(Nov. 4) - Most of us have a favorite teacher we think about now and again. But few of us ever hear from that teacher again. Not so the students of Mr. Stroup's eighth-grade class at Heritage Christian School in Indianapolis.
Every one of Mr. Stroup's students -- past and present -- receive a handwritten birthday letter from him, every year, reports local TV station WTHR.
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WTHR-TV Indianapolis
Teacher Dan Stroup sends a handwritten letter to some 2,500 students every year on their birthdays.
Dan Stroup has been writing letters to students for 30 years. He mails handwritten birthday letters to students in 60 cities, 36 states and six countries.
"Everybody likes getting mail, isn't that right?" Stroup asks. "E-mail is nice but nothing like finding mail in the mailbox."
The humble and popular teacher spends a portion of every evening in his living room, writing birthday letters to every student he has had in his Bible class in 30 years at Heritage Christian School.
"Some nights, it's just a few minutes, but last night it was 2 1/2 hours," Stroup says. "Thursday nights are difficult because you have to write for Saturday and Sunday."
Stroup's handwritten notes include memories of the student in class, with questions about each student's life and a Bible verse at the bottom of the letter which is written in red pen.
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"This year it's James chapter 1. Do not merely listen to the word, but do what it says," says Stroup.
Stroup uses a small tablet of lined, white paper to write Tony Dever, a student in his class more than 20 years ago. Stroup learned that Tony's father had died and wanted to include encouragement in the birthday letter.
Dever, who owns a small family grocery store on the east side of Indianapolis, reads a portion of the letter.
"At the bottom it says: 'I may try to get down to the store and get some fresh fruit in the next week or two.'
"That's Mr. Stroup. Always thinking of someone else," Dever says to Scott Swan of WTHR.
Kristen Anderson of Noblesville, Ind., has been receiving letters from Stroup for 30 years.
"Dear Kristen, July is a great month, we celebrate the 4th, it's still the middle of the summer and above all, it's your birthday," she reads from the most recent letter.
Anderson has saved every one.
Stroup keeps the names and birthdays of students in a small book. Stroup has remarkable recall of the 2,500 students that have passed through his classroom in the last three decades.
"On Christmas Day, Tim has a birthday. He graduated in 1994," says Stroup. "Jennifer and Jeff are brother and sister. Both have their birthdays on July 9th in different years," Stroup explains as he looks through his book.
"I am sure there have got to be some mistakes out of 2,500 a year. There are probably some mistakes. I hope they forgive me if it happens," says Stroup.
Aka Egwu took Mr. Stroup's Bible class in 1997 and has kept nearly every letter.
"He always gives you a little bit of wisdom. A Bible verse. He gives you a little bit of advice," says Egwu.
Stroup has students born on nearly every day of the year. In some cases, there are multiple students who share a birthday. "Eleven (students) on April 1," says Stroup.
But even for the busy teacher, there is one day of rest.
"Nov. 4 is my day off. No birthdays on Nov. 4 yet," chuckles Stroup.
Parents and faculty quickly jumped in to lend a hand to Stroup's project. "It's been 12 to 15 years since I actually bought a stamp. Because people give them to me. They'll send them to me in the mail. They'll appear in my mailbox at school," says Stroup.
His students have learned from Stroup's example. In 2008, former students went on Facebook and alerted Stroup alums that their teacher was celebrating his birthday on May 27. Stroup was touched by the response -- more than 300 handwritten cards arrived in Stroup's mailbox.
"It was overwhelming. That was pretty cool," says Stroup.
Those handwritten notes from students are now alphabetized in a filing cabinet in a closet where Stroup can quickly locate them for reference.
Stroup pauses in between letters.
"For some of them, if I haven't seen them for a while, I still think of them as an eighth grader," says Stroup. "It's just like your own children: They grow up, they're adults.
"But they're still your children."
For more details on this story, visit WTHR.
