This is a stitch! In the summer of 1979, my mother, the late Reatha “MeMe” Larson, visited Norway with my Uncle Vernon and Aunt Audrey Larson, also both deceased. She mailed the postcard below to her sister, Esther, in Longview.
Nothing too remarkable about the card, except for the postmarks: Norway, some date in 1979, and Portland, Oregon, 10 Aug. 2010. It was then delivered to the Baltimore St. address, 31 years after it was mailed from Norway! Of course in the meantime, Uncle Buck has passed away, and Aunt Esther has moved her residence a half-dozen times. Esther received the postcard from the current resident, and loaned it to me to scan for the archives.
Every so often you hear about this kind of thing, but this is the first time I have been so closely involved. Send in the post-office jokes!
Lois Larson Hall
Sep 10, 2010
Wouldn’t we love to hear that postcard tell us where it’s been all these years. Esther should contact the local newspaper with the story. It’s the kind of thing people like to read about but never imagine it’ll happen to them.
My best post office story coming to mind is after the postal 9/11 restrictions went into effect, a letter came to our Quartzsite post office, addressed to me, but it was returned to sender because it was Larry who’d signed the card they keep on file. Talk about strict interpretation!! That happened only once, at least just that one time I know of. What makes it so comical is that at least once a week in Quartzsite we get mail carelessly delivered for someone other than ourselves in our mailbox, either a former boxholder or something belonging to the box beside or up down from ours. Great “security measures in effect,” strictly adhered to, huh.
With today’s restrictive regulations it’s pretty incredible that the card was even delivered when name and address didn’t match, and then equally incredible that whoever currently lives at the Baltimore Street address made the effort to track Esther down to see that she got it. It’s quite a wonderful story.
Lois Larson Hall
Sep 14, 2010
Just a comment about the building shown on the postcard. It’s the Radhuset, or town hall, in Oslo. I had the pleasure of touring the building several years on my first trip to Norway when Myrna and I went there. There are beautiful murals painted on the walls. Our “tour guide” was none other than a member of the Norwegian Parliament at that time, Britt Hildeng, a friend of Myrna’s who she met in Anchorage years ago.