Harrison GA Postmaster Roselyn Tyson is about to close the door for the last time after 54 years of Postal service.
It's a
historical moment as she is the last remaining Postmaster in Georgia who was a
presidential appointee (by President Lyndon Johnson in December of 1963.)
"In
the last few years as I thought about retiring, I was aware that only a few
appointees were left in the state so I thought it was possible I might become
the last."
And how
will it feel to retire after all those years?
"I will finally be able to plan my day without first thinking about
my office," she said.
"I
remember helping two ladies with some paperwork and the subject of retirement
came up. I asked them what will they do
about filling out some forms when I retire, and they said would follow me to my
house (which is only 4/10ths of mile from the Post Office)."
The close
commute to her job was a factor after finishing her Bachelor of Arts from
Mercer University when she considered becoming a teacher…even after getting a
call from a local school superintendent to teach biology and math.
"The
commute to the school while not too far was certainly not as convenient as the
local Post Office," Roselyn said.
While she
started as a PTF in 1957, she still proudly displays her Postmaster commission
on the wall at the Harrison Post Office.
The most
significant change to her Post Office she recalls is when they brought
computers into her office.
"Several
other Postmasters in that computer class were discouraged as was I, but we
decided we weren't going to get whipped by some machine."
Those
computers actually made reconciliation each day much easier, according to
Roselyn.
Her
advice to other employees who still haven't reached the time for retirement.
"You
need patience, people skills and determination because changes like in recent years
at the Postal Service seem daunting, but if you work through them, they aren't
so bad."
We wish
Roselyn the best as she finds new opportunities in retirement.
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