Kathleen Murray, born pre-TV, and Samantha Lefevre, born post-World Wide Web, probably wouldn't strike up a friendship over text messages.
But despite their generational divide, the septuagenarian and the 'tween have become gal pals, bridging the gap through a monthly exchange of snail mail.
The intergenerational BFFs are part of the decade-old Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community and Quarryville Elementary pen-pal program, started by former fifth-grade teacher Judy Phillips, who incorporated the letters into student homework.
Currently, the program pairs 27 residents with 27 fifth-graders in Kim Nardella's class.
At the start of the school year, residents get a new crop of pals, and they all meet for the first time at a winter pizza party at the community. In the past, residents have also visited the school for various class events. The pals part company at an end-of-the-school-year picnic.
But the relationship goes beyond the handful of get-togethers and letters.
"Some of (the pen pals) exchange phone numbers at their first meeting, and the students and their parents visit the residents on the weekend," Nardella says. "Sometimes (the pen pals) get together for out-of-school activities, like bowling."
Last month, the letter-linked duos went back — and into — the future, with a board game and Nintendo Wii challenge at the community, which recently purchased two Wii games.
"I feel like we've known each other forever," 75-year-old Murray says of 11-year-old Samantha, who joins her over checkers with fellow pen pals Lois Thomson and fifth-grader Caleb Longmire.
"The (kids) don't just write letters," says Murray, who fingers a beaded necklace, a gift from Samantha. "They do cutouts and drawings, all sorts of things."
"It's fun," Samantha says. "I found out we have things in common, like our families being from New Jersey.
"Age doesn't matter."
Samantha also learned that Murray likes to play pool. Murray discovered that Samantha is an accomplished dancer.
It's melding by mail.
"This gives the kids the chance to develop their reading and writing skills," says Jeanne Kipp, director of activities for independent and assisted living. "The kids can really learn a lot from these residents."
And vice versa.
"The best part is making a new friend," Murray says.
Six and counting
Margaret Bonner is on her sixth pen pal.
The 81-year-old resident has corresponded with both boys and girls.
Her current pal is Brittany Fusco.
"It's interesting," Bonner says. "They're all different."
Bonner generally finds the girl pals a little chattier, though.
"The boys tend to write about their own interests — sports, things like that."
Bonner reciprocates by talking about her own family, her life experiences, her childhood.
Sometimes letters can be about something as simple as an afternoon walk or what was for dinner. Letters can also be laced with history, about horse-and-buggy transport and knee-deep snows.
A highlight of the pen-pal experience, for both the residents and the fifth-graders, is the first meeting.
"They really enjoy being together," says Robert B. Hayward Jr., community president and CEO. "I wish (that) when I was their age, I'd spent more time with my own grandmother."
Where there's a Wii ...
At the game challenge, some pen pals prefer to stick to checkers.
But others, like 87-year-old Clayton Robinson, a former engineer, and his pen pal, Matt Hershey, launch a game of Wii bowling.
Robinson helped bring the Wii to the community and is teaching fellow residents how to play.
"Who'd have ever thought you could play tennis sitting down?" he says.
Both residents and students line up to play the Wii. In some cases, the residents teach the kids how to play, and in other cases the residents are the students.
Wii may be the game system of the future, but tried-and-true games, like Yahtzee, haven't gone out of fashion.
At one table, residents and kids are teaching each other how to play.
"It's interesting," Nardella says. "We have two different generations here, and neither one of them knew how to play Yahtzee. While the younger generation is so technology-inclined, the older generation probably didn't have much opportunity to play games because they were working so much ... "
"There's a huge generation gap, but both learned a new game today.
"Learning never stops."
CONTACT US: sjurgelski@LNPnews.com or 291-8756 
