Pen pals meet after 60 years of letters

By TIM HARLOW, Star Tribune

Last update: June 19, 2009 - 4:51 AM

Carol Goudy wiped away tears, then smiled and gave Joy Hood a big hug before pinching herself to be sure her dream of nearly 60 years was really coming true.

Goudy, of Ramsey, said the meeting in a British airport this week was the first time she and Hood, of England, had set eyes on each other since they became trans-Atlantic pen pals as schoolgirls in 1950.

"This is a miracle," Goudy, 68, said Thursday. "I can't believe it. I've had a dream to see her in England. My dream has come true. I'm shocked."

It all started when Goudy was 10 and answered a Wisconsin newspaper ad seeking pen pals. She wrote to a girl in England, who turned out to be Hood's twin sister, Iris. Since Iris already had a pen pal, Joy wrote back asking Goudy to be her pen pal.

Since Goudy sent that first letter as a fifth-grader, the two have talked openly and intimately about life milestones such as graduations, getting married and having children. Both have shed tears as they discussed what it was like to lose a loved one. In between they've offered each other encouragement, hope and advice as they have chatted about everything from going on vacation to surviving snowstorms to changing jobs.

For nearly 60 years they have shared life's ups and downs -- mostly through the written word. They've sent countless cards and letters -- all handwritten -- along with photographs of themselves and family members as they detailed major and minor events in their lives.

"They really lived through each others' lives," said Goudy's daughter-in-law, Lina, who is accompanying her on the trip. "They put a lot into what they wrote and it comes from the heart. This really could be a screenplay."

As the relationship grew, Goudy and Hood sent small gifts for holidays and birthdays. Hood, 69, said she still has the first set of red beads Goudy sent to her. Goudy has a pair of clip-on earrings she got from Hood. They have spoken on the telephone at times, but for the most part they have built their relationship through their continuous writings, save for a year when Goudy moved and misplaced Hood's address.

"I like writing more than saying it on the telephone; that is so costly," Hood said from her flat in West Bromwich. "We have some wonderful letters. We've really done life together."

Now, for a week, they will do life together in person, going shopping, attending plays, touring attractions, drinking and dining on fish and chips at local pubs. And they are enjoying some time in the spotlight as celebrities: Goudy and Hood had their picture splashed across the front page of the Express & Star newspaper in Hood's hometown.

"It's indescribable," Hood said. "I can't believe this is happening. It's absolutely fabulous."

Goudy had planned to visit on three previous occasions. She canceled once when her late husband, Billy, got sick, and a second time when he died. Plans to visit also were derailed by the Sept. 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. This year, her sister, Angeline Novak, bought her a plane ticket so she could go.

"I've had many wonderful things in life, but this just tops it off," Goudy said. " I had to pinch myself. This is a dream come true."

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768

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