Letter to a Son in World War II

This is a Memorial Day post!

My grandmother was Ella Elizabeth Sophia Drewel Kleager, and in her later years called herself "Eleanor".  She became a widow at the age of 35 in 1929 at the start of the Depression, with 5 boys aged 11, 11, 9, 7 and 5.

During World War II all FIVE of her sons were in the military at one time.  In August, 1945 she wrote to one of them (we don't know which one):

Kind of makes you think.

The "Stitched" Joseph & Lesetta Kleager Family Picture

The Joseph and Lesetta (Mincemeyer) Kleager Family

Once again:  Picture taken about 1897, based on the guess that the child in the high chair is about a year old, and is known to be born in 1896.  If taken in 1897, the ages of the people in the picture are about as follows.

Left to right:    Joseph Kleager - Father (47),  Edward Louis Kleager (9),  George Jacob Kleager (3),  Joseph William Kleager (19),   Lesetta Mincemeyer Kleager - Mother (38),  Frank August Kleager (1),   Edward Mincemeyer - brother of Lesetta - (30),  Anna Caroline Kleager (16),  Josephine Caroline Kleager (13).

This is the professionally "stitched" picture of the separated two halves of the picture.  For many, many years, one half was with "Eleanor" Sophie Drewel Kleager Weise, (my grandmother), then with me, while the right half was with LaRue Kleager Bryant.

The picture was taken in front of the family farm house about 2 miles west of Japan, Franklin County, Missouri.

Clyde and Clarence Kleager

 Frank and Sophie Kleager married on Valentine's Day 1917 in Franklin County, Missouri.  

Soon after the wedding, Frank and Sophie moved to Lancaster County, Nebraska.  

Shortly after their first anniversary, Sophie delivered her first pregnancy - supposedly the doctor said "oh, there's another one!" 

Twins!  Fraternal twins, who were very different in look and personality.

Born March 3, 1918 were blue eyed blond Clarence Joseph first, and brown eyed brown haired Clyde Louis, second.

                  Clyde, with hand on the toy horse, and Clarence, who called "Joe".

                   I am guessing they are about 2 years old, so this was around 1920.  

      I am always amazed how different they looked - their whole lives!

        Clyde is my Dad and Clarence is my "Uncle Joe", who passed away in 1989.

Lesetta Mincemeyer Kleager part 2

   Lesetta was born 1859, and married Joseph Kleager in 1875, at age 16.  Joseph was 9 years older than her, he was 25.  She bore 8 children over 20 years.

   In 1916, Joseph died suddenly at age 65.  He was putting on his boots on the front porch and collapsed from an assumed heart attack, falling backwards and breaking out the window of the porch.  Their youngest child, Otto, was 16.

   Two years later, 1918, in Otto's World War I Draft Registration, it lists Otto as a farmer with his employer listed as Mrs. Joe Kleager, Sr, and they both have the same address.

   In the 1930 Census, the head of household is listed as Otto, then his wife Tillie and daughter Larue.  Then is listed Leseta as "mother" and widowed.

   I believe Lesetta stayed on the farm until her death in 1943, at age 84.  She was a widow for 27 years.

Lesetta at her farm.  Behind her is a vineyard.  On a fence to our right is a wash tub hanging up, and there is a push lawnmower leaning against a tree.

Lesetta Kleager and and unknown child.

She seems to be a happy person, most of her pictures have her smiling.  I like that!