Amanuensis Monday - Postcard to Inez Shinn (1899-1968)

Dear FOLKS,

Happy New Year to everyone. Today in the U.S. we are observing New Year's Day. Since January 1, 2017 fell on a Sunday, many have today off from work, banks are closed, mail isn't being delivered, etc. I hope that all of you enjoyed the holidays. Many people find themselves putting the family's Christmas decorations back into storage today while they watch the college football bowl games. These activities have become a tradition for many to do on New Year's.

While the decorations are being packed away, some of us also revisit the greeting cards from friends and family that arrived during the holiday season. This thought brought to mind that I have a Christmas postcard that is a little over 100 years old that I want to share with you.

The postcard is formatted like those we have today. A graphic/picture-side and the message/address-side. The entries that are handwritten will show in bold-italics font. My comments will be surrounded in square brackets [ ]. The design on the front is embossed, showing the impressions on the back-side.

IMAGE: Christmas postcard from Papa to
Inez Shinn, circa 1914. Front

IMAGE: Christmas postcard from Papa to
Inez Shinn, circa 1914. Back.

------- transcription begins --------

[Front]

A MERRY CHRISTMAS

May your Christmas fireside be

Glad with happy faces

May the dear ones all be there

In their usual places.

                -- CHARLOTTE MURRAY

P. Sander

©

730

[Back]

Panora 12/20

POST CARD

This side for Correspondence.

A Merry

Xmas to

you Inez

from

Papa

This side for address.

Inez Shinn

Casey

Iowa

------- transcription begins --------

Panora is a town about 20 miles northeast of Casey, Iowa. Inez Shinn's Papa was David Wesley Shinn (1852-1928). Papa was a traveling salesman/agent for Iowa Stock Food Company. So perhaps the purpose of the card was because he had been away. The postcard appears to have never been mailed as there is no evidence of a postmark or stamp. So he possibly brought it home with him.

This treasured postcard was kept by Inez until her death in 1968. I found this postcard while going through a box of photographs and papers left behind by Inez's husband Eugene John Brown (1898-1987). Inez and Eugene were my mother's parents... my maternal grandparents.

Amanuensis Monday is a weekly blog theme that was started by John Newmark, the author of TransylvanianDutch blog. John defines Amanuensis as "A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another." I also appreciate the good work and format examples of San Diego genealogist Randy Seaver of the blog Genea-musings. Thanks guys.

Transcribing helps me to learn what a document contains. I have learned over time that I have a tendency to "skim" over an item; a bad trait for a researcher who needs to learn even the smallest details documented records contain. Transcribing helps me to slow down and "smell the roses," and to capture all aspects of the paper in hand.

I hope you enjoyed this memory from many Christmases ago. Wishing you a good day and a great week. It's a pleasure to have you stop by.

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The URL for this post is: http://homefolktales.blogspot.com/2017/01/amanuensis-monday-postcard-to-inez.html.

Please comment regarding this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then use the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Or contact me by email at dsteff4246[at]gmail[dot]com. Thank you. I am glad you stopped by today.

Copyright (c) 2017, Darlene M. Steffens