Published: January 05, 2009 10:17 am      

Postmaster retires after four decades

Chelsea L. McGowan

cmcgowan@weatherforddemocrat.com

After 42 years with the United States Postal Service, Jo Ann Barnhart said she’s looking forward to enjoying her retirement.

“I’m still active, still healthy, still work like a horse,” she said. “It’s time to move on and let someone else take the reins, but I didn’t want to wait until I was too old and wobbly to enjoy my retirement.”

Barnhart has been the postmaster at Millsap for 18 years, having served before in Seattle, Fort Worth, Lipan and Mineral Wells. She said she considers her job to be as much about keeping the community together as it is about making sure mail gets delivered.

“I’m the gal that keeps people together in some ways,” she said. “I always know who’s moving, who’s sick, who’s got a new baby, who’s died, who’s gotten married. People ask me. We’re a small community. That’s not gossip, that’s just keeping people together.”

But the official part of her job is taken just as seriously, as Barnhart’s co-workers are quick to mention how dedicated she is to the position. One even passed along a tale of how quick Barnhart is to come in even on Christmas Day if it means helping a customer get a package in or out of Millsap.

“I think they’ll miss me,” she said. “I know how it works around here. And they don’t have anyone new hired yet ... paperwork, paperwork.”

Barnhart is a widow, but still works a farm and cattle with her brother, who lives nearby. She said she plans to spend her retirement traveling a bit and doing work within her community.

“I’ll probably volunteer at the school,” she said. “I also work with the Abandoned Cemetery Association, and we’ll have a lot of work to do as spring comes around. I’ll miss seeing the people every day, but it’s a good time to retire.”