A 52-Year-Old Postcard Mysteriously Delivered to a Maine Home

In an unexpected turn of events, a postcard from 1969, sent from Paris, France, found its way to a home in Portland, Maine. Jessica Means, the current resident of the house, initially believed the postcard was wrongly delivered until she realized it was addressed to the original owners of her house, Mr. and Mrs. Rene A. Gagnon.

The Postcard's Journey

The postcard, featuring the Arc de Triomphe, was signed by a person named Roy. The message indicated that Roy was visiting the Eiffel Tower at the time of writing but would likely be home by the time the postcard reached its destination. The postcard bore a French postmark from March 15, 1969, along with a new stamp and a July 12, 2023, postmark from Tallahassee, Florida. Interestingly, someone recently added "or current resident" after the names of the intended recipients.

Unraveling the Mystery

Rene Alberia Gagnon, born in Quebec in 1905, passed away in 1988, while his wife, Rose Rachel Gagnon, died in 2002. Rene Gagnon's obituary revealed that his daughter was married to a man named Roy Salzman, who lived in Belgium in 1988, potentially the 'Roy' who sent the postcard. Some of the Gagnon's relatives ended up in Florida, leading Means to speculate that one of them might have found the old postcard and decided to send it.

A Touching Gesture

Despite the intended recipients being long gone, the decision to send the postcard touched Jessica Means. She expressed her gratitude to the person who decided to put a stamp on the postcard and mail it, stating that the simple gesture made her day. The postcard not only made an impressive journey but also served as a poignant reminder of the past.