Christmas Card Rests for First Time in 61 Years

WHITEHOUSE (AP) — A Christmas card that has crisscrossed the country as part of an old joke between two Texas men will rest this holiday for the first time in 61 years. Actor Hanks, 89, says he first sent the card in 1951 to his friend, Lee Kelley, as a joke. The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported Saturday that a year later, Kelley mailed it back. This sparked a tradition that continued after Kelley died when his widow mailed the card back to Hanks. But last year, the card was returned to Hanks unread. He believes Kelley’s widow has moved to a nursing home. He says he will frame the now-tattered card that is decorated on the outside with a Christmas tree and a holiday greeting. Inside are dates documenting the card’s journey.