Tag Archives: Wright Quadrangle

Election Day

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Wednesday May 9, 1962

Dear David:

We had election-day yesterday, but I haven’t been to town yet, so don’t know the results. It has turned a little cool. Dad was afraid it might get too cold for his geraniums, but I think they were safe. They look OK this AM. Dad got the lawn mowed with the walking mower – the reel type – last night after we came home from the office. It just took him 1½ hours. He didn’t get the edges, but plans to do that tonight or tomorrow.

The Fields are looking forward to moving into the new house. I talked to Bob Morgan – head of Pastoral Relations Committee – and he said he hadn’t heard any complaints about Rev. Fields and he himself thinks he should come back, so it looks like from this point that he will come back. I am afraid they would be awfully disappointed if they didn’t get to come. I know they would like to live in the house at least a year. As soon as the Bowers move we (parsonage committee) have painters engaged, also someone to finish the little bathroom next to the kitchen. One group is making money to have the yard landscaped.

Dad will attend a meeting at the hospital this noon and I won’t have to prepare lunch, so hope to get some more cleaning done. I sorted all the literature we have from companies in which we own stock yesterday.

Mr. Kitterman assures us he will be ready to work on the office in about two weeks. I think it will be nearer four weeks. I told Edna he would probably start work at about the time she goes on vacation. She seemed to think that would be a good time for her to go.

[page 2] The town is slowing picking up the pieces, but there is still a lot of work to be done to get all the fallen trees hauled to the dump. Our office still looks like it did after the storm, but there is no use to try to do anything since the remodeling work should soon be starting. Nothing has been done around the grade school building. I hope it is still the same way when you come home because I want you to see how it looks now. I was talking to the workers at the voting place yesterday. They were asking me to get Dr. Y. to condemn the voting booths (they want machines and we used paper and pencils yesterday). I pointed in the direction of the school building and said “there is a building down the street I would like to see condemned” – one old residenter who had gone to school there probably fifty or sixty years ago said, “Oh no, I have many pleasant memories of that building,” – I said, “I don’t imagine the children in there last Monday have pleasant memories.” Why anyone would want to keep that old grim looking building is more than I can understand. If it was good looking I might excuse anyone for wanting to hang on to it, but it certainly doesn’t even possess the looks to justify its existence.

I have been taking diathermy on my arm every day this week and it is about time for me to go get a treatment.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/14/election-day-2/

Trip Home

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
May 4 – 1962

Dear David,

I thought you might want this card. – Don’t they have your I.U. address? We arrived home Wed. around 7 p.m. The sun was shining on us most of the way home. We stopped at Ralph’s and Clarence’s but didn’t find anyone home at the latter’s.

Kentland is still cleaning up the storm debris. Electric saws going all over the place. I drove past the grade building today. There are bricks all around the place. I don’t know how Dad got in there without getting hit. I was in Raub last night to give a program and saw the school building for the first time. It is so much nicer than this old building here, I think it is a good thing we can use it. There is three weeks more of school for Kentland.

Dad is in the hospital today on a baby case. He went over to do surgery this a.m. and one of his OB’s went over early this a.m. His car was still not at the office as I came to the beauty parlour at 1:45.

Summer is here today but according to the forecast we are to have cooler weather tomorrow.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/13/trip-home/

Summer Vacation

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Sat. Apr. 28 – 62

Dear David –

I thought I would surprise you and change my writing date. What I really am writing about is the dates for Edna & Arvella’s vacations. In looking over your school calendar you will be in Bloomington from the middle of June until Aug. 10. I told the girls this a.m. one could have the first two weeks in June & the other the last two weeks in Aug. I don’t want you to make any plans for their vacation times except to be home and help me. If you want a vacation before you go back for the fall term which I suppose will be around the middle of Sept. I think you will have plenty of time, but I will need you when they vacate.

[page 2] I am about ready to go to the office (it is now past 4:30). Dad has been getting a lot of work done around the yard. Everything is getting so “springy.” The red bud is in bloom and the forsythia. I have been taking violas up all over the place and have several pots full to set out in the space allotted. You know Dad filled the entire space around the terrace and covered all the violas there, but I had them in several places around the yard so have plenty.

Will bring the things you left when we come Wed.
Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/12/summer-vacation/

Celery Tops

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]

Dear David:

Here is your housing contract, signed. I kept the yellow copy. If you want it you can get it during Easter vacation.

You were wrong about the twins’ parent – it was not Al Thomas, it was his brother. You weren’t the only one to make the same mistake.

Did I tell you the Bill Ungers had twins? Dad delivered them. Some of Susie’s friends had a shower for her last week. She said sixty or more attended the shower. I attended, but didn’t know how many were there. She received just about everything necessary to take care of twins – all the way from cribs and high chairs to bottles and safety pins.

There is [a] funeral this afternoon, and I had planned to attend – Rozanne Taylor Sander’s father, Omer. He passed away late Saturday night. Rodney had been home on leave and had just returned to duty, but he was able to return for the funeral. My car is in the garage for repairs and hasn’t been returned, so it looks like I will stay at home this afternoon. I went to Indianapolis last Tuesday – Sara drove for me – and we had car trouble on the way home. I took the car into the garage the next day, but they didn’t get all the repairs taken care of, so it had to go back today.

I was home the night of the Academy awards, but was reading and forgot to watch. Dad was in the hospital all evening. Dr. Kresler is on vacation and he is taking care of his patients, in addition to all of his own. It keeps him pretty busy. He plans to spray the trees this evening if he gets to stay home. There is a medical meeting tonight, but there isn’t any program and we couldn’t see any advantage in going, since most of that crows wants to spend the majority of the evening in the bar. They think they have to imbibe for two hours before eating.

We are having drain trouble again and I just had to clean up a mess on the floor. We kept forcing the water out of the sink drain. We heard a noise in the family room and guess what – the water was running out of the washing machine drain. There is a drain pipe that sticks up back of the washing machine and the rubber hose drain from the washing machine fits into it and we were forcing the water out at that point. I had ground some celery tops and when we came back here there was water all over the floor with specks of celery leaves floating thru it. I just finished mopping up that mess. I am sure there are still flecks of celery tops here and there.

Time for my siesta.
Love Mother

4-11-62

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/11/celery-tops/

Local News

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Kentland, Indiana
April 7, 1962

Dear David:

A letter from Republican National Committee came for you and I am forwarding it. We have something new (besides the washing machine) in the family room. We have louvered shutters at the windows. Dad hung them to see if they fit and so far that is all that has been done – they need a coat of varnish.

The neighbors (Howard Good’s) are cleaning up the yard next door. It was needing a little attention. Several organizations, headed by the Woman’s Club, are planning a clean-up campaign for our town this month. We are going to try and get the littler off the streets and try to get people to put trash in the trash barrels, instead of on the streets.

The Mingles moved to Harry Dodd’s place south of Brook – you remember where you used to go skating? Dodds moved to the Mingle place. The Dodds have a short wave radio set and have put the extension on the tv aerial. When Mrs. Dodd was in the hospital recently she could talk to her family on the set she had with her.

Bill Corbin sr. is going to have an operation for hernia Tuesday.

Mr. Rinard is in the hospital – (the second time). He isn’t very strong and doesn’t seem to be able to improve much.

Dr. Kresler is away on vacation – is in New Jersey to play golf. We turned on TV Saturday evening to get the news and a golf tournament was being televised. Dad said that it where Dr. K. and Dr. Gery are. I thought he meant they were in the tournament, but he said no, just playing golf there. Dad is taking Dr. K.’s emergency duty while he is away. He was at the hospital last night taking the duty and Mrs. Omer Taylor called and said her husband was having another attack (he had been in the hospital recently). I told her to call Dad at the hospital. He had Mr. T. sent over in the ambulance, but he died shortly after reaching the hospital. His daughter Rozanne Sanders is in my S. S. class.

Rev. Fields announced this morning he is taking the membership classes into Church next Sunday, also having baptisms. Joan and Mark were both sick yesterday, so they didn’t get to Church this morning. Joan called last night after Dad went to the hospital. They were having stomach flu, so I told her to send out here and get some medicine – the old standby for that sort of thing. Rev. Fields said this morning they were both better.

Dad unearthed the rose tree yesterday. He was a little afraid it was too early. I am hoping we don’t have any severe weather for a few days, to give it a chance to get used to the atmosphere.

We have a new janitor at the office – the woman who cleans at the hotel. She helped me here at the house a couple of times. She is really digging out the corners at the office. The last janitor just spent an hour each evening and sometimes only 15 minutes. Her first night took six hours, and the place looks better.

W. Olson said he went campaigning in Rensselaer Saturday – said he called at every house and gave his cards out to anyone and everyone. He said Betty accompanied him. We are of the same opinion you were, why? I can’t see much future in that kind of job.

Dad has sprayed the trees twice. After the first time, we had a hard rain, so last Thurs. he thought he had better give them another treatment. He said last year he didn’t get started soon enough. He has the lawn mower all ready and has gone over the yard once. He had worked on the motor himself, but finally decided to have the repair man from Sears come out and go over it once. In spite of the cool weather, it is moving time again.

With our last water bills we received the Kentland Sewer System report. There is a meeting tomorrow night concerning the matter. The total cost will be about $610,000.00. It will be financed by 30 year Revenue Bonds. That is one thing I am glad to see progress being made on (bad grammar) and I suppose there will be some people opposed to it, but I am sure it is something that has to be done. When will you be coming home?

Love Mother

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

Esta Herriman

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

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

Dear David:

Altho this is Apr. 2^nd, 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

4 Replies

Letter 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

Polio Certificate

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
3-23-62

Dear David –

Enclosed find the polio certificate filled in & signed. Also a proxy from Banker’s Life. Sign and return in the enclosed envelope.

The stork has been keeping Daddy busy this week. In fact he is out of the office this afternoon. It is about time for me to go get the books (if he isn’t back) so haven’t time to write much.

We are still having dreary weather. Isn’t hot or cold, but cloudy. The sun did shine Monday and I washed all the windows inside & out. Then we had a hard rain Tuesday night.

Dad got the inter-com installed, so I won’t have to go to the door now if I decide to use the speaker.

Love Mother

Mark’s New Job

1 Reply

Letter 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 11^th 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

Building Projects

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Kentland, Indiana, March 12, 1962

Dear David:

We are still enjoying (?) unusual March weather, or maybe I should say usual. I think most of the population around here is ready for spring. Mark and Shirley and Becky came for the week-end. They certainly will be glad to see warm, sunny weather. I told them I thought Becky looked a little pale, but why shouldn’t she. She hasn’t been out in the sunshine for such a long time. She was feeling pretty good, but had a little cold. They still have her on a fat free diet because of her bowel condition. I mashed potatoes for her with just a little skimmed milk. Made some plain Jello and had skimmed milk for her to drink. She could have some broiled steak, which she seemed to enjoy and some unseasoned lima beans. I suppose if they could never feed her anything else, she would think her diet was good. They haven’t been giving her any eggs or orange juice. She did have some cereal for her breakfast. It doesn’t seem to slow her down any and she put on a good show for us. Mark and Shirley both were getting over severe colds. I wanted them to leave Becky here. Mark said they would talk it over and maybe some other time. They didn’t make any date as to when they will be coming back. However, they have decided it is too much to go to both places for a week-end and after this they will go one place one week-end and the other the next time they make a trip this way. Mark is learning how to do the book work (Just in case I need help along that line). He isn’t too happy with his new job. He is going to try to get something else thru the placement bureau of Northwestern. I wanted them to come for Easter so you could see Becky, but no promise.

Lea and Bob were here for dinner Saturday, but went home early in the afternoon. They had spent Friday night with Lea’s folks at Ade.

You received another dividend check from GM for $2.00 which I will deposit to your account. You know John bought some Rexall stock when he was home last summer. He has been receiving dividends from them right along (not very high rate, but at least something), but today he received a right – he gets to buy one share – he has 75/100 fractional interest in one share. I have to mail the card back ordering the share to be bought.

I went to a meeting at the hospital at noon – regular monthly meeting of the Ex Comm of the Auxiliary – and the road is in terrible condition – as are all the streets and highways around here. We can hardly get to the office for the mud. The snow is about gone from around here, but we are having rain and some snow mixed in with it today, so we will have mud for a while. We finally got rid of the ice on our driveway (without having David chip it off).

Julie was in church yesterday: I asked her if she had seen you recently. I also happened to see Nancy Holley about two weeks ago.

Dad is still building things in the house. I think it will be some time before he needs to work in the yard – however if we knew we weren’t going to have another freeze, it would be a good time to roll the yard. He has the lawn mower all fixed I think. He has finished all the shelves and is ready to start building the cabinet around the washing machine. We want to begin work on the office as soon as possible, but that can’t be started until we have warmer weather. I am getting anxious to get this place (I am at office now) done over. The linoleum in the waiting room had cracked too much that it will have to be taken off. I am afraid when we get started we will find a lot of things to be done. Aren’t you glad you won’t be here? I know it will be a mess for a while, but it will be worth it.

I haven’t seen Mrs. Myers since the day I took her to the hospital and then took her out to the house, but last week, I had a round of bowel infection. I was sick all night Wed. nite and stayed in bed all Thurs., so didn’t circulate around too much for a day or so.

Love Mother