After 21 years, Iowans get their pen pal

The Omaha World-Herald newspaper ran the following story of our son Chuck on the front page of the paper today.

Twenty one years ago two sisters, 11 and 15, from Halbur, Iowa were looking for a friend from a far-off land. So the sisters dropped the bottle into the West Nishnabotna River, figuring that it might wind its way to the Missouri River, then the Mississippi River and finally the ocean.

This spring, our son Chuck Beebe of Mineola, Iowa, and a friend spotted a bottle in a pile of debris on his property along the West Nishnabotna river in Iowa. The bottle had only traveled 80 miles in 21 years.

Chuck deciphered what he could of the weathered message, boxed it up and sent it back to Jody (Mescher) Geest and Kelly Mescher. Now, after 21 years, they finally have their pen pal.

Check out the full story at: http://www.omaha.com/article/20100625/NEWS01/706259901#after-21-years-iowans-get-their-pen-pal