Mrs. M. A. McCann lived in Ladora, a very small city (population less than 300) in east-central Iowa.

In April of 1914, Mrs. McCann received a postcard from her nephew, Ambrose Kerwin.

Ambrose lived in the much larger city of Carrol, a railroad junction in west-central Iowa.

It is a train journey of more than 150 miles between Ladora and Carroll.

The face of the postcard has two illustrations, a bunch of violets and a birch-wood cross.

A simple verse invokes a blessing for “all good things that Heaven sends”.

The card may be in celebration of Mrs. McCann’s birthday.

On the reverse, Ambrose writes: “Hello Auntie, When are you coming up to Carroll?”

Ambrose Francis Kerwin (1902-1979) was born in Audubon County, Iowa to Michael Francis Kerwin and Catherine E. Kerwin.

It does not appear that Ambrose had any siblings.

Ambrose would have been 11 years old when he wrote to his aunt (his birthday was in August).

Ambrose later married Eleanor Elizabeth McGrath who was born in San Francisco in 1906 (which was the year of the great San Francisco earthquake).

It seems that Ambrose had moved to California where he met his wife; he was last recorded in Iowa in 1926.

I cannot find any children of Ambrose and Eleanor.

Ambrose died in San Matteo County, California.

One hopes that Ambrose and his aunt remained friends and correspondents for many years.