‘It has been a blessing.’ Retiring mailman reflects on decades on the job

POCATELLO – After 42 years of dedicated service, Pocatello mail carrier Lonnie Melton made his final delivery Friday, marking the end of a distinguished career with the United States Postal Service.

As he looks forward to retirement, Melton feels bittersweet emotions. He knows he will miss the many customers who quickly became his friends in the Pocatello-Chubbuck community he served for so long.

Melton’s path to becoming a mailman began unexpectedly. While working alongside his father, Gale Melton, at Mountain States Mobile Home Service in Chubbuck and newly married to his wife, Becky, a friend suggested he take the postal exam.

When Melton asked his dad for his opinion, he also supported the idea. Melton studied and passed the exam with flying colors, ultimately accepting a position as a mail carrier on a walking route in 1983.

Although the official job title is mail carrier, Melton always preferred being called a mailman, saying, “Early on as a mailman, I discovered who I am. I learned I enjoy serving people, and that’s what a mailman does. He serves his community.”

Melton learned that a mailman’s role goes far beyond putting letters in mailboxes. One of the most difficult and emotionally charged aspects of his job is delivering the cremated remains of a loved one, a task that requires a signature.

“The first time I had to do this, the recipient burst into tears at the door, and I just felt terrible,” he recalled. “After that, I became much more empathetic. I would pray with and console people during those difficult moments.”

Melton sometimes found himself in the right place at the right time. One day, while stopped at a lockbox, he witnessed an elderly gentleman fall from a ladder and go unconscious.

“Being there and able to get help right away likely saved his life,” Melton said. “As mail carriers, we’re out every day on our routes, seeing every house. We notice a lot. We keep an eye on the people and the neighborhood and recognize when something isn’t right.”

Melton shared a poignant story about working overtime on Christmas Eve, which fell on a Sunday, and delivering a special package from Afghanistan.

“The gifts were from the father of a little boy whose father was serving in the military,” he recalled. “I’ll never forget the mother’s tears of gratitude, knowing her son would have those presents from his dad to open on Christmas morning.”

As a well-loved mailman, Melton can hardly make a trip to the grocery store without being greeted by a handful of familiar faces.

“Becky knows it’s never going to be a quick trip,” he said. “By the time I’m done visiting with everyone, I’ve spent more time talking than shopping.”

Throughout his 42-year career, Melton covered 11 routes, with about a 50/50 mix of walking and mounted deliveries. While he appreciated the walking routes for the exercise, it required braving the elements and often left him with sore feet — and three dog bites.

“Three dog bites in 42 years isn’t bad,” he said. “And two of those dogs ‘didn’t bite,’ according to their owners.”

He acknowledged the job’s physical demands, adding, “Overall, the work is repetitive and takes a toll on your body over time.”

Melton also witnessed significant changes within the USPS and the Pocatello-Chubbuck community, including the addition of more routes due to population growth and technological advancements.

“We used to sort the mail by hand, tie it down, load it into holsters and then deliver it,” he recalled. “Now, 99 percent of letters are automated and scanned.”

Melton never imagined he would spend so many years with the USPS, but he says the job provided him a good living and the means to raise his three sons. He never had a set retirement date in mind — until one day, while sitting in church, he felt a deep sense that the time was right.

As for his retirement plans, Melton, a grandfather of three, said, “Outside of spending more time with my family and enjoying our property in Island Park, I don’t know what’s next. It’s going to be an adventure.”

For younger mail carriers, Melton’s advice is simple: “One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is that if you do your job well and provide good service, you’ll always have a job.”

As he washed his USPS uniform for the last time, Melton reflected on his decades of service. “This uniform means a lot. It represents someone in the community whom people can trust. It has been a blessing to be a mailman in Pocatello, Idaho.”

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