LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) – A postmaster in Apache has finished her final day today after 40 years.
7News’ Haley Wilson went to Apache this afternoon to hear about some of her experiences before she retires.
Wendi Ratliff has worked for the United States Postal Service that entire time now serving as the postmaster in Apache.
“Back when I started you cased every piece of mail. We spent half our day inside our office casing our mail and the other half was out on the street doing it.”
She applied to work for USPS in her early 20s when she wasn’t happy at another job and saw the security and pay having a federal government job would offer.
“It’s what could be better?” said Ratliff. “To have a job that you can go and do each day and know that you’ve accomplished it and you can go home at night feeling good. You know that you’ve helped some people. You got them their medicine, you got them that birthday card from their grandkid or to their grandkid. That’s always a feel good, and you can be proud of it.”
Ratliff says one of the most satisfying things is finding a package that goes missing. She remembers one time when she got baby chicks delivered, but the man who had been anxiously awaiting their arrival stopped coming by.