Clarence D Behmer

C. Behmer Retireds From Post Office

30 Year Serivce

Has Seen Culver Post Office Grow From a Small SHack to Modern Quarters

As A recongnition of thirty years service in the Culver posit office, Claraence D. Behmer has been retired from active duty, effective December 1. He was 65 years of age Nove,ber 17.

Mr. Behmer joined the post office force of September 1, 1902, as a clerk and a few months later was promoted to assistant postmater, which postion he had held ever since with the exception of a two years period.

He has been retired under the ruling made in July of this year which provided that post office employess were to retire at the age of 65.

Mr. Behmer will receive a pension from the governrnent

When Mr. Behmer began word the post office was located in a small shack on the site of the present K. of P. building, but later it was moved to the bank building where it has been continously except for a few months when the present bank building was being remodeled.

Now the post office has the finest quarters and equipment of any town this size in the state

During his thirty years of service Mr. Behmer has served under six postmasters, men of both political parties. They are in order: Dr. B. W. S. WIsean, D. E. E. PArker, John OSborn, Sam Lenon, G. W. Overmyer and C. L. Shively

" Working in the post office is like any other job, it has it good points and it has its darwabacks" declared Mr. Behmer. "Naturally, wheen you are serving the public you get a lot of complaints, many of them unjust, but you have to take them with a smile and be content to know you are doing your best to satisfiy the patrons. On the other hand, you meet al lot of interesting people and meet up with unusual situations that make each day just a little different thanthe one before it. There is something fascinating about the work when you realize that every piece of mail you handle is important to someone and you are responsible for seeing that a person gets a message that might change his entire life"

Of course", concluded the veteran postal worker, "I Hate to break up the routine of years and especially will I miss the association Arthur Hatten, who has worked with me for seventeen eyars. And by the way, I have had a great many people work with me in the post office during those thirty years, and I have gotten a lot of pleasure out of the advance some of them have made. Dr. Edna Hayes, New York City, has probably made the best record of any of them."

Mr Behmer's plans for the future are indefinite, except that he will continue to live at his home in Culver, which he owns.

Saturday night the employees of the local post office and their families surprised Mr. Behmer at his home with a testimonial part, at which time the presented him with a comfortable Coxwell chair.

POstmaster C. L. Shively had recommended that Arthur Ahtten be made addistant postmaster, Roth Cline to become a clerk, Philip Middleton to be auxillary clerk and James Marshall delivery clerk. However these have not been approved by the post office department and are subject to change by the officials at Washington. - 30 Nov. 1932 - Citizen.