Tag Archives: World War II

Mrs. Plummer (Gladys)

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
12-2-43

Dear Daddy – No letters the last three days. This being Mrs. Plummer’s wedding anniversary I baked & decorated a cake and took David and spent the afternoon with her. She gave me our Christmas gifts today. I will just keep the boys until Christmas then put them on the tree. I have the dining table decorated with Santa & reindeers and the little table trees. It was so warm today it didn’t seem like Dec. I hung clothes out but the humidity was high and the heavier things didn’t dry. This time last year we couldn’t hang anything out of doors. We are all pretty well over colds now. I still have sinus drainage every morning but that is better than having it stopped. The piano tuner is coming tomorrow. He had tuned the piano before it was moved but it needs it again. John really takes a piano thru a lot of hard practicing. J. & M. get their homework as soon as they get home from school so they can play monopoly on John’s board he got for his Christmas gift. I thought if I allowed them to play on it a lot they would soon tire of it and not be so anxious to play all the time. I wasn’t in town today so didn’t gather any news. Lucile was out with Jimmy Ed early this afternoon before I went to Plummers. David & J.E. have a good time toddling around together. I loaned J.E. a pr. of shoes David outgrew. Baby shoes are hard to find now.

Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/08/mrs-plummer-gladys/

Yesterday’s Letters (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: December 1, 1943 envelope

: December 1, 1943, p. 1

: December 1, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Dec. 1, 1943

Dear Mother,

In one of your letters yesterday you gave me the full details of the flowers arriving for your birthday. He (Palmer) had the exact date so maybe he planned the whole thing that way and there is also a possibility that he arrived just in time. Too bad something like that couldn’t happen so I could send you a real nice Christmas present but so far I see no hope of that.

This little check is for that purpose – (Christmas present) but it really isn’t like flowers, etc. One could buy some things presents here but I am a little afraid of sending things since that box I sent last year didn’t come thru and it was also late when I arrived here. So use the check for something you wouldn’t otherwise wouldn’t buy, like the Pjs you told me you bought for your birthday. I got more than somewhat of a kick out of your description of that affair.

When you wrote that I would have a good picture – better picture rather of D. growing up than some “Daddies” at home you were very correct because there has been very few letters in which he didn’t come in for his share from

[page 2] his proud Mother and of course I was as eager to hear read those things as you were to write them. I often as you can. What you write but send them as often as you can. What you write but send them as often as you can. What you write but send them as often as you can.

Tomorrow I’ll get some money orders for the boys so they can get a few things for themselves, as they did last year. Seems as if they got a big kick out of that last year. All this Christmas writing by me I suppose was brought on by the date for it just doesn’t seem that that time is around again and of course we know now that we won’t have snow but you have possibilities there. I know you will not be disappointed if snow doesn’t come but as I’ve often written a little bit of snow under my feet would sure feel fine especially if it were in certain parts of Indiana.

I do hope this gets to you by Christmas time but I have a feeling that the mail will be slow again this year because of the regular Christmas rush which is hard to control.

I’ve rambled lost lots but any way.
Lots of Love
Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/07/yesterdays-letters-roscoe/

Report Cards (Gladys)

1 Reply

: December 1, 1943 envelope

: December 1, 1943, p. 1

: December 1, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Dec. 1 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

The first day of Dec. – no mail today but probably will get some tomorrow. It was a little sunny today and I took David out for fresh air. He hadn’t been out this week (Mon. or Tues.) due to a slight cold which was not present today, so I thought fresh air would do us both good. We walked over to Johnsons but they weren’t home so went on over to Krulls. I hadn’t seen their kitchen since they had remodeled. They now eat their noon meal at home every day & Thurs. & Sun. are home since those days the restaurant is closed. They closed up the door that went into the pantry and made another at the south end of the dining room. They now have a bathroom with a shower off their kitchen. It is very nice with built in cupboards, new sink, etc. If you were home I think I would want to finish the room over the garage for the boys, but under the present circumstances I think it is best that we get along as is, but it’s something to plan for. Even with a new house there is always something to do (like finish the basement).

J. & M. brought home report cards today. John had Gen. Science A – English A+ – History & Arith. A – Ag. B+ – Physical Ed. S (Satisfactory) – Band A and Citizenship S. Mark’s grades went down, but

[page 2] I am not surprised. He isn’t quite up to par. I didn’t get him started on vitamins quite soon enough and I think he played too hard thru “their” football season. I set a new bed time for him which is 8:30 and am trying to get him rested some. He and Bobby are upstairs now working on a plane for Bobby. Mark is having trouble with arithmetic now – long division seems awfully hard for him. I have to help him every evening and he isn’t grasping it like he should. I think that is one cause for his present nervousness – he gets impatient about not getting his work rapidly. David is walking around the house playing with a muffin pan and a lid. He went to the stove and got them out of the drawer. We are slapping his hands now to teach him to leave things alone that sit around where he can reach. In the morning when I get up, I have sinus drainage and do some clearing, hacking and spitting. He imitates me. He is at the age where he tries to do a lot of things we do. Of course we think he is advanced for his age, but that’s our privilege.

Dorothy told me today that Ellsworth got a 3 month deferment – that Al is going to quit teaching next year ( he will be retired then) and run Ellsworth’s business while E. is in service. Now that is as told to me and things may change by then, but those are present plans.

I tried to do some Christmas shopping today but didn’t get much done. Got a box to send to Jim. Have a gift for Thelma – an English coin purse Bud K. made.

The weather is turning to the wet order. It is raining some now. Theresa Ann Tubberty just came to get Bobby – she helps Arlene after school. Louise is back but she isn’t able to work like she used to – I don’t know when she will have her baby – She probably won’t stay after Arlene gets back from the hospital and can get along. Bobby said his Mother was addressing Christmas greetings today – She has to get her things done early.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/06/report-cards-gladys-2/

Ten Days (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: November 30, 1943 envelope

: November 30, 1943, p. 1

: November 30, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Nov. 30, 1943

Dear Mother,

You mentioned in one of your letters I received today about forgetting to mail a letter for one day and was sorry – well, I haven’t written for 10 days as you probably know by now but I wasn’t supposed to say too much about a leave I was taking – So I’m sorry for not having written. It had to be that way – The only thing I did write was that my mail would be off schedule. There was 18 letters and a package from Ruth M. waiting when I got back.

About the vacation – I have a word picture of the whole thing but that can’t be written for reasons you already known by you. It was a chance I couldn’t afford to miss and maybe I had it coming because it has been some time since I’ve had a day off from duty. Not being able to write was the thing I hated the most.

There are so many things in your letters about which I’d like to write but three more just came so I’ll have to have some time to digest all of them. Most of the letters were old having gone to the old address the latest being Nov. 15, and the worry you had about leaving off the 133 was useless because it really isn’t too necessary although

[page 2] it does help.

The most vivid thing running thru all your letters was D. walking. I believe you stressed that the most. Maybe that was the thing that was most interesting to me. At least I enjoyed it lots, and I know he must enjoy walking from your word pictures of his actions while he is toddling along.

I hope Art Kenney was correct about the tour of duty. Of course one don’t expect things like that to happen on the exact day. What he told you about the contingent of Marines has proven correct in so far as I am concerned. He has been promoted rather rapidly to have reached the rate he has in such a short time but I think Art is a pretty bright boy.

So far the home town paper sent by Boonie hasn’t arrived but things like that are slow. I hope the pictures of D. are good you had taken under the sponsorship of the paper.

Maybe tomorrow I can write a little better letter after I’ve had a chance to think about yours and re read the ones I might have skipped over lightly –

Lots of Love
Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/05/ten-days-roscoe/

Trying to Tell Me Something (Gladys)

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
11-30-43

Dear Daddy – No letter today but had Nov. 19^th Sat. It was very chilly this a.m. I hung clothes out and they froze by are now. It has warmed up quite a lot. J. & M. are just home from school. David is running around the house enjoying his freedom. He does love to be out of his pen and go places. We are having Shurtters to dinner this evening. Bob thinks he will be called around Christmas. He applied for an Ensign commission. That will make the high school short two teachers. Coke Foulkes called to get your address today. Their brother-in-law is back in Great Lakes. He has been very ill – had Malaria and disintary. I am glad you weren’t ill. I wish you were home but wouldn’t want you to get sick to get back. I think he was gone a year – that being the tour of duty for that area. I saw the proofs of the pictures I had taken of David and they were the best yet. I won’t get the pictures before two weeks so you probably won’t get any of them by Christmas, but maybe shortly after. David is trying to tell me something now but I can’t understand a word – Bobby says he can understand him.

Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/04/trying-to-tell-me-something-gladys/

Enough Gasoline (Gladys)

3 Replies

: November 29, 1943 envelope

: November 29, 1943, p. 1

: November 29, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Nov. 29 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Mon. afternoon – David took an early nap and woke up grouchy – I was taking 40 winks myself when he demanded attention. His nose is a little runny today, but with all of us with a little head cold more or less I am not surprised. I am just having the usual sinus drainage and J. & M. are about over theirs. Under Dr. Cole’s instruction I gave them sulfamerazine and the colds got better. They have started on Vi Delta and of course David has had his oleum percomorph continuously since 5 wks. old. I let David loose but that didn’t work because I wanted to write and do a few other things and when he is loose he has to be watched. I put him back in his bed and it is by the window so he can look out. I gave him a lot of toys but one by one I have heard them hit the floor. He is now shaking the bed. When the coast is clear he can move the bed over the room by shaking the side. He says kitty & dog quite plain now and notices the squirrels out in the yard. I am afraid squirrel will be a little hard for him to say. He is more like John about the chattering and talking early. In some ways he isn’t like either J. or M. – must be just David.

It snowed last night and there is still snow on the ground. It is grey today with some snow falling. It has been so dry and this snow is melting, so the shrubbery will get some moisture.

[page 2] I have watered our new shrubbery this fall because if the evergreen that was replaced doesn’t hold up they won’t replace it. I thought they never would get around to replacing it at all.

I haven’t heard from Floyd & Ruth since we saw them Nov. 1. I don’t know whether he has been reclassified or not. It may depend on how scarce men are to answer the draft quote in Clay Co. Pauline Hiestand thinks Joe will soon have to go because his number is low and the single men are all taken from here. About Paul & Earl – they are on deferments so may have to go in time if the demand is great enough – however Paul was rejected I believe for some cause or another – I couldn’t say for sure what is was. There was a lot said about Ellsworth W. but he is still around – some people think military discipline might do some good in certain cases.

I have had enough gasoline. When I had to make so many trips to the hospital I had to have much more than an A card allowed but I was taken care of by friends. However the ration board here is very generous and when Jim was home he got gas to drive back to T.H. and Glen got special C tickets without any trouble at all to go back to Nevada. I get 3 gal. a week and in ordinary times is all I need.

David is raising a howl so must go see what I can do about it, if anything. He still sucks his thumb but J. & M. keep working on him to stop him. I put a thumb guard on him but he usually gets it off. He isn’t so bad about it unless he hasn’t anything else to do – he is working on it rather strenuously now – he makes a little noise in his throat sometimes when he is sucking his thumb.

Love Mother

P.S. Finances aren’t so good, but I think I can make it O.K. Not much surplus but am keeping bills pd.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/03/enough-gasoline-gladys/

Chicken Frys (Gladys)

1 Reply

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)

1 Reply

: November 27, 1943 envelope

: November 27, 1943, p. 1

: November 27, 1943, p. 2

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 8^th 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

Shopping After Thanksgiving (Gladys)

1 Reply

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

Happy Thanksgiving 1943 (Gladys)

1 Reply

: November 25, 1943 envelope

: November 25, 1943, p. 1

: November 25, 1943, p. 2

: November 25, 1943, p. 3

: November 25, 1943, p. 4

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 8^th 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”