Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked April 6, 1911 from Geneseo, Illinois. Publisher unknown.

Availability status:  SOLD

This postcard sent in 1911 has a bit of an unusual design:  a wheat bundle scene as the center of a sunflower or daisy-like flower, with Birthday Greetings printed below. It’s addressed to:   “Master Edward Hauga, Geneseo City.”   Finding the addressee was a little challenging:  the sender had spelled the last name differently. But the 1910 Federal Census for Geneseo shows Edward L. Haaga, age about three. His parents are William Haaga, born about 1881, occupation harness maker, and Jennie (Lind) Haaga, born about 1885. He has an older brother, William G. Haaga, born about 1905. All four were born in Illinois. A family tree on Ancestry shows Lind as Jennie’s maiden name, and this family name is confirmed in the birth and death record for a daughter Margaret Louise Haaga, born in August of 1910 (after the census) who died in 1927. The SSDI index online shows that Edward’s date of birth was April 6, 1907, so the sender was right on time with this postcard.

The sender wrote:   “Aunt D..? won’t be over today. It’s [?] raining. and she has a very bad cold. hope this finds you all well. will bring you a little present when I come. Many happy birth days. from Aunt D. E.”
(or L. E.?)

The publisher or printer logo on the back of the card is the mystery for this one, showing three shields with a prominent “M” in the center, all making up one large shield. Above this design is a smaller stars and stripes banner. There is a letter in each shield on the left and right of the “M” – the left is difficult to determine, but the right appears to be a “P.”  The bottom shield holds “Co” for Company. It’s a very nicely designed logo with the “M” making up part of the shield as a whole.

Sources:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Geneseo Ward 4, Henry, Illinois; Roll: T624_291; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 0120; FHL microfilm: 1374304. (Ancestry.com)

Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line].

“Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3XD-4Q9 : accessed 04 Oct 2014), Margaret Louis Haaga, 13 Sep 1927; citing Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1614259.