Tag Archives: World War II

Homemade Ice Cream (Gladys)

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: July 19, 1943 envelope

: July 19, 1943, p. 1

: July 19, 1943, p. 2-3

: July 19, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 19 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Monday and doing the usual week-day work. Just fixed Mother’s dinner & John took it up. Says she feels better today than yesterday. I put some broth, custard & potatoe soup on her trap. She got a little upset Sat. from something, and didn’t eat much yesterday. She can’t eat much in the way of vegetables yet, but think she will in time. Had a letter from Jim this a.m. He & Thelma couldn’t come home when he had a 9 day leave due to both being ill from sunburns. He thinks he is going to get a 10 day leave before he is sent out but I am not counting too strong on it. He is waiting now for placement.

[page 2] Zell’s and Shirk’s have invited me to go to Rotary dinner tonight entertaining the wives. It is out of town and Mrs. Z. said Shirks were wanting to take their car. I am not sure where it is, but north.

Mark went to the garden this morning and picked enough green beans to can 4 qt. and digged potatoes for two days. Sure is nice now to have the garden to get such substantial things. Soon will have cabbage & tomatoes. Will have carrots today too.

David is in his bed and not liking it too well. Mark had him out in the buggy & he didn’t want to come in. He is a little spoiled from yesterday. I didn’t have anything else to do so played with him a while and now he doesn’t like being put off in the nursery alone. He will be 10 months old Fri. He isn’t growing much now but he is holding his own.

[page 3] He works any fat he may get off. He is so busy all the time. I think from the quiet in the nursery he has decided to go to sleep.

John has been helping me wash & wash dishes. He made ice cream this morning. He likes to make desserts. I am glad he does. Saves me the trouble. Seems his voice is changing. His nose is covered with pimples, but he doesn’t care. He is reading now. Some new magazines came today and he usually devours them when they come.

Mrs. James is still in Ft. Wayne and I suppose will be for some time. Irene took Jimmy with her this morning. There is a nursery school for the factory workers in the grade building. Irene said it is to be discontinued so she doesn’t know what she will do then.

My new gas ration book came today. Nos. 7,8,9,10,11,12 The other book was numbered up to 6.

[page 4] Mark is munching on a raw potatoe. Sorry I can[‘t] send you a bite. It is past 12 and I feel it. I got up about 7 this a.m. and have been busy most of the time. I have a roast in the oven. I am saving a steak I bought over a week ago. It was 48 or 50¢ a lb – so we just don’t eat steak often. Chicken is cheaper. I promised the children a weiner roast so think I’ll try to make good my promise this week. There is a lot of brush accumulated from the storms I want to get burned.

Will stop put this in with the letter I wrote yesterday & hope you get it. Have to drop Jim & your folk a line. Keeps me busy writing as much as I have to. Will give you a report on the party in next letter.

Love Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/19/homemade-ice-cream-gladys/

Love Fixer Upper (Roscoe)

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: July 18, 1943 envelope

: July 18, 1943, p. 1

: July 18, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

July 18, 1943
Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran C.

Dear Mother,

The chores all over for a while but I can’t say that I’m able to think of any suitable subject to write. It’s just one of those seemingly writeless days, and this is also the day for the regular letter to the home folk.

I was talking to an army Dr. yesterday whose wife after he left the USA joined the WACS. He has no other dependent so the government cut out his rental allowance and ½ his food. Of course his wife is drawing her pay but she quit a job with better pay than she is getting in the army so he really lost lots of “potatoes.” He swears he is going to divorce her when he gets home. So if he feels that way they probably weren’t too well satisfied before he left home. My observations of the marital

[page 2] states of men out here is twofold. Those persons who were married unhappily or lukewarm seem to drift farther apart. Personally I’ve had four people tell me they were either getting a divorce at present or intended to as soon as they get home. On the other hand there are those who were happily married and I think the bonds grow even stronger by being away. The above is just my observation being supported by my growing experience as “love fixer upper” as I have written as well as my own personal feelings for I’m tickled pea green I’m in the last group and by talking about families to other people I’ve had them tell me they envy me my wife and family. I don’t know how I got started on this tirade and it seems to be a little hard to get shut off but maybe I can end it by using a most beautiful phrase which carries with it a very sincere meaning to me.

Lots of Love
Daddy

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

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/18/love-fixer-upper-roscoe/

Roasting Weiners (Gladys)

1 Reply

: July 18, 1943, p. 1

: July 18, 1943, p. 2-3

: July 18, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 18 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Another lazy Sunday afternoon – John & Mark are playing croquet with the Zell girls. David is taking a nap. He got so he didn’t want to eat so I decided to change his eating times. I gave him a bottle of milk at about 8 this morning (the first) then at noon gave him mashed potatoes, apple sauce, custard and a little milk. About 4 I will give him some milk and at 7 cereal and put him to bed. He is slow about drinking out of a cup but I think he will come along by the time he should get along without a bottle. Donnie Funk gets along without a bottle

[page 2] now, but he has to hurry, with a new baby coming there in Dec. He has developed so fast. I think he will soon walk, but he must have known he had to hurry to make way, for maybe a little sister. However Arlene says she won’t be disappointed if there is another boy.

Mother is still in bed. She ate a piece of chicken, a cup of custard and a piece of cake for dinner. I put some mashed potatoes & gravy on her plate but she didn’t eat much of them. It is hot this afternoon so she may not get along so good. The heat makes her feel worse.

The rain we had over the week-end helped a lot. Link sprayed part of their back yard to kill out the crab grass and it looks like all the grass where he sprayed will die out. I think I won’t worry about our grass. We will just

[apge 3] keep it mowed and let it grow. I am going to take some more pictures in the back yard so you can get an idea how much the shrubbery is growing and see some of the flowers. Some of the spirea has grown up until they are almost 5 ft. The rains this summer have made everything like that grow so good.

There is an army program on this afternoon – there has been a lot about the invasion of Sicily. I wonder if you by any chance heard the Fibber program when they talked about Sicily – They were so excited & Molly asked what the excitement was about – Fibber said that was the first place he could pronounce – Then he pronounced it wrong, putting the accent on “silly.” – said anybody could pronounce “c-silly.”

I have been taking some pictures of David but don’t know whether they will be good. Our camera seems to have one sight broken.

[page 4] and I can’t see thru the other one. I want you to see how he stands up in his buggy – just wonder what you would say about that – probably spank him.

— I went to get Mark at Funks, he had run an errand for Arlene then stayed. They were roasting wieners and wanted me to stay and have one. They had Donald’s pen in the summer house so we put both babies in and I stayed long enough to eat a “dog’ then came back to feed David & put him to bed. When both babies are in the pen Donnie doesn’t see much larger than David. Being almost a month older he gets around the pen a little better, but David does alright. Donnie would pinch David and pull his hair. David didn’t seem to mind but Bill slapped Donnie’s hand – Donnie jabbers back when they scold him or slap his hands.

I am sleepy so will try to get to bed – getting up time comes around so soon.

Love – Mother

David standing in his buggy

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/17/roasting-weiners-gladys/

Boy Joins Navy (Roscoe)

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: July 17, 1943 envelope

: July 17, 1943, p. 1

: July 17, 1943, p. 2

: July 17, 1943, p. 3

: July 17, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

July 17, 1943
Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran C.

Dear Mother,

Five letters yesterday from you – The latest July 1. Another was a v-mail along the last few days of June, and one with the picture of D. I’m inclined to agree with John. In comparing this with previous pictures I don’t believe it is a good picture. It was under developed or over exposed or something. As usual there are letters missing because you mentioned Dr. M. being mad at Parttens for taking Ruth to a specialist but didn’t say what was the trouble – but I just know you wrote that in a previous letter.

Needles to say you will find the several times mentioned check enclosed. That should be enough to pay off the Ins. loan and buy a few bonds. If you

[page 2] wish and think it worth while you might even start paying Mutch & Ruth a little now and then. That is providing it doesn’t run you short. I’ll be able to send some home from time to time but I’m keeping around 200 on the books just so I’ll have enough for transportation in case I should need it. I’m hoping! – when I get an accumulation over that amount I’ll send it to you and you can use it as you see fit.

I didn’t know about your mother was having bowel trouble and it’s hard for me to suggest. Does she have diarrhea all the time with blood? You went a little indefinite about the symptoms etc. She should be on a bland diet. The sulfa drug is OK for a time and a little Metamucil would not be out of the way. A blood count

[page 3] and hemoglobin are very essential. The sugar in the urine may or may not be important but worth keeping in mind. All those things are merely suggestive and things I would do if I were there. Of course a rectal exam would come first. That is about all I can think of not knowing the circumstances and a 6,000 mile consultation isn’t good so you will have to use your own judgment which I know you are capable of doing.

Is Glenn married again or is that the wife he had? If it’s the same onee they must have bit a spark not visible before in order to reproduce after this long a period of married life. Yesterday I found myself being drawn into another one of the love struggles. Boy married to girl 8 years – Boy joins navy – find himself on a South Sea Isle – girl’s letters

[page 4] become fewer and fewer – one come 3 days ago – without date – 4 pages and then stopped in the middle of the sentence – later another started – whole new page – and it ended in the same way – not signed an both letter about 4 pages each and both ended in the middle of the sentence and no signature. The whole thing is beyond me. He seems very much discouraged and I can’t seem to blame him either, but why write you that stuff.

The regular weekly inspection is due now most any minute so I’ll try to put a finishing note at least I’ll try not to end in the middle of the sentence.

Inspection done and I must say things aren’t in as good a condition as they should be. Guess more bearing down in necessary.

Hope your mother is feeling better and that the hot weather isn’t too hard on you and the boys –

Love Daddy

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

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/16/boy-joins-navy-roscoe/

Out of Forms (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
7-17-43

Dear Daddy – This is the first v-mail I have used for a long time. Was out of forms & the boys would forget to get a supply. We had a hard rain today about noon. Came down in streams. Everything was so dry we needed rain. Now should have beans in abundance. Got yours of June 30, also J. & M. got theirs of that date. I see Link pulling a branch down the storm brake loose. If we could cut up all the limbs that have fallen would have enough to burn next winter. This summer seems to be flying by. Just 6 weeks still school starts. I am going to dig potatoes for use next week. Carrots are big enough. Also green beans & cabbage. Tomatoes will be soon but they don’t interest me much. Mother ate a pretty good lunch today – She is still in bed. I think she will get up when she feels strong enough – Arlene told me yesterday she going to have a baby in Dec. Mary F. is due in Oct. Don’t know of anyone else who is booked for fall or early winter. Arlene said to tell you to hurry back so we could catch up with them – I don’t believe I would care to keep up that fast. Donnie will be just 16 mo. old in Dec. John is practicing. Mark is out playing in the yard. David is playing in his pen. He is graduating to 3 meals a day.

Love – Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/15/out-of-forms-gladys/

Nothing of Importance (Roscoe)

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: July 16, 1943 envelope

: July 16, 1943, p. 1

: July 16, 1943, p. 2

: July 16, 1943, p. 3

: July 16, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San FranC.
July 16, 1943

Dear Mother,

Nothing of importance has happened since yesterday so this will be a continuation of nothing so to speak.

In one way I was very pessimistic this A.M. We had oranges for breakfast and I planted 4 seeds. I don’t know how long it will take to grow an orange tree but that is one planting of fruit of which I hope not to be here long enough to enjoy. I just wonder if when they grow to be big oranges if the word “Sunkist” will be on the outside of each orange.

[page 2] Somehow last night before evening show we had a little party each man and officer were given a couple bottles of beer. It wasn’t much but it raised the morale a little and maybe helped pass the time a little more rapidly. We also had some tidbits to go along with the beer – some salted peanuts and small pieces of toast with a sort of deviled ham spread. It may have been spam all ground into a mess.

I baited my rat trap with a piece of spam and a piece of cheese. It was suspended on a wire far enough so the rats couldn’t get to it but the ants

[page 3] did. They ate the cheese and left the spam. I’ve also seen dogs just snif at it and pass on and eat a dried bread crust, however, if one was hungry enough I think a good slab of spam wouldn’t be so bad.

In passing I didn’t get paid yesterday so obviously I can’t send the check but will in tomorrow’s letter if we are paid today. At least these notes will serve to notify that the thing will be forth coming.

I have another huge job thrown into my lap – it deals with the sanitation of the Island. It will

[page 4] be my job to see that each area is kept clean etc. What a job! I can say this as far as I’m concerned I don’t think much of the job but in the Navy one doesn’t think too much. Lentz had the same type job at Norfolk.

Ruth Y. wrote the other day that Herschel Steiner and a Hofman boy were headed this way but my chances of seeing them are a little slim I think but one never can tell. Joe Roberts is the only person I’ve seen that I knew before leaving home.

Well I guess I’m again at the end of that well know rope so will say
Lots of Love
Daddy

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

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/14/nothing-of-importance-roscoe/

Canning Beans (Gladys)

1 Reply

: July 16, 1943 envelope

: July 16, 1943, p. 1

: July 16, 1943, p. 2-3

: July 16, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 16 – 1943

Dear Daddy,

It is cloudy and thundering and I believe we will get some rain. It has been dry and hasn’t rained (except a little shower this a.m.) for more than a week. Mrs. Zell said if it rained they would get lots of beans now. We have some ready to pick and I suppose I will have to do the picking – Mark has gone out twice but come back each time with an excuse, of some kind about not picking any. It won’t take long to can a cooker full (4 qts) if there are that many to can. I don’t intend to can carrots. There is a method of preserving them raw. Just put them in a heavy jar and cover – leave in basement & they keep as long as they last. So that eliminates

[page 2] that vegetable from the canning list. It is still doing a lot of thundering and a few drops have fallen but no heavy rain yet.

No mail today but didn’t expect any. However this is the third day about the time the mail all gets caught up then it stops coming for a few days, sometimes a week. The last was of July 3. So glad you had rec’d the pictures. If I can get my hands on the negatives Betty Lou took I’ll send some more soon. Dorothy promised to have more made but I haven’t seen them.

I think Mother is getting better, tho slowly. She eats a little better and takes her medicine every meal (before & after). An appetite stimulator and “acidophilus broth” – whatever that is. Have to keep it in the refrigerator and she takes it in milk.

David is having a screaming good time. Is standing up

[page 3] in his bed. He is getting so he doesn’t care to eat every 4 hrs. so think I’ll put him on 3 meals a day. He sometimes gets awake at 6 but I just pay no attention to him so he goes back to sleep and the last two mornings he hasn’t had his first bottle until about 8 a.m. He doesn’t seem to mind at all. He takes more than a can of carnation a day – potatoe, apple saude, cereal, egg yolk, vegetable soup, carrots, peas, asparagus, etc., in turn. I sometimes give him vegetable soup with beef broth. He likes it.

I was surprised the other day. While the Thompsons were visiting Foulkes, Mary came up to see David & brought their David along. She is expecting the stork again. I believe it is due in Oct. Davie doesn’t walk yet. He is short – I don’t believe he is as tall as David and he is 5 mo. older, but what could you expect. They aren’t very tall.

[page 4] The Foulkes had a party on their terrace last night. Seems they have one every night or so – and they always get to vocalizing – With what they have had to bring on singing you can imagine how it sounds up here – not good. I don’t mind, they don’t bother me, but it does disturb Mother some.

I see in the paper John Krull has been sent to a camp in Mich. He was home on furlough not long ago. I think I mentioned it before. The acc’t of Lon Staton’s death was in last week’s paper but don’t think I mentioned it. I have scanned thru the papers but see nothing I think would interest you – anyway if I miss something it will be news when you get the paper.

David seems to be having some trouble of his own. I think he needs to go to sleep but doesn’t want to give up. Just looked in and he is trying to take off a shoe. John is reading and Mark is working on his airplanes.

The water meter was read today & Fred said it was only 4:00 this time – was $6 last. I sprinkled the flowers once this summer – last nite.

Love Mother

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/13/canning-beans-gladys/

Letter from Ruthie (Ruth)

1 Reply

: July 16, 1943 envelope

: July 16, 1943, p. 1

: July 16, 1943, p. 2

: July 16, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Bluffton, Ind.
July 16, 1943

Dear Jake,

The folks tell me you have a garden. How is it doing? We have been having so much rain that it is telling on the tomato fields. Floyd is gone again this week and since I have been working I can’t tag along so well. But a few weeks ago when he went to Chicago I went as far as Kentland and stayed with Gladys, as she probably wrote you. John & Mark were over to Ruth M’s but David was very much at home. You know David was to be my boy’s name but first here first served I guess! Even if I had had one I don’t think he could be a bit cuter than your David is.

[page 2] Floyd had a little good luck the other day. He figured out a price log for tomato prices and sent it into the Company. One day this week they sent him a $50⁰⁰ war bond for the suggestion and also a nice letter of appreciation, which made him very happy.

The last account I had of Glen he thought he would be moved again. He doesn’t seem to mind it so much as I thought he would.

I suppose you can tell that I don’t have much to write, but I want you to know that we don’t forget that you are out there doing your part. I hope we are going our part here. This pay as you go tax plan reminds us to the extent of 20% of each pay that we have a job to do. However we can always tighten our belts a little more if we need too.

[page 3] Glen writes that he doesn’t like v-mail so much so I thought I would try the old way again.

Since I have this written I’m not sure of your address so maybe you will get it and maybe you won’t.

Write if you run out of anything else to do –
Love
Floyd & Ruth

P.S. After reading some of these punk letters, I’ll bet you wonder how you ever gave me a passing grade in that physics class way back in high school days –

Floyd and Ruth Yegerlehner

Reader Beware (Roscoe)

4 Replies

Reader Beware! There is language in this letter that is offensive. I was very disheartened when I read those words as it was not something I ever heard my grandfather say, or ever expected him to say. I contemplated removing the language for all of two seconds, and knew that I could not. As a historian, I refuse to edit history in this way. Nor will I make excuses for Roscoe, other than to say that he lived in a very different time. We can not ignore the complicated racial past of our country by pretending hurtful and painful slurs did not exist. As much as I abhor the language in novels like Huckleberry Finn or Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I would not remove those offensive words, and so I do not remove them now. So reader beware!

: July 15, 1943 envelope

: July 15, 1943, p. 1

: July 15, 1943, p. 2

: July 15, 1943, p. 3

: July 15, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. S.F.C.
July 15, 1943

Dear Mother,

The second box that you sent – the one you had to divided came at long last. I’ll enumerate the content and you can see if anything was missing – one box of crackers – or rather I should say cracker crumbs. You know what I mean by that. It really was a box of powder. 6 cans of sardines – all in good condition and one package of square candy pieces – plus some papers. The box was battered and torn and half open – So don’t send anything

[page 2] else unless I write specifically for it. I did write for this but it was a mistake except for the sardines. I had given up hope of this box arriving since it had been so long. Maybe that box I sent you while still in Noumea will finally arrive. It had lot of pretty shells and numerous other little trinkets that I wanted you to have but I guess it can’t be helped.

The colored boy was coming in to clean up the tent and I was going into the yard to finish but he went to another tent instead. He is a more or less worthless ‘niggir’ and has to be jacked up about every other day in order to

[page 3] get anything done. I cleaned that table off that I described to you but it is rapidly becoming a source table of many adornments again or do I mean adornments!

I’m now in the front lawn because the boy finally came.

I’ve said this so often but I think now within the next few days I will send a check so be on the lookout. We were told that pay day would be the 15^th and if so I’ll send it tomorrow and will follow in a few days with the number, date of issue etc so that if I should misplace my number book here you will have it. I think that is safer than a money order – because if I misplace

[page 4] the slip there is no way of checking on the thing. The check will be a subject of many letters following – just like the uniform check was good for 9 months subject matter.

Back in the tent again, It doesn’t take that black boy long to do what little he does. The main reason for coming back were the flies. They land and crawl pretty hard.

I’m still eagerly awaiting the pictures of D. so that I can compare his beauty handsomeness and personality with that of the beauty of and winning qualities of his mother.

Love Daddy

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

Dunes State Park (Gladys)

1 Reply

: July 15, 1943 envelope

: July 15, 1943, p. 1

: July 15, 1943, p. 2

: July 15, 1943, p. 3

: July 15, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
July 15 1943

Dear Daddy –

No letters today but had up to July 3^rd this week. It is a typical hot & dry July day. We are needing rain now. After all the rain we had and just a week ago it doesn’t seem we would be needing more so soon. John just finished mowing the lawn again and if we don’t have rain soon again the grass won’t grow very fast. The Onargo man was here this morning and trimmed the trees & sprayed. It was Cailey – he was just working for them today. He has a job in a defense plant and had a day off. Now the two end trees look almost the same. They are to replace the one tree. It has come out of it but we are to get a new one.

[page 2] The ones Foulkes & Funks have in the middle of their front yards look like they are gone but they had them sprayed today.

Mark is out in the yard with David & John is washing dishes. John made cup cakes this morning. Mark wants to go to 4-H camp at Dunes State Park in Aug. I told him he could go if he practiced on his piano lessons & worked on other things when told to do so. He weeded some this morning and now John is sitting at the piano with him to get him to learn his notes. I didn’t buy the new horn for him because he didn’t practice on it any better than on the old one. John and I think he would do better on a reed instrument than a brass because it would be easier to blow. So if we come across a clarinet or sax will see what we can do. However I am about to buy the grand piano I wrote you about. Mother has $100⁰⁰ saved she was going visiting on and since

[page 3] she won’t be able to go any place for a long while she wants me to use it on the piano. That would leave $200⁰⁰ that I can pay later. I have been figuring what I can do in the next few months. I know it would be best to have the cash but pianos are so hard to find I thought I had better take one when I can. I have all bills paid up and nothing coming up except Ins. ever quarterly. The car ins. is due in Aug. Your next Hancock is in Oct. This won’t get the loan on my ins. pd. off quite as soon. But maybe can take care of it a little later.

The Rotary Club is entertaining ladies Mon. evening and I am invited. Will see about your dues. Have been so busy with Mother haven’t seen about them yet.

David’s eyes are about cleared up. Just a few red streaks, but definitely improved since starting on the drops Dr. Ade gave. He doesn’t

[page 4] rub them so much. I don’t remember what Dr. Ade said was the trouble, except infection that was going around. So don’t worry about it because it is almost gone, whatever it was.

Irene said her sister has a baby girl, born this morning. I suppose they wanted a boy. Most everybody does. Donahues wanted a boy, but I told Carl they probably felt like we do – wouldn’t trade David for all the girls. John says a girl couldn’t possibly have David’s personality, etc. David is very friendly – smiles at everybody and hasn’t yet shown sign of being afraid of people.

I think Mother is improving tho slowly. She eats little, but does eat something every meal, so that is better than nothing. Had a night letter from Jim. He & Thelma are recuperating from a sunburn they got at the beach. He has a 9 day leave but can’t come home. Says before he is sent out will get another leave & come home.

Love Mother