Lawrence rural mail carrier calls it quits . . . after 40 years

Forty years at the same job . . . Larry Faimon stands with his retirement certificate Dec. 31, 2021 in the U. S. Post Office in Lawrence. He began every day for 35 years at the same location. He sorted mail for 145 customers and then delivered the mail over the 117.8 mile route he drove every day. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, no reception was held for Mr. Faimon.

Many places and types of employment have some type of negative aspect to them . . .

"Not so," said Larry Faimon of Lawrence, the just retired rural mail carrier, out of the Lawrence Post Office, said. "I've worked for the best people the postal service had, and, I've worked for the best people who were our customers and patrons on the mail route I had the happy duty to serve."

Mr. Faimon completed 40 years of service to the United States Postal Service Dec. 31. Of those, 35 years were as the full-time rural mail carrier from Lawrence and five years as the substitute carrier.

Larry began working for the Post Office in early 1980s as the substitute rural mail carrier. He began work on a full time basis shortly after the retirement of Mr. Bill Kohmetscher. His employment covered six days a week and a few facts maybe not known to the general public are:

• The daily route out of the Lawrence Post Office is 117.8 miles from start to finish. If you do the math and multiply 117.8 times 6 days a week times 52 weeks a year, times 35 years and toss in some additional miles for those five years of part time work, Mr. Faimon drove over 1, 300,000 miles for work in the last 40 years.

• There are presently 145 patrons on the Lawrence route and this figure has varied between 140 to 149 over his 40 years of service.

• The area extends roughly six miles east, four mile west, five miles north and six miles south.

• Post Masters in Lawrence during his employment included: Betty Hoelting, Mary Lane, Sheila Hesman and Linda Melton, (Amy Hofts is currently in charge of the Lawrence Post Office), all of whom he noted were the finest bosses anyone could have. He also categorized the Rural Mail Patrons as "the finest customers anyone could have."

The work over the years changed little according to Larry. There were always changes, but nothing outstanding stood out to him. He noted the cooperation of Nebraska Rural Mail Carriers with the Nebraska Game and Parks to count wildlife twice a year was always an interesting time. Their counts of pheasant, quail, turkey and deer help the Game and Parks determine hunting seasons and bag limits.

The future may be a little uncertain for Larry and wife, Mary. He noted they have been kept busy with all the activities of grandchildren. He isn't planning on any extensive trips right now, but he noted: "you never know what might happen."

The work of the rural mail carrier for Lawrence is now being handle by substitute Dwayne Buescher. The Post Office will advertise the position as being open and accept applications before a full time replacement for Mr. Faimon is decided upon.