As we unpacked the museum’s documentary artefacts this fall, volunteer Anne Grant put them in a new-to-us filing cabinet. Anne was careful to keep them in their accession order. She found something special, a card in an acid free envelope and brought it to me.
"Shouldn’t this be with the Haney family's archival collection? The fonds?It is rather precious," Anne said.
Inside the envelope was a Christmas card addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Haney from Olive.
Mr. and Mrs. Haney. It was obviously a formal relationship.
The card’s inscription was printed: “My Christmas wish for you.”
And a greeting card poem inside:
Hark to the music stealing
Across the snow-clad hill;
The Christmas chimes appealing
For Peace and men’s goodwill.
The message may be fleeting,
For us ‘tis not in vain;
Our hearts glow warm with greeting,
Kind thoughts for you remain.
It was a card and message from Robert Vernon Haney’s intended to her future in-laws.
Anne was right. It was precious.
I placed the card back in the acid free envelope and added it to the Haney collection.
Not a bad message.
Kind thoughts for you remain…
Happy holidays from the Museum and Archives staff and volunteers.
Deborah Chapman and crew