Skip to content
NOWCAST News 9 at 7:30
Live Now
Manchester, NH03101
42°
Mostly Cloudy
Chance of precipitation 1%
MORE
1 / 1
Advertisement

News We Love: These lifelong Kentucky friends have been exchanging the same birthday card for 80 years

For the past 80 years, two friends have exchanged the same card annually, carefully signing and dating it each time

News We Love: These lifelong Kentucky friends have been exchanging the same birthday card for 80 years

For the past 80 years, two friends have exchanged the same card annually, carefully signing and dating it each time

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      THE STORY. CALL MARY KROGER. IT’S A TRADITION THAT STARTED ON APRIL 1ST, 1944. MARY, IT’S PAT. I’M JUST CALLING TO WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. BETWEEN PAT DREAMER AND MARY WHEATON, WE HAD MOVED TO INDIANAPOLIS DURING THE WAR IN 42, AND I DIDN’T KNOW VERY MANY PEOPLE. AND SO MARY KIND OF PICKED ME UP OUT OF THE GUTTER AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WAS NICE TO ME. AND WE BECAME REALLY GOOD FRIENDS. ON DREAMER’S 14TH BIRTHDAY, WHEATON GAVE HER A CARD, AND IT’S THE SAME CARD DELIVERED TO HER DOOR ON HER 95TH BIRTHDAY. BUT THIS IS THE ORIGINAL CARD, AND. NOW SHE PUTS THE ARROW WHERE SHE WANTS ME TO SIGN IT BECAUSE I CAN’T SEE WHERE TO SIGN IT ANYMORE. FOR 80 YEARS, THE TWO HAVE SENT THE SAME CARD BACK AND FORTH TO EACH OTHER, EACH TIME MAKING SURE THEY HAVE SIGNED AND DATED THE CARD. WE NEVER SAID WE’RE GOING TO DO THIS. AT LEAST I DON’T REMEMBER EVER SAYING THAT, BUT IT JUST HAPPENED. AND AFTER ABOUT FIVE YEARS, IT JUST EVERY YEAR WE’D TALK ABOUT IT AND IT WOULD GIVE US SOME REASON TO CALL EACH OTHER AND TALK AND SO ON. THE CARD, 60TH YEAR, THE PAIR SUBMITTED IT INTO THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS, WHERE THEY CURRENTLY HOLD THE TITLE FOR THE LONGEST GREETINGS CARD EXCHANGE. I THINK ONE OF MY CHILDREN CAME UP. WITH THE IDEA THAT THIS CARD HAD BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH FOR SO MANY YEARS, AND EVEN THOUGH THEY DON’T GET TO SEE EACH OTHER EVERY DAY ANYMORE, I THINK AS YOU GET OLDER, YOU DON’T SEEM TO HAVE YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE MORE TIME, BUT WE DON’T SEEM TO HAVE AS MUCH TIME TO SHARE AS WE DID WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER. NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAVE ANY PLANS OF STOPPING THE TRADITION ANYTIME SOON. SO I’LL TALK TO YOU LATER TONIGHT. THANK YOU. LOVE YOU. BYE.
      Advertisement
      News We Love: These lifelong Kentucky friends have been exchanging the same birthday card for 80 years

      For the past 80 years, two friends have exchanged the same card annually, carefully signing and dating it each time

      In Louisville, Pat DeReamer marked a major milestone as she celebrated her 95th birthday on Tuesday.See the heartwarming story in the video aboveWhat makes her story even more special is a tradition that began on April 1, 1944, with her lifelong friend, Mary Wheaton.The pair first met during World War II, when DeReamer and her family moved to Indianapolis in 1942."I didn’t know very many people. So, Mary kind of picked me up out of the gutter and kind of, you know, was nice to me. We became really good friends," said DeReamer. On DeReamer’s 14th birthday, Wheaton gifted her a greeting card. Decades later, on her 95th birthday, that very same card was once again delivered to her door. For the past 80 years, the two friends have exchanged the same card annually, carefully signing and dating it each time.“We never said, 'We’re going to do this.' At least, I don’t remember ever saying that. It just happened. After about five years, it just… every year we’d talk about it, and it would give us some reason to call each other and talk,” DeReamer said.On the card’s 60th year of exchange, the friendship hit the global stage, earning them the title of the "Longest Greetings Card Exchange" in the Guinness Book of World Records.“I think one of my children came up with the idea that this card had been going back and forth for so many years,” said DeReamer. Now in their 90s, the two friends don't get time together as frequently as before, but their connection remains unshakable. “I think as you get older, you don’t seem to … you’re supposed to have more time, but we don’t seem to have as much time to share as we did when we were younger,” DeReamer said.That's not the only card DeReamer will be sending. With her birthday falling on April Fools' Day, she has a tradition of her own to uphold as well. She sends cards out to friends and family, wishing them a happy birthday on April 1, too. Their incredible story is far from over. The card will soon make its journey back to Wheaton in May for her 95th birthday.

      In Louisville, Pat DeReamer marked a major milestone as she celebrated her 95th birthday on Tuesday.

      See the heartwarming story in the video above

      Advertisement

      What makes her story even more special is a tradition that began on April 1, 1944, with her lifelong friend, Mary Wheaton.

      The pair first met during World War II, when DeReamer and her family moved to Indianapolis in 1942.

      "I didn’t know very many people. So, Mary kind of picked me up out of the gutter and kind of, you know, was nice to me. We became really good friends," said DeReamer.

      On DeReamer’s 14th birthday, Wheaton gifted her a greeting card.

      card given by mary wheaton
      Hearst Owned

      Decades later, on her 95th birthday, that very same card was once again delivered to her door. For the past 80 years, the two friends have exchanged the same card annually, carefully signing and dating it each time.

      inside of card
      Hearst Owned

      We never said, 'We’re going to do this.' At least, I don’t remember ever saying that. It just happened. After about five years, it just… every year we’d talk about it, and it would give us some reason to call each other and talk, DeReamer said.

      On the card’s 60th year of exchange, the friendship hit the global stage, earning them the title of the "Longest Greetings Card Exchange" in the Guinness Book of World Records.

      “I think one of my children came up with the idea that this card had been going back and forth for so many years,” said DeReamer.

      Now in their 90s, the two friends don't get time together as frequently as before, but their connection remains unshakable.

      “I think as you get older, you don’t seem to … you’re supposed to have more time, but we don’t seem to have as much time to share as we did when we were younger, DeReamer said.

      pat's birthday card
      Hearst Owned

      That's not the only card DeReamer will be sending. With her birthday falling on April Fools' Day, she has a tradition of her own to uphold as well. She sends cards out to friends and family, wishing them a happy birthday on April 1, too.

      Their incredible story is far from over. The card will soon make its journey back to Wheaton in May for her 95th birthday.