Steamboat Pilot & Today

Hayden — The price of a stamp was cheap in 1973.
Many things, stamps included, have changed since Clora Harper joined the U.S. Postal Service 29 years ago.
But in spite of cost increases and new technology and recent scares to postal workers, Harper said, one thing has remained constant.
The people she serves always give her reason to come to work.
"We have really nice customers," she said.
Harper will say goodbye this week to her customers, many of whom she has served for almost three decades.
She retires Saturday after 29 years of sorting mail, taking packages and greeting patrons at the post office in Hayden.
Harper laughs about the myriad of roles she and co-worker Jorde Neumiller perform six days a week.
"We do everything," she said.
The two-person operation in Hayden stays busy.
Sick days are not an option for either of the women; they are the only employees at the post office.
"You carry on, and take an aspirin," they said.
Someone will fill Harper's position next Monday, but Neumiller said she would still notice her longtime co-worker's absence.
After almost a decade of working together, Neumiller said, they know each well enough to work without saying a word.
"We know what each other is going to say," she said.
Harper applied for a position at the Hayden post office more than 29 years ago at the suggestion of her sister.
She never thought an application would lead to such a long-term commitment.
"It was just something to do," she said. "Then it became a career."
Harper encountered a few oddities while handling mail for 29 years. She remembers trying to sort a letter without a proper mailing address. The writer used a man's photo and the note "to this guy" to get the point across.
Harper said she intends to use retirement to catch up on projects she has put off for years.
"I'm going to clean the house," she said.
The thought of not coming back to work Monday has not yet sunk in, she said.
Harper plans to return to the post office often, but she will be a customer on the other side of the counter.
A retirement party will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at the post office to recognize Harper's 29 years of service.
Customers old and new are welcome to join the celebration.