Published: November 03, 2009 08:54 pm      

Harper retires after 50 years of service with post office

By KANDACE MCCOY

kandace.mccoy@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — After 50 years of service, Gary Harper has handed out his last letter. Harper first took the test to become a U.S. Postal employee in 1959.

“They didn’t call me, so I didn’t think I got it,” he said. “So I volunteered for the Army. Then they called me and I told them I had volunteered for the Army and they said when I come back the job would still be there.”

After he was discharged from the military, Harper first began working for the postal service in Chicago for three weeks and then for the Railway Mail Service. The Railway Mail Service was established in 1832, according to the National Postal Museum, when mail was sorted en route between two destinations.

“I had to carry a firearm then in case there was a train robbery,” Harper explained. “I also had to know all the towns and their zip codes. I rode on a route from Chicago to Detroit at first and then from Chicago to Madison, Wis. I’d stay (on board) seven or eight hours and then come back to Chicago. I was sorting mail all the time. Some stops had the hook pick-up, and we’d pick it up as the train went by. My last route was from Chicago to St. Louis.”

After World War II, Americans saw a change in the way mail was distributed with the establishment of the Highway Post Office. Harper remembers traveling on the highway bus system, which entailed clerks sorting mail inside as the buses traveled between towns throughout the county.

“That phased out in the 1970s,” he said, adding that’s when he came to work at the Mt. Vernon Post Office where he also sorted mail and worked for four different postmasters.

And though Harper officially retired Friday, a celebration was held Tuesday morning at the Mt. Vernon Post Office Distribution Center in honor of his service.

“I’ve been treated so good,” he said at his retirement party. “I’ve been very fortunate to work with some really exceptional people. They’ve always treated me right. I’ve been very happy.”

Supervisor Gary Rightnowar said it had been an honor working with Harper.

“He’s the most dedicated employee I’ve ever seen,” Rightnowar said. “And he’s loyal. He would show up hours before his shift to be here — in case we needed him, he would tell us. I don’t think he used a day of sick leave. He’s been a stable part of our office.”

Postmaster Larry Delahunt also agreed Harper was a dedicated employee.

“He’ll be missed,” he said.

Now that retirement has taken place, Harper says he’s going to take the rest of his days and relax.

“I’ve got a La-Z-Boy at home,” he joked. “But I like to work out at the fitness center. I’m just going to take each day as it comes.”

Harper’s recognition comes after two other Mt. Vernon postal employees were recently honored for their years of service. Becky Blades was honored for 25 years of service, and Larry Muehlenbein was honored for 30 years of service.