I picked up this postcard at an exhibition because I admired the evocative drawing on the face and because I was unfamiliar with the place name of “Hoernerstown”.

A group of well-dressed folk mingles outdoors.

One assumes they are proceeding to Church as a framed medallion includes the verse from Psalms, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord”.

The postcard greeting announces Rally Day, the Fall festival in many Protestant Churches at which time the Sunday School was organized and celebrated for another year.

(We have seen on this site other postcard stories related to Rally Day events in other places and in other denominations).

In October of 1935, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hoffer of Hummelstown received a postcard announcement from the Hoernerstown Lutheran Church.

Hoernerstown is a very small, unincorporated community west of Hershey, PA and north of Hummelstown.

This area, east of Harrisburg, lies in southern Dauphin County of central Pennsylvania.

Hoernerstown Lutheran Church was built on land donated by Cyrus and Elizabeth Hoerner, whose family had given their name to the community.

The Church is now known as St. John’s Lutheran Church.

The postcard announcement promises a Rally Day that is inspiring and which spreads good cheer.

One hopes that the congregation experienced joyful fellowship in the Fall of 1935.