Miss Phena Gottschalk lived in Quincy, a village in Branch County of south-central Michigan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy,_Michigan
In July of 1910, Phena received a postcard from M. S.
The identity of “M. S.” is revealed in the genealogical note (below).
The postcard was mailed from Fenton, a city in central Michigan – now part of the Flint statistical area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenton,_Michigan
(The postmark is not clear -it is possible that the postcard originated in Denton, a township in the north-central region of lower Michigan.
The Denton Post Office was closed in 1933.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denton_Township,_Michigan
The face of the postcard displays a medallion drawing of an alpine village; the circular frame is wreathed with violets.
There is a lace-bordered backdrop which seems to be a drape of patterned cloth.
Beneath the violets is a printed legend – “Good Luck Attend You”.
It is not clear if the greeting commemorates a birthday or some other event in Phena’s life.
On the reverse, the sender has written only “Best Wishes”.
Phena preserved the postcard throughout her life, which suggests that she was pleased by the greeting and the memory of the one who sent it.
One hopes that Phena felt “lucky” in the days to come.
This sentiment is saddening when we learn more about Phena’s life.
NOTE:
Phena (Adolphena) W. Gottschalk was born in 1890 to Charles Gottschalk and Mary Bartell Gottschalk.
In the US Census of 1910, Phena was working as a hired girl in Quincy, Michigan.
It seems that Phena was on the verge of change.
In 1911, Phena married Max J. Schlacht in Wayne County, Michigan.
I believe that this postcard was sent to Phena by her future husband – in the year before their marriage.
Unfortunately, Phena died one year after her marriage – in 1912.
We may suspect that Phena died in childbirth, as her daughter, Gladys Marie Schlacht (1912-1982), was born about the time her mother died in 1912.
Phena is buried in the Lake View Cemetery in Quincy.
Max married again in 1915, three years after the death of Phena.
He had six children by his second wife, Minnie Neibert.
Max died in 1960 at age 68.
