On her 95th birthday, Pat DeReamer opened a card that was already 81 years old.
The card dates back to 1944, when Pat received it for her 14th birthday after moving to Indianapolis during World War II. New to town and short on friends, Pat quickly bonded with Mary Wheaton, a kindness that sparked a friendship lasting a lifetime.
After reading the playful card, featuring a cartoon dog and a dinosaur joke about growing old, Pat saved it, signed it, and mailed it back to Mary for her birthday a month later. What began as a simple gesture turned into an annual tradition.
For 81 years, the same birthday card has traveled back and forth between the two friends, surviving decades of life changes and historic moments. The exchange earned Pat and Mary a Guinness World Record for the longest-running greeting card exchange after 60 years and it continues to this day.
“We never planned it,” Pat told Kentucky’s WLKY News. “It just happened. Every year it gave us a reason to call each other and talk.”
As technology evolved and handwritten cards became rare, Pat and Mary never stopped mailing theirs. Even living in different states could not break the tradition.
Pat knew the card would arrive again this year, just as it always does. She will sign it, date it, and send it back to Mary in May, continuing a simple tradition that has delivered joy, connection, and friendship for more than eight decades. 💖
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