Ann John

We first became acquainted with Ann John in the summer of ‘16 when she graciously emailed us from her home in South Carolina. “I have become unable to send any condolences other than one of your extraordinary cards,” she wrote. “I have had several recipients tell me they’ve saved the Passages card I sent them in their bedside table, their Bible or their purse, just so it’s handy when they need to see it again. Thank you for all you do!”

When we emailed back to say what a gratifying message that was to read, Ann’s big heart opened and she wrote, “My love of a good card is in my genes …

My mother lived every moment of every day

and unexpectedly passed away two years ago at the age of 94 watering her garden on a lovely afternoon in May. She’d apparently stepped out in the middle of writing in a card to a 100-year-old friend. (That unfinished note was mailed as it was, with an added explanation of how it was found.)

“My mother loved both to send and receive cards,” Ann explained. “As my two sisters and I were growing up, Mother would remind us often of the importance of properly expressing (in thank you notes!) our appreciation for even the smallest of gifts. She said that, when she was growing up and times were hard, a card was often given as a gift, so she continued to write thank you notes for each card she received … when my father passed away she wrote a thank you note to every person who sent her a card. We three daughters told her that really wasn’t necessary, but she wrote on. And, as you might guess, yes — as my sisters and I later revealed to each other — each of us had written a thank you note for every card we received acknowledging that sad day in May.”

Duly inspired, we could not resist asking Ann if we could pull from her message to create a lovely condolence design dedicated to her beloved mother, Virginia McCracken. Quite moved, Ann agreed, and Passages 93833 featuring its glowing flower cluster came to be.

Contributing Cardie Ann John went on to create more and more beautiful cards from the heart, with sis Carla Schmitt also bringing her voice to the fold. All Virginia McCracken’s lovely lasting legacy.

Cards with messages by Ann