THE STORY. CALL MARY KROGER. IT鈥橲 A TRADITION THAT STARTED ON APRIL 1ST, 1944. MARY, IT鈥橲 PAT. I鈥橫 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鈥橳 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鈥橲 14TH BIRTHDAY, WHEATON GAVE HER A CARD, AND IT鈥橲 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鈥橳 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鈥橰E GOING TO DO THIS. AT LEAST I DON鈥橳 REMEMBER EVER SAYING THAT, BUT IT JUST HAPPENED. AND AFTER ABOUT FIVE YEARS, IT JUST EVERY YEAR WE鈥橠 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鈥橳 GET TO SEE EACH OTHER EVERY DAY ANYMORE, I THINK AS YOU GET OLDER, YOU DON鈥橳 SEEM TO HAVE YOU鈥橰E SUPPOSED TO HAVE MORE TIME, BUT WE DON鈥橳 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鈥橪L TALK TO YOU LATER TONIGHT. THANK YOU. LOVE YOU. BYE.
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
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Updated: 1:10 PM CDT Apr 5, 2025
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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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.鈥淲e never said, 'We鈥檙e going to do this.' At least, I don鈥檛 remember ever saying that. It just happened. After about five years, it just鈥� every year we鈥檇 talk about it, and it would give us some reason to call each other and talk,鈥� DeReamer said.On the card鈥檚 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.鈥淚 think one of my children came up with the idea that this card had been going back and forth for so many years,鈥� said DeReamer. Now in their 90s, the two friends don't get time together as frequently as before, but their connection remains unshakable. 鈥淚 think as you get older, you don鈥檛 seem to 鈥� you鈥檙e supposed to have more time, but we don鈥檛 seem to have as much time to share as we did when we were younger,鈥� 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
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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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.
鈥�We never said, 'We鈥檙e going to do this.' At least, I don鈥檛 remember ever saying that. It just happened. After about five years, it just鈥� every year we鈥檇 talk about it, and it would give us some reason to call each other and talk,鈥� DeReamer said.
On the card鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 think one of my children came up with the idea that this card had been going back and forth for so many years,鈥� said DeReamer.
Now in their 90s, the two friends don't get time together as frequently as before, but their connection remains unshakable.
鈥淚 think as you get older, you don鈥檛 seem to 鈥� you鈥檙e supposed to have more time, but we don鈥檛 seem to have as much time to share as we did when we were younger,鈥� 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.
