Another Christmas

Looking at the mystery photographs and greeting cards of past generations kept by some members of my family, one thing is obvious: while we each celebrate the day in our own way, there are many similarities in how the day unfolds for each family. Those traditions and customs bind us together, give us something we hold in common.

The settings for the Christmas greetings I posted yesterday and today seem more similar than coincidence would expect. While yesterday’s card was dated 1952, and today’s features a family from 1953, the settings are almost exactly the same. I’m tempted to think these two parties are somehow related—but then I stop myself and think of how many people order the same photo greeting card styles from Costco, or J.C. Penney, or Sears. We may have more patterns from which to choose now, but the idea remains basically the same.

The family looking at you today signed the back of this card just before Christmas, 1953. The signature identifies them as Oliver, Mildred and Carol Ann Stepp.

You’d think that would present a researcher with straightforward marching orders. But that is not the case. Thanks to a spill causing the ink to run on the upper right portion of the signature, I can’t be sure the surname is Stepp. It might be Stapp. Magnifying that portion of the card doesn’t help dismiss that possibility.

Even with that alternate spelling, I haven’t been able to locate any information on Oliver, Mildred and their daughter. Perhaps this one will have to wait for the release of another census—if I can remember that long!

For now, whether you’ve sent your holiday greetings via black and white photo cards or in living color, I hope you have now set aside the hectic hours of preparation and are enjoying the fruit of your labors with those you hold dear.

Merry Christmas!