In 1989, Becky Wegleitner had a small sewing business and was the local Avon Lady. One day while getting her mail with her kids in tow, the current postmaster asked if she’d ever consider taking a job at the Post Office. She went home that evening and told her husband all about the idea, and he said “Go for it!”
Those three words kicked off a 36-year career for Wegleitner, first working part time at the Claremont, Columbia, Bristol, and Andover post offices, then postmaster in Eden from 2009-2012, and finally the Postmaster in Langford for the past 13 years.
Back then, the postal training to become a PMR (Postmaster Relief) lasted around three to four days. Wegleitner remembers stamps being only .25 cents when she started working. “I clearly remember having to lick all the stamps, and mailing labels,” states Wegleitner. “I never thought twice about it, but now looking back, I can’t believe we did that!”
Technology has changed greatly since her first day on the job. When she first started, everything was done with a typewriter. Scanners to read barcodes didn’t come until later, and all bookkeeping had to be done by hand. “Back then we were encouraging people to use zip codes when writing an address.” They simply would write the person’s name and town, now, with the new technology, zip codes and full addressing is crucial,” states Wegleitner.
She has several funny stories of odd things that people would come in and asked to be shipped. Bees, baby chicks and even a dead duck that was left at a hunting lodge that the hunter desperately wanted to have made into a trophy duck. However, the funniest for her was the time she was asked to mail Lutefisk from Eden to Mexico.
“I remember thinking, there’s no way this is going to get there still frozen,” says Wegleitner. But, she wasn’t about to turn down a challenge, so her and the customer packaged up the lutefisk in a Styrofoam cooler with frozen water bottles, chose the 3-day shipping option, and wouldn’t you know it, that lutefisk made it to Mexico still frozen!
Wegleitner’s outstanding customer service showed through her kindness to others. In 2015, she was awarded the ‘Hero’ award for saving a customer’s life. “I noticed this man’s mailbox was getting full, and he hadn’t been in for two days, which was unlike him,” states Wegleitner. After that second day, she called this man’s friend to go and check on him. Sure enough, he had fallen and was alive but in desperate need of medical attention. Thanks to the heroic postmaster’s attentions, the man was able to celebrate his 80th birthday. “I’m so glad I called someone that day. I knew something just wasn’t right,” remembers Wegleitner.
One saying a postmaster is known for is ‘Through wind, sleet, rain or snow the mail must go!’
And for Wegleitner, that saying rings true. She only missed one day in her whole 36 year career, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. “I remember making it to Lake City and only needed to go the 7 miles to Eden, but the police were stopping traffic due to the blizzard and several vehicles in the ditch,” says Wegleitner. She’s proud to say she’s never got a speeding ticket on her way to work and has never gone in the ditch.
Now, one month into retirement, Wegleitner is looking forward to long, slow days of sewing in her new sewing shed. “My husband and I purchased a storage shed, remodeled the inside and put all of my sewing equipment inside,” smiles Becky.
Although spending time with her grandsons and family are also in her future as well, she will never forget her time spent helping people connect from all parts of the world through the mail service.
