Rogers Park Post Office Bids Fond Farewell To Three Veteran Mail Carriers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Three postal carriers who have a combined 137 years with the U.S. Postal Service and military were given a little retirement send-off Wednesday morning at the Rogers Park post office.
Bob Peterson is one of three mail carriers retiring from the Rogers Park post office, and has more than 53 years of combined service with the U.S. Postal Service and the military.
He said his worst time on the job was the infamous Chicago blizzard of 1967, when
"There's nobody here at the station that was here for that one," he said.
Peterson, 70, received the 2-million-mile safe driver award a couple years ago.
"I'm proud of that, and I tell my wife that, too, every time she corrects my driving. As we're on the road, I always tell her, 'Who got the 2-million-mile driving award?'" Peterson said.
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The Postal Service has estimated he has delivered nearly 8 million letters and packages during his career. Peterson said he'll miss his coworkers the most.
"It's kind of bittersweet leaving, but after that length of time I'll be 71 in March, so … it's just time to go," he said.
Also retiring is Ron Newman, who started with the Postal Service in 1978.
"I had hair and a waistline back then," he said.
David Carroll will retire with nearly 45 years combined service.
"I've been on some routes that had so many stairs, and you stand at the bottom and look up, and you say. 'Oh my goodness, how many is that?'" he said.
Carroll said he loves being a mail carrier, because of the opportunity he had to meet so many different people.
