Mansfield Mail Carrier Celebrates 35 Years of Delivering Mail & Making Community Connections
MANSFIELD, PA (WENY) -- A postal worker in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, finished her final route after more than three decades of delivering people their mail. Tammy Colegrove celebrated her last day at work on Wednesday, April 30th, celebrating 35 years of mail deliveries and community connections.
"I’m glad I ended up in Mansfield doing the mail route. I started in Galeton for three years and then transferred to Mansfield and I’ve never regretted it. It’s been the best. I’ve made so many friends and they’ve all actually become like family to me. This has been my family for the last 35 years and [it's] been a bittersweet day of having to say goodbye to everybody," said Colegrove.
Colegrove said that when she was a kid, she and her sister would watch the mail carrier come and deliver the mail. She said they'd get excited and think it was a cool job.
"As a little kid, I would always cut little clippings out of the Sears catalog or get my mom’s mail and we would set up little things to be our mailboxes. I was the postal carrier and my sister wanted to teach so we always had to play school for her. It’s crazy to think back and realize I did that as a kid and here I am today doing it," said Colegrove.
Colegrove's route took her 10 miles across Mansfield every day, five days a week. 'Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers [like Colegrove] from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.'
Colegrove trekked over one million miles over the last 35 years, earning her the 'Million Mile Award.' The Award recognizes letter carriers, rural carriers, and truck drivers, who drive one million miles or 30 years without a preventable incident.
Colegrove said her job allowed her to make lasting connections.
"I’ve been through a lot with a lot of them [where] you get to know their routine and if something’s not right you know [to] check on them, make sure everything is okay, and help them while you’re here. You’re only there for a few minutes and some days the elderly/people who live by themselves only see the mail carrier. So, we kind of make each other’s day," said Colegrove.
Colegrove's retirement party will be held at the Mansfield Fire Department on Saturday, May 3rd, from 1 to 5 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.
"I could not ask for a better community [it's] been fantastic; The people, the businesses, my postmaster, supervisor, co-workers, everybody. It’s just been a fantastic time. Thirty-five years here was great, I don’t regret [any] of it," said Colegrove.
