so think I had better get this finished and get busy.
Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/09/esta-herriman/

New Cleaning Help

1962-03-26-gry-p-1Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Kentland, Indiana
March 26, 1962

Dear David:

Yours received today. Glad you have received Becky’s picture. We talked to Mark and Shirley Saturday (Shirley’s birthday). Mark likes his new position with the Beck Oil Company. He sounded much happier than when he was down here. I think he has really found a good place to work now and since he is doing something he likes to do should get along first rate.

I sent the polio slip to you last week – also the proxy from Bankers. At least your Bankers stock is up from what we paid for it. The National Homes should take a swing upward in the near future.

A park board meeting was called this evening and Dad is attending it – they couldn’t meet until after the bowlers finished, so he didn’t leave here until after 9 o’clock.

The Ungers (Sue and Bill) have twins – a boy and a girl – born Saturday. I went to the hospital yesterday afternoon with Dad. He was called on an emergency, and I went along to check stock. Since I was in the hospital I took the liberty of visiting the new mother and looking at the twins.

Dad rolled the yard Thursday afternoon and couldn’t resist using the mower a round or two. He is getting things ready for spring. We can’t find the information on when to dig the rose tree and get it set. Since this is so near April 1 I think it could be dug up any time, but Dad isn’t so sure.

Rev. Fields got 16 MYF’ers to go to a meeting at Klondike Saturday. He had nine in his instruction class (for church membership Palm Sunday) Sunday. Part of those are for membership and part are just taking a refresher course. Three members of my class are taking instructions for membership.

There is a meeting at Attica tomorrow night – a Bishop Amstutz is the speaker. Several from here are planning to go. I am going, but Ruth Ford is going to drive for me.

Joyce Yegerlehner FitzRandolph (Dad’s cousin) is going to Switzerland in April for a visit with the cousins still living there. We have a round robin letter last week which we had to return to Clarence. I made a copy of each (there were three) so when you come home you can read them. One from Joyce and two from the Switz cousins. She also sent some pictures she had received from the, which we returned with the letters, of the birthplace of David Yegerlehner, also some pictures of the cousins she will visit.

We haven’t heard from the man who is to do the work on the office. Dad gave him the plans several weeks ago. I would like to see the work get started, but may have to wait a while until the weather is a little warmer. The waiting room floor doesn’t improve with age. It needs a new covering. Joe gave us notice he is going to quite the last of this week, but we have another janitor engaged. The woman who works at the hotel. She came out here Saturday and cleaned and waxed the kitchen floor. She is coming this afternoon to do the family room. I intend to have her help me every week – more or less. I have a few errands to take care of. I am buying intangible stamps this morning. I discovered that we hadn’t been buying stamps for your GE stock, so thought I had better get them and it is costing $2.25 to bring your 4 shares up to date (15 stamps at .15₵ ea).

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/08/new-cleaning-help/

Mark’s New Job

1962-03-19-gry-p-1Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Kentland, Indiana, March 19, 1962

Dear David:

I am sending the picture of Becky I promised. I think it is the cutest one I have taken of her. The last bunch didn’t turn out as well. When they were here over the week-end of the 11th I took several, but none as cute of this one. Mark has taken a new job with Beck Oil Co. He was very unhappy with his situation at APECO. In the first place they didn’t give him the job he was promised and from the accounts he gave us of the place no one seemed to know what was going on. He gave them a two weeks notice, which they told him they didn’t need – he quit that day – and started to look for something else. The job he now has was one he secured thru the placement bureau. I do hope this one turns out better than the last. He called us Saturday to tell us he had secured the new job, and he seemed very happy about it.

At last it looks like spring is here. The sun is shining and I think all traces of snow are gone. Dad keeps looking at the lawn and says he thinks it will need to be raked. Aren’t you glad you can’t help? Dad had the mowing equipment ready to roll. I thought he was going to use the roller last Thurs., but he said conditions weren’t right.

Last night my S.S. Class had a party at the church. Rev. Fields is having Lenten services every Sunday night. Our class met a t6 and had dinner, then we went up to the service, then back to the basement for recreation. It helped the size of the congregation to have our class attend. The attendance isn’t too good at the Sunday night meetings. Yesterday Rev. Fields started an adult class in membership training, for membership in the church Palm Sunday. Three were from my class. I think more will join before the training is over. I have heard some rumors of dissatisfaction over Rev. Fields, but I think he is doing more than some of the grumblers know about. There was a large crowd at the MYF last night. They met in the MYF room, since our class was using the basement. Some of the girls were in the kitchen putting pizzas in the oven when we were getting ready to eat. They were having their refreshments during the church hour, so they didn’t attend the Lenten service. Rev. Fields works with both MYF groups. He records his sermon every Sunday morning and takes the record to a shut-in every week, which takes more than an hour for every one of those visits. We received a letter about the progress of the parsonage. To date $21,264.00 has been pledged and $4,398.75 has been deposited in the bank. According to the letter the present amount pledged will not take care of the carrying charges and the study to be built on, but I think the extra will come in time. Some people who wouldn’t pledge will pay as time goes on, and of course, some of those who did pledge won’t pay, but I think it will be taken care of.

I haven’t been out yet this morning, so must get going, to pick up the mail, etc. Dad had to go on a baby case early this morning, so I don’t know whether he is back in the office yet. We gave our plans to a contractor for the office, but haven’t heard from him yet. Of course, nothing could be done yet because of the weather, but I hope he gets to work on the office soon. I am anxious to get the thing done and get it over with. I know we are going to have a mess and inconvenience while the work is going on, but that can’t be helped.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/06/marks-new-job/