Postcard Returns After 72 Years – Incredible Reunion
- A postcard mailed in 1953 has remarkably found its way to its original sender,Alan Ball,now 88 years old and residing in Sandpoint,Idaho.
- The postcard depicts the United Nations building in New York City and was addressed to Frederic and Elizabeth Ball, AlanS parents.
- Steadfast to solve the mystery, the postmaster collaborated with local genealogists to track down Alan Ball.
72-Year-Old Postcard finally Reaches Sender in idaho
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Published August 27,2025
Remarkable Journey Through the postal System
A postcard mailed in 1953 has remarkably found its way to its original sender,Alan Ball,now 88 years old and residing in Sandpoint,Idaho. The postcard surfaced recently at the Ottawa Post Office in Illinois, prompting an examination by Postmaster Mark Thompson.
The postcard depicts the United Nations building in New York City and was addressed to Frederic and Elizabeth Ball, AlanS parents. Thompson believes the card was likely misplaced within the united Nations post office and remained lost for decades before re-entering the mail stream.
Genealogical Help Locates Sender
Steadfast to solve the mystery, the postmaster collaborated with local genealogists to track down Alan Ball. Upon viewing a digital image of the postcard, Ball confirmed the handwriting as his own, though he doesn’t recall specifically mailing it.
Ball does remember a brief stay in New York City in 1953 while en route to a summer trip to Puerto Rico, providing a possible timeframe for the postcard’s original dispatch.
A Tale of Delayed Mail
This incident, while remarkable, isn’t unique. Last year, a postcard arrived in Swansea, Wales, a staggering 121 years after its postmark date. Royal Mail officials speculated that the Welsh postcard had somehow been reintroduced into the postal system after a prolonged period, rather than remaining lost in transit for over a century as reported by UPI.
The 72-year delay of Ball’s postcard, though less dramatic, highlights the unpredictable nature of postal delivery and the enduring power of seemingly lost connections.