GREEN SPRINGS – On Dec. 16, a few dozen of Bud Rutherford’s friends gathered at the Willows in Bellevue to thank the woman who saved his life. Rutherford fell in his Green Springs home on a cold Friday morning in mid-October, and across the village, Green Springs Postmaster Margo Feichtner noticed he didn’t stop in to pick up his mail. When he didn’t show up on Saturday either, her worry intensified.
While two days of missed mail may not mean much in big cities, it was noticed in Green Springs. Feichtner knows the routines and habits of several of the village’s senior residents, and she knew Rutherford’s absence was cause for concern. Her compassion wouldn’t let her go home without checking on him.
After her shift, Feichtner and her fiancé, Kevin Carter, drove to Rutherford’s home. When he wouldn’t answer the door, the two, along with Rutherford’s
neighbor, Scott Hanover, gained access to the house and discovered Rutherford on the floor, barely conscious.
By the time they found him, he had lain there for 33 hours. Their actions saved his life.


