Hallmark Memories

I recently received a card from a very special person in my life. The beautiful words describe perfectly the culmination of a story 46 years in the making.

The story begins in 1963, when two teens from two different small towns in Iowa moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., and found each other. He was 17 and I was 15. Long, lingering walks home from school, endless phone conversations, his junior-senior prom. In less than a year, this romance was cut off. He moved back to his small Iowa town with his family. He did stay in touch with my brother, a good friend, over the years. However, he and I lived separate lives that did not cross until Jan. 16, 2010. We were both single at the same time. We both lived in Iowa again. The first e-mail was a happy birthday wish, and after several e-mails, we reconnected. It is as though we just picked up from where we left off in 1964, as though our hearts had been searching for the other for 46 years “... the universe shifts into place and ... all is right with the world.” The Hallmark card expressed it all as though it was custom-composed just for us.

Leslie “Ronnie” Schenck, Clarinda, Iowa

My father, the late Fred Teller Sr., opened Teller’s Book Store, a retail and wholesale tobacco, candy, stationery, etc., business in 1916 in Columbus, Neb. He was acquainted with the Halls (who founded the Hallmark company) in David City and Norfolk before they moved to Kansas City.

We still have a few special cards from the years the bookstore was opened (it closed in 1947): a Popeye birthday card (Hall Brothers, 10 cents); a Mickey Mouse birthday card (Hall Brothers, 15 cents); a Hallmark graduation congratulations (5 cents); and a small group of valentine, birthday, get well and thank-you cards. Probably the most special is a Hallmark Christmas card, imprinted with Rollie B. Hall’s name.

Fred Teller Jr.

Hastings, Neb.

My all-time favorite Hallmark moment involves my amazing husband, Richard.

One anniversary, he gave me a card that so described our connection, my heart swelled and I became teary. Our children were young and sometimes life was a struggle. This card talked about holding hands through it all.

As I thanked him and exclaimed over the prose that so captured our love, he looked stricken and admitted that he hadn’t read it. He’d chosen it for the art on the front. After a long pause, I started to laugh and he joined in.

From that time, whenever cards are given, we look at each other and ask, “Did you read this before buying it?”

Michele Patterson

My favorite Hallmark moment: the first Hallmark valentine my husband gave me 60 years ago.

It had a display pull-down front panel to achieve a three-dimensional effect and was decorated with roses, hearts and bluebirds.

When he could not find this Hallmark anymore in later years, he’d look for Hallmark ones with old-fashioned, sentimental readings.

I’m giving the Hallmark card of 60 years to my daughter as her valentine to carry on the Hallmark legacy and a remembrance of her parents.

Eva Yearsley, Lincoln

I have saved almost every card that my children have sent me over the years. This January I was sorting out the cards to put away for saving when I came across a card I didn’t remember. It was a Mother’s Day card from my daughter Melanie. Melanie passed away last April. She gave me this card a couple of years ago and recorded her voice in it. This was a surprise find and a wonderful gift to keep. I can hear her words whenever I want.

Claudia Black

At a job once we found out our boss was leaving. The employees put out a card for us all to sign. One employee, upon seeing a card “for Cindy,” totally ruined it after several of us had signed it. Not paying attention and unaware Cindy was leaving, he wrote “Happy birthday, Cindy!”

Wanda Hamilton

In 1942, I sent a valentine to my boyfriend (later to be husband). It had three envelopes with cards of different sizes, each smaller than the first. The smallest was 2 inches by 3 inches.

He put the small one in his billfold. It traveled with him to many military bases in the U.S. and overseas to England and Germany during World War II while he served with the Eighth Air Force.

He had the valentine with him all his life. It’s a keepsake of our love.

Eileen Brandt, Nehawka, Neb.

When my mom passed away, I got many cards, but the one I will always remember was a Hallmark card with a bird singing on it.

The card read: Some lives are like a song; every note rare and precious. Inside it read: We feel lucky; to have heard the music. In deepest sympathy.

Linda McLaughlin

In 1950, I received a pretty valentine from my future husband. It has a pink pillow heart on the front surrounded by roses. I have saved it for 60 years.

Olga Feyerherm, West Point, Neb.

I have tons and tons of beautiful Hallmark cards I have saved for every occasion that has touched my life. I love cards and I’m running out of room, but I still keep the ones from my children and have so many from my late husband. He spent a lot of time reading cards and making sure he picked the right one, and then added precious words to them.

Dolores Klopp

In 1949, my late husband gave me an 8½ by 9½ individually boxed satin padded valentine with 3-D roses and raised design. Price, $2. It is in my hope chest and is a keepsake memory. We were married for over 51 years when he passed away over eight years ago.

Esther Riha

I love almost all the cards (anniversary, birthday, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day) that my husband and I have exchanged in the last 47 years. My first valentine from my then-boyfriend was a Hallmark card and it sold for 50 cents — Feb. 14, 1962. I have 42 valentine cards saved. One is the size of a poster. My only regret is that I didn’t date them all. What memories!

Jean Flohr

I have a stack of Mother’s Day cards given to me by my daughters, a stack of “milestone birthday” cards, a stack of valentine cards from my husband, and most recently a large stack of “cancer” cards.

Maybe the last stack is so meaningful because of why I received them. All I know is how very much they helped me through the rough patches immediately following my diagnosis and during my treatment. Funny cards, inspirational cards, “thinking of you” cards — all touched my heart. As the news traveled, I received cards from people I had not heard from for years! My mom and sister even sent me Chemo Day cards! Every time I was scheduled for a chemo treatment, I would get a card from them in the mail. I actually began looking forward to chemo to see what kind of funny cards I would receive. One of the best cards came from my husband on my birthday in September (it was also my very last radiation treatment day) — a Hoops and Yoyo card about the day being such a BIG day. He knows how much those two characters make me laugh and I certainly had a lot to laugh and be happy about that day!

Vanessa Wheeler

I have every card I have received from my husband for my birthdays, Valentine’s Days, anniversaries, Christmases and any other “reason” he might choose to recognize for the past 40 years. We do not have children but have always had a special pet ... so add my “Mother’s Day” fun cards from three Dalmatians and one beagle over the years. I am always anxious to open Rick’s cards. He shops early and takes lots of time to find just the right one for the occasion.

Through the years I have saved “goodbye” cards from co-workers, get well and encouragement cards from my bouts with cancer and hepatitis C, sympathy cards for the loss of my parents, and maybe a hundred more for various other reasons. I love them all. I don’t go through them on a regular basis but every now and then when I need a “pick me up,” I’ll sit down and open the box. The memories and sentiments recalled are excellent examples of how a Hallmark card “keeps on giving.”

Jan Hobza, North Bend

The Hallmark card that touched my life:

My husband Rich and I were married for 31 years before he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Valentine’s Day 2005. Rich died five months later. We had our picture taken at a Christmas party that last year. I decided to have the picture framed and thought about all the valentine cards I’d saved and how precious they would become after I’d lost “the love of my life.” So I asked a friend if he could overlay the words from the Hallmark card onto the picture and then had it framed. Here are the words:

Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in the movies.

We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true the most important thing in our lives.

For love is the creator of our favorite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams.

Without love, we merely exist. With love, we truly live.

Kathy Jameson

Just last week I was cleaning out a drawer and found some old cards from my late husband, Allan. He died of pancreatic cancer 21 years ago at the age of 39. I read the cards and was going to finally toss them, but I had second thoughts. I figured I hadn’t thrown them away yet after 21 years, why bother now; they only take up a very small space in the drawer! So, I rubbed my fingers over his signature, cried a little and put them back in the drawer for next time. I guess when I get old and the kids have to move me out of my house, they can throw them away — maybe!

Kathy Feldman

A few years ago my son-in-law sent me a card entitled, “For a Wonderful Mother-in-Law on Her Birthday.” The message inside was lovely and brought tears. He passed away last May at age 46 — a beloved son-in-law. I shall keep his card always and read and re-read it.

Janet Tvrdik

I found a giant Hallmark card — at least 1 foot long — with a king of hearts on the front. It said, “Will you be my king of hearts?”

My husband was very unassuming and didn’t like attention. So I sent it to his office. He mentioned he’d received it. I put the card away, and next Valentine’s Day, I sent it again. The same response. I sent the same valentine a third time, same response. I said I’ve sent you the same valentine for three years, and for three years I’ve gotten the same response. He said, you know, it did look familiar.

I still have the valentine, but lost my husband of 62 years two years ago. Like the valentine, he was a keeper.

Lora Cleveland, La Vista

My son was married in Hailey, Idaho, and received three identical Hallmark wedding cards. What was so unusual was that I live and purchased my card in Nebraska, my ex-husband lives in Northern California, and the bride’s mother lives in Idaho, where she purchased her card.

Bette Pavel, Seward, Neb.

I have a beautiful card sent to me from my daughter Tammy for my 70th birthday. Tammy is a wonderful daughter and she never forgets me or my husband.

Jean Buechler

I have been called a “Hallmark-aholic” by some people, since I am constantly sending Hallmark cards for every occasion to friends and family. Cards have always been very special to me to give and receive.

Seventeen years ago, I met my future husband. He was then an active duty Air Force officer. We had been dating for a few short months when he had to go to England for a short tour of duty. After returning from a vacation, I came home to a bouquet of flowers and a stack of cards and letters he was writing daily. Of course, I still have all the cards and letters he has ever given or sent to me.

Currently, my husband is retired from the Air Force and working as a defense contractor in Afghanistan. He is due back from his six-month assignment toward the end of the month. We now communicate almost daily, but he still sends me a card now and then.

Jill Tomson, La Vista

“Our Pilgrims” are paper cutouts that have decorated our Thanksgiving holiday every year from Omaha, Mexico, Oregon and Arizona. The poor dears have seen better days, but with Scotch tape and loving care they have graced our table for many years. We think it is possible that they are about 45 years old.

Janet Strauss

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