Post office's Boucher celebrates retirement

Postal patrons of all ages will have to satisfy their sugar cravings somewhere else, as Anita Boucher retired from the Sisters Post Office this Friday after 32 years of service. Boucher's trademark candy bin and XM Radio tunes were a comforting touch to all her customers in Sisters.

A cake decorated with the American eagle and Sisters peaks awaited guests on her final day last Friday, sliced and served up by her husband, Joe.

"I came to Sisters from the Prineville Post Office on February 9, 2002. I'd been there for six years and heard about the job in Sisters. And it's just been the best place for me," Boucher said.

Boucher began her mail career way back in 1977, at the Salem office. She first operated a letter sorting machine (or LSM), then advanced to "carpet row," home of the administrative offices, and worked her way up to head window clerk where she eventually trained and supervised employees in three different cities.

Yvonne Balderson, the current postmaster of Sisters, admits she's heartbroken.

"You couldn't ask for a better employee," she said. "Any job Anita was put in, she excelled. There's so much going out the door with that woman."

Friends and co-workers joined Boucher for a retirement party Thursday night at The Gallery restaurant lounge to say their farewells and swap stories of her years in the government letter business. They brought cards, flowers, gifts and regrets, sharing memories and laughs with the familiar mail clerk whose pride and skill at a deceptively difficult job were unmatched.

"The word that comes to mind about Anita is loyalty, her efficiency and dedication to the job were incredible," said Karen Sheldahl, former Sisters Officer in Charge and current Camp Sherman Postmaster.

"I want the community of Sisters to know that this was the most fun place to work, and wish to thank all the customers," said Boucher. "Everyone was always so supportive and friendly and made my job so easy. I will miss that part of it the most. All my friends and customers."

When asked about her retirement plans, Boucher shrugged and smiled.

"I have no idea. I'll take a few weeks and unwind first. Then decide later."

A Redmond resident, Boucher intends on staying in Central Oregon and possibly taking a trip to Alaska.

"There is no better person to get through a long line on a Friday afternoon than Anita. I'm just going to be lost without her," said Balderson.

"A lot has changed for the post office in the three decades since she started," Sheldahl said. "The advent of self-adhesive stamps is one of the biggest revolutions, and how the post office markets itself with a wide array of lobby products. Electronics are causing major shifts in the way the post office is staffed."

Fellow employee and Sisters postal clerk Kathleen Reynolds knows firsthand how tough the position is.

"When she leaves, these are some shoes that will be hard to fill," she said. "I've done her job, and it's exhausting."

Roger Adams, part of the Sisters Post Office crew, sat back to think about Boucher's departure.

"I don't know anyone who would have come to work with two black eyes and a broken nose from playing softball. Nobody else would do that," he said. "She's the kind of person you hope to work with, someone with that sense of duty and responsibility.

"We're gonna have to start buying candy," Adams said. "You can't let that jar go empty. People will go nuts."