United States Postal Service customers in Fairfax said their goodbyes to Lori Smith Thursday, March 31, 2022. Lori is retiring from the postal service after 27 years.

Fairfax, Missouri, postal service customers visited the post office in Thursday, March 31, 2022, to say goodbye to long-time office worker Lori Smith. Lori is retiring from the United States Postal Service after 27 years of hard work and dedication.

Lori began her duties in 1995 in Fairfax and has provided postal service to customers in three counties over the years. After one year at Fairfax working a casual position under Postmaster Julie Beck, she worked for 7 1/2 years in Craig, Missouri, as Postmaster Relief under Postmaster David Carroll. She then worked six years at Fairfax as a PTF Career Clerk with Postmaster Barney Farley. She also worked in Tarkio, Missouri, as a PTF Career Clerk with Postmasters Kenny Riley, Barney Farley, and Deb Fletcher. She then was a Career NTFT Clerk under Deb Fletcher, who was the Postmaster for Craig, Fairfax, Tarkio, and Westboro, Missouri.

During her time in Tarkio, she also floated to other offices in Rock Port, Maryville, Westboro, Mound City, Oregon, Craig, and Fairfax. One day she even worked in three different offices in three different counties! Some of those offices were computerized, some not. She commented, “I enjoyed working in the manual only offices as each step I learned was built on that manual basis. I also liked working in the smaller offices as they provided more opportunity to work on a personal basis with the customers. Working in Maryville was a challenge with students from the college coming in to do business, but not speaking the language or were used to doing things differently.”

“There were so many people I met over the years who became my friends. I will miss the interactions and sharing smiles and ‘good mornings’ and having ‘big brothers’ (the mail carriers). You never knew what a day would bring and it was never dull.”

Although she will miss everyone at the Post Office, Lori is looking forward to retirement. “I have greatly looked forward to having more time in my own backyard, that’s where I’m happiest. I hope to nurture some little gardeners in my four grandchildren. Growing up, I wanted to be a wife and mother and all these other things that have come to be are all the greatest of blessings. I have been able to come full circle, ending my postal career where it first began in my own home town of Fairfax.”