Omagh – Montana pen pals reunite!

A LIFELONG friendship that began with ink and paper blooms again in Omagh

Friendships can start in the most unexpected ways - and for two young girls in 1970, a simple classroom pen pal project became the start of a lifelong bond that has crossed oceans, generations, and decades.

Back in 1970-71, at Omagh High School, English teacher Mrs Scott asked her students if they would like to have pen friends abroad.

Margaret Baxter, from the Edinburgh Villas on Hospital Road, said yes - and soon found herself writing to a girl named Cyndy Simons from faraway Montana, USA.

“I actually got two pen pals,” Margaret recalled with a laugh. “One was from Philadelphia and one from Montana. The Philadelphia girl wrote twice and I never heard from her again but Cyndy and I just clicked, and we’ve kept in touch ever since.”

What began as letters about family life, school, and small-town routines grew into a warm friendship that stood the test of time - through letters, postcards, photos, and now Facebook and Messenger.

“We write every week or two,” Margaret said. “It just depends if something’s happening!”

Cyndy first visited Omagh over 43 years ago, when she finished college.

“It was my first time out of the USA,” she remembered. “Everything was new - the people, the scenery, even the driving on the other side of the road! But Ireland had this charm that stayed with me.”

Last week, Cyndy made her second-ever trip back to Omagh, this time with her son Jarred and daughter Justine.

Their nine-day Irish adventure took them from a thrilling NFL game in Dublin between the Philadelphia Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings (a “match to remember,” said Margaret), to the wild beauty of Galway to trace Cyndy's ancestors, the Fletchers, and up the west coast, before coming home to Omagh.

“Mom’s always talked about Margaret,” said Justine. “She’s been part of our lives as long as I can remember. She even came to my wedding ten years ago - it wouldn’t have felt right without her!”

The reunion was full of laughter and memories - including a few trademark Margaret moments.

“When she visited us in Montana once, she wandered off in Walmart and we had to go on a full-scale expedition to find her!” Cyndy laughed. “It’s a big store,” Margaret admitted with a grin.

On another trip to Yellowstone Park, Margaret turned heads by chatting away to a group of bikers and posing for photos with them. “I love motorbikes,” she said cheerfully.

Over the years, the two women have shared weddings, birthdays, and everyday stories - even if sometimes from afar.

Margaret couldn’t make Jarred’s wedding due to Covid restrictions, but that didn’t stop the messages and video calls from flowing across the Atlantic.

Cyndy’s hometown, Laurel, sits near Billings in the heart of Montana - known as ‘The Hub of Montana’, with a proud railway history and sweeping mountain views.

“It’s a long way from Omagh,” Cyndy says, “but the distance never really mattered.”

As their recent visit came to an end, both friends agreed that this wasn’t goodbye - just another “see you soon.”

“Maybe next time we’ll meet somewhere new,” Margaret smiled. “We’ve been to Montana, Ireland, Yellowstone… who knows where we’ll end up next!”

More than half a century after that first letter was written, the friendship between Margaret from Omagh and Cyndy from Montana remains proof that some connections - like good friends and handwritten words - truly stand the test of time.