Christmas Letters To Santa Cancelled

FIRST THIS:

From Galesburg Register-Mail:

GALESBURG - Robert Darrell (Davis) Hardy, 84, died Thursday (Nov. 5, 2009) at Seminary Manor, Galesburg.
Mr. Hardy was born Sept. 2, 1925, near Carthage. He was the son of George and Iona Davis and stepson of Clarence Hardy. He married twice. Once to Mary Carlene Schullian in 1950 and Ada Powless in 1960.
Mr. Hardy was a member of Illinois Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Union for 64 years and American Legion for 65 years. Mr. Hardy was owner and operator of Hardy Farm Tiling.
Mr. Hardy was raised and educated in the Bentley community. He later moved to the Golden and Colusa communities. In 1944 he entered the Navy and served in the South Pacific aboard the battleship Mississippi BB41. He was a pipe welder, steamfitter and farmer for many years before becoming owner and operator of Hardy Farm Tiling.
After retiring Mr. Hardy moved to a house on the Mississippi River near Gladstone. For many years he and his wife, Ada, wintered in South Padre Island, Texas.
Survivors include two daughters, Janet (Tom) Knapp of St. Louis Co., Mo., and Judith Schmidt of Troy, Mo.; one daughter-in-law, Dee (Curtis) Powless of Divernon; one sister, Betty Hardy of Carthage; one brother-in law, Gene (Marjorie) Thurman; two sisters-in-law, Doris Dopp and Violet Allen; six grandchildren, Christine Knapp, Michelle Spiker, Dawn Powless, Tina (Powless) Watson, Barbara Powless and JoAnn (Powless) Harvey; and four great-grandchildren, James Curtis Powless, Kaleb Anthony Spiker, Joseph Robert and Phoebe Elizabeth Harvey. He will be missed by nieces, nephews and good friends: Fred and Bobby Clark, Jan and Wayne Baker, and Pat Dunn.
He was preceded in death by his mother, father and stepfather; brother, Harold Ray; two sisters, Maxine (Bob) Gannon and Marjorie (Gene) Thurman; wife, Ada; and stepson, Curtis Powless.
Mr. Hardy was much loved and will be greatly missed by family, friends and neighbors. He leaves them with many fond memories.
Service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Corman Memorial Home, 230 W. Penn Ave., Roseville. Pastor Michael Mayfield will officiate. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at Corman Memorial Home, Roseville. Memorials may be made to OSF Hospice. Please sign the guestbook at www.cormanmh.com.
Published in The Register-Mail on 11/10/2009

THEN THIS:


From USPS:


The United States Postal service has suspended the "Letters To Santa" Program that has been a holiday staple for children for decades. The Post Office has forwarded children's letters to Santa in the North Pole through North Pole, Alaska.

The 2,100 citizens of North Pole, Alaska take Christmas very seriously. Since 1954, they’ve volunteered for Operation Santa, a program of the US Postal Service which answers letters to Santa Claus. The program has volunteers all over the country, and many letters are routed through Alaska to get the special North Pole postmark. However, the USPS is discontinuing the practice of sending letters to the town of North Pole.

COINCIDENCE? I DONT THINK SO