Divided back postcard. Postmarked December 29, 1918, Chicago, Illinois.
Availability Status: SOLD
For The New Year
“Though I can’t be with you
To share your joys, my dear,
I send these lines to greet you;
May they bring a Happy Year!”
One can always lose oneself for a few moments in little scenes like the one above; common though they often were, they are no less charming. In this case, an (almost) half-circle bordered by snow-covered holly, highlights a country scene at sunset. The background is a repeating pattern of blocks and “j”s and elongated backward “c”s (how can one describe them? 🙂 ) in muted gray-green and tan. And if you click on the image to enlarge, look at the lower right of the scene and you’ll see what looks like a signature.
The sender is Magda (Liljenberg) Kawell. Magda married Arthur Kawell on June 23, 1917 in Lake County, Indiana. She writes to her dad, Olaf Liljenberg:
“Wishing you a Happy New Year. From Magda & Art. Dear Dad. Juist a few lines thanking you very much for the nice Christmas present we recieved.”
Addressed to: “Mr. O. Liljenberg, 242 Oakland ave., Detroit Mich.”
Olaf’s occupation from the 1919 Detroit city directory is baker. Also at the 242 Oakland Avenue address in 1919 is Erice Liljenberg. The prior year he’s listed under Olaf Liljenbery, baker, residence 10 Mulberry Ave. (The incorrect “y” at the end was either a typo or maybe phonetically appearing due to the correct pronunciation with the subtle “y” sound in place of the anglicized hard “g” in “berg.”)
From the 1930 Federal Census taken in Chicago, Magda was born in Sweden about 1901 and came to the U.S. at about age one. Both of her parents were born in Sweden. The household in 1930 is Arthur and Magda Kawell and their children Dorothy, Katherine and Arthur.
Sources: Ancestry.com. Indiana, Marriages, 1810-2001.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Detroit City Directory, 1919. p. 1328; R. L. Polk & Co.’s Detroit City Directory, 1918. p. 1166. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.
Year: 1930; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 1696; FHL microfilm: 2340223. (Ancestry.com).