A few days ago, during one of my frequent visits to the Haight Goodwill, I discovered this charming little recipe box. Once home, I discovered a scrap of crumpled paper inside, which turned out to be a return address label. Naturally, I googled the name, and this is what I unearthed:

Irmgard Ballin, 92, died October 2, 2011 after years of illness. She was born in Germany, and lived in Turkey and Palestine before immigrating to the United States in 1948. She worked as a laboratory technician at UCSF and retired in 1978. Irmgard was an excellent photographer, enjoyed traveling, opera, and art museums. Her friends remember her for her kindness.

Besides the above obituary, I also found an online memorial guest book:

Irmgard was an example of old-world culture and graciousness. It was a pleasure to know her.

I wish I could have met her. I bet she told wonderful stories.