This circa 1978 postcard picturing the modern Oceana County Courthouse is, first of all, notable as the most recent admission in this series. As such, the postcard is in color, with a washed-out and muted palette indicative of film photography, which I can’t help but absolutely love (I am old enough to know how to use a film camera, but young enough to be pretty bad at shooting with them).
Despite the washed-out and yellowed appearance, the county courthouse yard is still vibrant and green, with the remaining centennial maple trees reaching their peak foliage and casting deep shadows on the Civil War monument - the monument now almost three-quarters of a century old.
While this tableau is far closer to the courthouse we are familiar with in 2026, there are still some notable differences. For starters, the large awning, which today covers the front steps, is absent, as is that decently lofty adjacent pine tree. Some of the trees shading the monument have also disappeared in the intervening years. Also missing today but present in the 70s are the parking meters, to which I say, “good riddance!” I am chronically late as it is, so if I had to spend an extra few minutes feeding my hard-earned quarters to a meter every time I had to cover a county commissioners meeting, I would probably lose it.
The modern courthouse was built in 1958, though the county had been searching for funding for the project since the 1930s. It was only after a special tax was voted on in the 50s that the county was able to begin construction on the building. Of course, the old courthouse didn’t shut its doors during the construction. In fact, the whole building remained standing until completion, with the new courthouse built around it. If you visit the courthouse today, you’ll notice a courtyard in the center.
The new police department and jail, attached to the eastern side of the building, were built 10 years after the courthouse in 1968. So while it is not visible in the photograph, the jail was certainly there by the time the postcard was sent.
Speaking of the postcard, it was postmarked at the Hart Post Office on Aug. 23, 1978 at 1 p.m. It was sent to Mrs. Phyllis Miller, in the care of Oceana Hospital on East Main Street, now the Oceana County Medical Care Facility.
The note reads:
“Dear Mrs. Miller,
Hope this finds you much better - summer’s too nice a time to be sick - & Dr. Tom can’t do without you for too long I’m sure!
Love & Prayers,
Gary and Cheri Michael & boys”
The senders I have identified as Gary Michael and Cheryl “Cheri” Michael (maiden name Bos), who were both involved in a variety of Hart community organizations, including the Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society. The contributions of their own local family history can be found in Volume 1 of the "Oceana County History" book. Sadly, Gary passed away in January of 2024, and he is survived by Cheri and their three sons.
The 1978 recipient was, as aforementioned, Phyllis Miller. Mrs. Miller was born on December 23, 1919, and died August 3, 2007. She was a member of the same church (United Methodist) as the Michael family, as well as the Historical Society. She was also a dental assistant, which explains the comment in the note, “Dr. Tom can’t do without you for long I’m sure.”
Coincidentally, both courthouse postcards I found were written to folks sick and staying in the hospital, and I only realized this long after scanning the cards. Trust me, I didn’t plan it like this - I wish I had that foresight!
Regardless, there is something serendipitous about both of the postcards, likely picked with little to no reason from a rack at the post office. Neither courthouse is mentioned in the postcards, and neither sender nor recipient of each seemed connected to the courthouses in any significant way. It was probably just a random luck-of-the-draw while the senders were in a hurry to scribble their well-wishes to their ailing friends, 66 years apart.
