I remember ...

Mrs. Mary, the postmaster

Editor’s note: The following is reprinted with permission from Carolina Country, the monthly magazine of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. The story, submitted by Sharon Bishop of Bladenboro, appeared in the July edition.

Our post office in Butters, N.C., was a small, white wood building with 100 boxes and about half were rented to users. Mrs. Mary Spence was our postmaster. She was a very kind, helpful and caring lady, greeting you with a smile and a friendly “hello.” My family had P.O. Box 22. During certain hours Mrs. Mary would graciously hand your mail to you through a doorway that divided the entrance of the building and her private office.

Mrs. Mary started in 1959. Some of her duties were to meet the train. As the train came into town, Mrs. Mary would give a signal if there was any mail to be picked up. She would fasten the mail pouch on a crane, and the train would come and pick up the mail and also passengers.

She liked her job, especially meeting people. She said it was satisfying and she looked forward to it. She said, “Even when the postal inspectors came, it didn’t bother me.” Never in her 35 years was there one penny short.

Mrs. Mary felt very honored to receive a personal invitation from the federal workers of Washington, D.C., to attend the inaugural for John F. Kennedy. Mrs. Mary retired in 1994 and turned 90 years old in December 2009.