Christmas & New Year 1907-08 - Sepia Saturday 653

Cards sent to my great-aunt Gerda in Chicago for Christmas and New Year 1907/08.

(See previous post  - Sepia Saturday 652 - for more background)

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God Jul tillönskas dig af: Agnes Andersson
Merry Christmas from Agnes Andersson

Ett Godt nytt år önskas Gerda af vännen Hilda Olson

Happy New Year, to Gerda from your friend Hilda Olson

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Tack kära Gerda för kortet som du sände mig i jul. Jag är frisk och kry, hoppas du är också frisk. Ett gott nytt år tillönskar jag dig. Vännen Helén 

Thanks dear Gerda for the card you sent me for Christmas. I am well and healthy, I hope you are well too. I wish you a happy new year. Your friend Helén 

R.013.01

Min kära Gerda! Mottag härmed min varma och hjärtliga nyårshälsning med glädje och mycken välsignelse af Gud, och må vi under detta ingångna år komma i innerligare förening med vår Frälsare. Din vän Ester Svenson

To Miss Gerda Ekman, c/o Teckla Ericson, 3416 Michigan Ave., City

(Please forward this to Gerda)

 
My dear Gerda, I'm sending you my warmest and heartfelt greetings for the new year, with joy and much blessing from God, and wishing that during this new year we will be getting even closer united with our Saviour. Your friend, Ester Svenson

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Happy New Year - B.H.

R.014.01 - With best New Year Wishes 

Chicago den 29/12. Tack för kortet! När kommer du opp? Låt mig veta när din dag är att stanna inne. En vacker dag kommer jag nog och ser dig om det passar för dig. Vänligen, Mary, 1619 N Campbell, City. * - Hälsningar från gubben min. 

Chicago 29.12. Thanks for the card! When will you be coming up [to see us]? Let me know when it's your day to stay in. Some day I'll try to come and see you if it's convenient for you. Best regards, Mary, 1619 N Campbell, City. - Greetings from my hubby. 

Cf. an earlier post, Chicago Then and Now (for Sepia Saturday 636): In December 1906, one Christmas card was sent to Gerda at 1619 N Campbell Ave and forwarded from there to 3328 Michigan Ave. N Campbell Ave may have been where Gerda worked before she started her job at Michigan Ave. Or she may have been staying with a friend there between employments.  

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Jag önskar dig all lycka och välgång på det nya året 1908 - Broder Gust.

Wishing you all the best for the new year 1908 - Brother Gust.

(Gerda's brother Gustaf in Galeton, Pennsylvania. He and Gerda emigrated around the same time, in the autumn of 1902, and both returned to Sweden in 1911. While Gerda worked as a maid in Chicago, Gustaf spent most of his time in America in Galeton, working at a lumber yard.) He seems to have been called 'Gust' during his years in America - the full name Gustaf hard to pronounce in English.) 

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A Merry Christmas to you. - Signe P.

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God jul önskas af Anna Johnson, till Gerda

Merry Christmas from Anna Johnson, to Gerda

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Många hälsningar från O.S.
Many greetings from O.S.

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From Julia A

From J.L.

My impression from these cards is that most of Gerda's friends in Chicago were other Swedish maids. 

Linking to Sepia Saturday 653: 
"Preparations for Christmas 1907"

Christmas & New Year 1906-07 - Sepia Saturday 652

Back in August, linked to Sepia Saturday 636, I wrote a post about the addresses where my great-aunt Gerda worked as a maid in Chicago back in 1903-10. The information I have about that comes from an album with postcards she saved from those years. 

The cards show how during her first four years in Chicago, Gerda moved around quite a lot, until, before Christmas 1906, she ended up at 3328 Michigan Avenue; where she then remained until she went back to Sweden in 1911. Because she was also recorded at this address in the 1910 US census, I also know that her employers at this address were Otto L Schmidt with wife Emma, both of German heritage. They had three children in their teens. At the time of the census there were also three more white female servants besides Gerda in the household, plus a 'mulatto' chauffeur with wife and two children. I also know that Otto L Schmidt was a physician and a prominent Chicago citizen. 

Most of the postcards in this postcard album are Christmas and New Year greetings, both from family back in Sweden and from friends in the new country - most of those probably other Swedish girls also working as maids in Chicago.

In this post I'm showing the cards Gerda got for Christmas & New Year 1906/07.

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I've given up trying to decipher the text written in pencil all over the front of this card. The language used seems to be Swedish, though. The girl on the card is also dressed in a Swedish folk costume and holding the Swedish flag. However, the printed text on the front says "Sweden" (not "Sverige"), the trade mark on the back says "National Art Company N.Y.",  and it was posted in Chicago - so I'm guessing it was sent by a fellow Swedish emigrant.

R.006.02

God Jul önskas af Anna Johnson

Merry Christmas from Anna Johnson

R.007.01
"Merry Christmas"

Säfsjö den 14/12 1906.
Kära du! Vi bringa dig en Julhälsning! Du dröjer som icke medelst bref låter höra av dig. Månne du fått det bref Oscar sände först på förlidna adressen? Vi hafva nu genom Ester fått din nuvarande adr. Vi må eljest alla godt. Hoppas du snart skrifver till oss att vi icke måtte glömma hvarandra. Jag sänder dig samtidigt härmed en liten jultidning, får väl sedermera höra om du får tillfälle läsa den. Hjärtliga hälsningar följa från oss alla. Din tillgifna Elin.

Säfsjö, 14 December 1906
Dear Gerda, Happy Christmas to you! We're waiting for a letter from you, and are wondering if you received the letter that Oscar sent to your last address? We have now got your current address from Ester. I hope you will write to us soon, so that we don't lose touch with each other. At the same time as this card I'm also sending you a Christmas magazine, I guess I'll learn later if you found the time to read it. Best wishes from us all. Yours affectionally, Elin.

[Elin was Gerda's sister-in-law, married to her brother Oscar]

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En god Jul och ett gott Nytt År önskas dig från Annie

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you from Annie

R.09.01

From Agnes Andersson

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R.09.02

from Anna Johnson

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R.010.02

Snälla Gerda, du har väl hört att jag tog platsen och skall börja den nästa torsdag. Jag var inte ute igår, jag var rädd för rängnet. A Happy new Year från din vän Tekla [?] 

Dear Gerda, I hope you have heard that I took the job and will start next Thursday. I didn't go out yesterday, I was afraid of the rain. Happy New Year from your friend Tekla [?] 

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Linking to Sepia Saturday 652

Going with the theme "wireless" communication... ;-)

G.035.01 - A Glad Christmas Time (1907)

 

"A Glad Christmas Time"

To: Mr Gust Ekman, Galeton, Potter co (Box 297) Pa
From: Gerda (Sent from Chicago, Dec 24, 1907) 
(Arrived in Galeton, Dec 25)

A Glad Christmas Time från syster Gerda
from your sister Gerda

Julen 1907 är Gustaf tillbaka i Galeton, Pa, efter att ha tillbringat en tid i North Carolina, se föregående inlägg (G.034.03). Hur länge han var borta är oklart. Det kan ha varit ett helt år. I november 1906 var han fortfarande på sin gamla adress i Galeton (box 113). I oktober 1907 var han i Mortimer, North Carolina. I december 1907, åter i Galeton, med ny postbox (297).

By Christmas 1907, Gustaf is obviously back in Galeton, Pa., after having spent some time in North Carolina - see the previous post (G.034.03). Going by the the postcards in the album, he might have been away for a whole year. In November 1906, he was still in Galeton (box 113). In October 1907, in Mortimer, N.C. In December 1907, back in Galeton, with a new postbox (297).