Monday, August 23, 2021

Trying to decipher a 1942 postcard

This linen postcard, with its misspelled "GREETINGS FROM BRIDGVILLE, DEL." on the front, was mailed in 1942 from tiny Bridgeville, Delaware, to the small city of Johnstown, New York.

It was addressed to 527½ North Market Street, which is this small house, according to Realtor.com. It was built in 1895, has about 1,300 square feet and sold last December for $84,800.

After some searching and guessing about the cursive, I successfully determined that the recipient was Mrs. L.G. Lipe. That would be Lettie May Hill Lipe (1902-1976), who was the wife of L.G. Lipe (1896-1959). Further, as the postcard is signed "Mother" and was sent from Delaware, I'm fairly certain that would be Lettie's mother, Grace Brinsfield Hill (1873-1949), who died in Delaware, so is fairly likely to have been living there in 1942.

Grace's writing is messy in some places, though. (She would have been about 69 when she wrote this, so we can cut her some slack.) Here's my best guess at what it states:

Monday Mar 2, 1942

Dear Lettie & L.G.

I commenced a letter to you this morning had company and [?] [?] Ralph were gone to Seaford and I had to entertain, you see. I did not not get your letter finished. got your nice letter Saturday, will ans. it tomorrow. We have our blackout tonight. Ralph has just gone to Milford to take Shortie [?] to the Dr., he say his side hurts him, guess something is rong [sic?] walk to much in cold. (Hop [?] you both fine)

love Mother & all

Regarding the mention of a blackout in Delaware, there were many, especially along the coasts, but they were considered more of a patriotic duty than a necessity in the defense of the United States.

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