This real photo postcard also came from Denver, although it appears to identify a house in Marcus, Iowa. The house is quite impressive and if you look closely you can see at least one person standing by the porch, left. It is unfortunate that the image is so badly faded. The search for this home is complicated because there is an Earnest Funeral Home in Marcus, IA. Could they be one and the same? Or is it just a complication?
UPDATE: Thanks to the great leads from Far Side & Jennifer in the comments, this is identified as the Bill & Kate Ernst farm house just south of Marcus, IA. According to the Marcus Historical Society it originally belonged to John Ernst and Kate inherited it from him. In the 1980s it was sold to another farmer who removed the building and all other objects to expand his farm. Arlene from the historical society shared this great anecdote about Kate Ernst: Katie would drive to town, park in front of the bank and the tellers would have to go out to help her with her business. Apparently, she did not feel like she needed to get out of the car! Another farm owned by Katie’s brother John was just north of this farm and it is now gone as well. Happily, the Marcus Historical Society will be taking ownership of this great old photo of the Ernst home for their records! Be sure to check the comments for another recollection of the Ernst home sale.
Who Were They? 
Lovely home. Never can tell….many people spelled the way a name sounded. I wonder if the home still stands:)
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I found a email for the Marcus Chamber of Commerce and sent them the link to this photo..perhaps they will respond:)
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Hi there. I found your post from a Google alert I have set up for Marcus, Iowa. I live in South Carolina now, but grew up in the friendly little town of Marcus. You might try the local historical society. Their website is http://www.marcushistoricalsociety.org/. Tell them Steve & Linda Smith’s daughter Jennifer sent you! :)
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I heard from Kristi at the Chamber and then Paul:
Paul wrote
This is a picture of the Bill and Kate Ernst farm house that was located 2 miles south of Marcus. Their farm was in the middle of the section to the S.E. of Doc (the chiropractor) Wurth’s new house. They had a farm sale there when I was in junior high or maybe I was a freshman. The whole place must have been awesome in it’s time. It also had some huge old barns and other outbuildings on it. Grove was full of old farm machinery and rusty tractors with trees growing through them. At that time of the sale it was still pretty cool but was falling down. Whole farm was bought by the Bindner family, bulldozed, burned, and buried early 1980’s. Bill and Kate were friends of my grandparents. The end.
Weird, I can’t remember what I did 3 days ago but I can remember that… Paul
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