Mr. F, K. Heiges lived in Biglerville, a borough in Adams County of south-central Pennsylvania.
These foothills of the Appalachian Mountains are home to many apple orchards.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biglerville,_Pennsylvania
In August of 1913, Mr. Heiges was celebrating a birthday.
He received a birthday postcard from Rudolph Arnold.
The postcard was mailed from Biglerville, so we may assume that Rudolph was a nearby friend, classmate, or neighbor.
(In the Research Note, below, we learn that Rudolph may have been an employee.)
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The postcard is weighty, a large paste-filled blossom dominates the face.
The flower lies across an opened book; the revealed page bears the printed message, “Birthday Greetings”.
I could not find a publisher’s mark, but the postcard was “Printed in Germany”.
There is significant foxing around the edges of the postcard, and some smudges on parts of the flower.
I made digital repairs of the worst blemishes, but did not try to re-color the entire border.
Although it is signed on the reverse, Rudolph felt compelled to inscribe his name on the lower right margin of the face.
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On the reverse, we have only the repeated signature of Rudolph.
1thus, there are clues about the correspondents or about their relationship.
That the postcard was preserved in good condition for a century suggests that the birthday greeting was appreciated.
(Frederick Heiges died within two months of receiving the postcard!)
RESEARCH NOTE
On August 25, 1853, Frederick Klugh Heiges was born in York County, PA.
He was the son of John E. Heiges (1830-1910) and Talitha Eliza Rishel (1836-1884).
Frederick was the first-born child, and he had two brothers and two sisters – although there are no adult records for one brother and one sister.
By the census of 1880, the family is in Adams County – Frederick was married to Sarah Alice Bushey (1858-1915) in Adams County in 1879.
Frederick and Alice had six daughters and three sons, although only one son and four daughters lived beyond year 10.
From the Federal Census of 1910 until his death, Frederick lived in Biglerville.
This postcard was received for Frederick’s 60th birthday.
In his obituary, we learn that Frederick had been a successful warehouse manager, but had recently turned his attention to farming.
He fell from a cherry tree in July of 1913, and was partially-paralyzed until his death in October of the same year.
Alice died two years later, at the age of 57.
Frederick ad Alice were members of the Lutheran Church and are buried in the Biglerville Cemetery.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33943770/frederick-klugh-heiges
Rudolph Dubbs Arnold (1891-1983)
Pennsylvania Birth Records for Rudolph do not include a city, but his father is listed on every Federal Census after 1880 as a resident of Adams County, PA.
Rudolph was born on September 16, 1891 – he was the son of Aaron Arnold (1852-1906) and Mary Catherine Spertzel (1854-1947).
Rudolph was the sixth of seven children – he had two brothers and four sisters.
Sometime around 1918, Rudolph married Carrie M. Melhorn (1889-1983).
Rudolph and Carrie had three daughters and three sons.
In census records, Rudolph has several occupations.
He worked in a Milk Station in 1910, and as a Fruit Farm worker by 1920.
It may be through the Fruit Farm that Rudolph became acquainted with Frederick Heiges.
(Rudolph would have been almost 22 years old when he sent the birthday postcard to Frederick.)
In 1940, Rudolph was driving truck, and in 1950, he was a plumber.
Rudolph lived in Biglerville until his death in 1983, the dame year that his wife died.
Rudolph was 91 years old; Carrie was 93.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50502983/rudolph-dubbs-arnold
