Miss Mary Weinhold lived in Shillington, a borough on the old Lancaster Pike about 3 miles southwest of Reading.
This charming community was the homestead of Pennsylvania’s first Governor, Thomas Mifflin, and the childhood home of noted American author, John Updike.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shillington,_Pennsylvania
In February of 1922, Mary received a postcard Valentine.
The greeting was sent by Mrs. H, B. Schaeffer of the Grace Lutheran Church in Shillington.
The face of the postcard displays a drawing of a large red heart surrounded by trailing garlands of forget-me-nots.
A decorative script spells out the message, “Greetings To My Valentine”.
On the reverse, Mary received the invitation, “Come to Juniors Feb. 11”.
Protestant churches of many denominations had programs for children and youth called “Juniors”.
{In my long-ago youth, I attended a “Juniors” program at the local Evangelical United Brethren Church (later, United Methodist congregation).
We met in a parish hall in the afternoon, following the end of classes at the local elementary school.}
Grace Lutheran Church is now located on Liberty Street in Shillington – a drawing of the current church (below) was taken from the Church’s website.
Until 1928, the congregation worshiped in a building on Broad Street.
RESEARCH NOTE
On February 17, 1917, Mary Elizabeth Weinhold was born in Montgomery County, PA.
(Mary would be almost 5 years old when she received the Valentine.)
She was the daughter of Walter Grumbling Weinhold (1884-1966) and Jennie B. White (1888-deceased).
Mary had one sibling, a younger brother – Harry Weinhold (born 1919).
The Weinhold family was in Shillington in the 1920 US census, and Mary Elizabeth remained there through the 1940 census.
Sometime in the early 1940’s Mary married John J. Wick (1919-2008).
The couple lived in Shilington where they raised their daughter, Diane Wick Hall (1945-2020).
In 1984, Mary and her husband moved to the Luther Acres retirement community in Lititz, PA.
They became members of the Lutheran Church in Kissel Hill, PA.
Mary died in Lititz in 1999 at age 82.
Her husband, John, died in Lititz in at age 89.
