“Goosey, goosey gander, whither shall I wander? Upstairs, downstairs, and in my ladies’ chamber.” Beautiful colors and embossing, note the heart shapes in the border, the detail evident in the shadows of the lady and the goose, and the fact that the goose wears a top hat. A lovely card!
“Nickerson Kans. Nov. 9 1918. Wishing you many Happy Birthday, the wish of your Friend. Lovingly, Aunt Deal McMillin”
Addressed to: Miss Olive Bookless, Nickerson, Kans., R.R.#1. Postmarked November 10, 1918[?] – Appears to be year 1918. Of course, the sender wrote the year but that is equally hard to read (it figures!) I think that it is ’18 though, in looking at the curvature of the last number of the year in the postmark.
Olive Bookless shows up on the 1920 Federal Census in Salt Creek Township, Reno County, Kansas. In 1920 she is about 17, so she would be about 15 when she received this postcard from her aunt. Census states she was born in Kansas. Also on this census is her father, head of household, Ed R. Bookless, born Kansas, about 1878, widower; his sister, Katie Bookless, born Kansas, about 1890; Ed Bookless’ sons Ross, born Kansas, about 1905; Wiley, born Kansas, about 1911, and Ed’s widowed mother, Jennie Yaggy, born Indiana, about 1856.
The WWI Draft Registration Card shows Olive’s father, Edward Ross Bookless, born Aug. 19, 1877. Address: 1 [Rural Rte. 1], Nickerson, Reno County, Kansas. Nearest relative: Jennie Elizabeth Yaggy, same address. So, this is just a little confirmation that the 1920 census is the right family for this postcard. The WWI Draft Reg Card is dated Sept. 12th. The year on Ed’s card is not written but is 1918 for sure, due to the card format; also one can just page over to the next entry which shows the full date for someone else.
Divided back, used, embossed postcard. Postmarked Nov. 10, 1918.
Sources: Year: 1920; Census Place: Salt Creek, Reno, Kansas; Roll: T625_546; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 193; Image: 420. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
“United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K66J-34S : accessed 05 Nov 2013), Edward Ross Bookless, 1917-1918; citing Reno County, Kansas, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d); FHL microfilm 1643805.
Olive Bookless was my wife’s mother and after leaving Kansas she lived in California (San Francisco, Colusa, Sonoma, Sebastopol) for many years. My wife, Katy Lea Barr Dower was born in Petaluma, CA. Olive married Stanley James Barr. Aunt Katie had a large loom in her bedroom in her home in Nickerson, KS. where she made beatutiful rugs. She visited Olive at her home in Petaluma one year.
Hi Herbert, how nice to hear your comments about this family, and make a connection. Much appreciated, thanks!