Kent Bartholomew is a mail carrier for the Jerome, Idaho, Post Office, and has carried mail on the same route for 45 years. During that time, he has saved customers’ lives, received many awards, including a prestigious national safety award, been bitten by dogs, and participated in community events.
Bartholomew began working for the Jerome Post Office in 1979. He says the supervisor at the time talked him into taking the job. “The Postal Service paid more in one week than [I] made with 20 hours’ overtime in two weeks.”
As a postal employee, he was thrilled to get steady pay raises, earn sick leave and paid vacation. “[I] am always thankful for my job and was so relieved to finally be where I could work the rest of my working career. This job was security for our family and one that we never took for granted.”
