Postmaster

Mary Ellen Younkins has operated the Brownsville Post Office out of the first floor of her Boteler Road home since 1979. That will change on Tuesday. U.S. Postal Service officials recently announced that they plan to reduce the village's postmaster position to two hours per day and discontinue the government benefits that go with it. Younkins said that left her with no other choice. “It was my decision to leave,” the 60-year-old Younkins said. “I'm just fortunate that I'm old enough and have enough years to retire.

FUNKSTOWN - When Helen Downs and her staff contemplate the future at the Funkstown Post Office, the impact of the explosive growth in the area is a major concern. But they say they are determined that customer service will continue to be efficient as well as friendly and courteous. "I have enjoyed my seven years as postmaster here," said Downs, who has worked for the postal service for 33 years. Downs shares her duties with three part-time sales/service associates, as they are now called.

Located in southern Washington County, the town of Brownsville was named after John Brown, the son of Tobias Brown, who operated a tannery in the heart of the community. John Brown followed in his father's footsteps at the tannery, which also housed the town's post office. It was in 1830 that President Andrew Jackson appointed John Brown as Brownsville postmaster, a position he held under 15 different presidents. With the election of Grover Cleveland in 1884, Brown relinquished the position, but not before he achieved the distinction of being the oldest postmaster in terms of service and age in the country.

'The Grinch' delivers By RICHARD F. BELISLE / Staff Writer, Waynesboro photo: JOE CROCETTA / staff photographer FAYETTEVILLE, Pa. - Rick Renn wanted to do something special for his first Christmas as postmaster of the Fayetteville Post Office. He came up with the idea of having a mural painted on the front plate glass windows of the office at 4025 Lincoln Way East. Since the postal service is using the Hollywood movie based on the Dr. Theodore Seuss story about "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" in its holiday promotions, Renn chose it as the theme for his mural.

Editor's note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail will run "A Life Remembered. " The story will take a look back at a member of the community who died in the past week through the eyes of family, friends, co-workers and others. Today's "A Life Remembered" is about Marguerite Stotler, who died June 19 at the age of 99. Her obituary appeared in the June 21 editions of The Morning Herald and The Daily Mail. marlob@herald-mail.com Debbie Dhayer was just 11 when her grandmother, Marguerite Stotler, took her to Washington, D.C., to watch the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961.

MARYLAND -- The U.S. Postal Service is considering moving Western Maryland mail processing from Frederick, Md., to Baltimore as a summertime cost-saving experiment. A Postal Service official said the temporary change wouldn't affect how long it takes local mail to be delivered, but a retired postmaster disagreed. Currently, mail collected from ZIP Codes starting with 217 -- which includes Washington County -- is processed Monday through Friday in Frederick, where postage is canceled, then mail is sorted for delivery.

MAY 19, 1926-DEC. 31, 2010 Charles E. Mowen Sr., 85, of Trovinger Mill Road, Hagerstown, Md., passed away Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, at his home, surrounded by his loving family. Born May 19, 1926 in Hagerstown, he was the son of the late Daniel Herman and Ethel (Provard) Mowen. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving on the USS Sakonnet. He was employed by the U.S. government for 42 years, retiring in 1986 as postmaster of the Franklin Street Hagerstown post office.

Let's not forget artist who gave us his creations To the editor: I'd like to thank the staff and management of The Herald-Mail for the story you ran on Dec. 18 featuring my front lawn and rooftop decorations. Since that story ran the traffic on our street has increased. Most appear to leave with a smile. The story neglected to recognize the creator of the artwork that adorns my property. Giving of his time, talent, and kindness is Raphael Pantelone. I have no idea how much time Raphael has invested in the figures he has most graciously given to me and my family.

Mrs. Frances (Angle) Vanden, 88, of 208 Wesley Drive, Unit B, in Waynesboro, Pa., died Saturday, July 2, 2011, at 6:02 a.m. at Quincy (Pa.) Village. Born March 16, 1923, in Big Spring, Md., she was the daughter of the late Guy K. and Maria (Schnebly) Angle. Mrs. Vanden graduated from Clear Spring High School with the class of 1940. She later graduated from Penn State University in 1943, earning her bachelor’s degree in health and physical education. While at Penn State, she was the women’s sports editor of the yearbook.

BIG COVE TANNERY, Pa. - The Big Cove Tannery Post Office, the combination country store, community meeting place and post office that has been the thread holding this Fulton County, Pa., hamlet together for 106 years, has finally closed. The mail will continue to go through, from the modern Needmore Post Office a few miles away, but the sense of history and humanity that the old post office represented to this little village seven miles south of McConnellsburg, Pa., is gone forever.

Mary Ellen Younkins has operated the Brownsville Post Office out of the first floor of her Boteler Road home since 1979. That will change on Tuesday. U.S. Postal Service officials recently announced that they plan to reduce the village's postmaster position to two hours per day and discontinue the government benefits that go with it. Younkins said that left her with no other choice. “It was my decision to leave,” the 60-year-old Younkins said. “I'm just fortunate that I'm old enough and have enough years to retire.

Mrs. Frances (Angle) Vanden, 88, of 208 Wesley Drive, Unit B, in Waynesboro, Pa., died Saturday, July 2, 2011, at 6:02 a.m. at Quincy (Pa.) Village. Born March 16, 1923, in Big Spring, Md., she was the daughter of the late Guy K. and Maria (Schnebly) Angle. Mrs. Vanden graduated from Clear Spring High School with the class of 1940. She later graduated from Penn State University in 1943, earning her bachelor’s degree in health and physical education. While at Penn State, she was the women’s sports editor of the yearbook.

Eric Baldwin was conducting an audit for the U.S. Postal Service’s Baltimore district when he visited Funkstown for the first time in the late 1980s. Baldwin recalls Jack Smith was Funkstown postmaster at the time. He also remembers how much the town impressed him. “I just really liked the town,” said Baldwin, who became acting manager for the Funkstown Post Office in April 2010 and was officially named postmaster July 31. “I had my eye on Funkstown for a really long time,” Baldwin said of wanting the job as Funkstown postmaster.

MAY 19, 1926-DEC. 31, 2010 Charles E. Mowen Sr., 85, of Trovinger Mill Road, Hagerstown, Md., passed away Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, at his home, surrounded by his loving family. Born May 19, 1926 in Hagerstown, he was the son of the late Daniel Herman and Ethel (Provard) Mowen. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving on the USS Sakonnet. He was employed by the U.S. government for 42 years, retiring in 1986 as postmaster of the Franklin Street Hagerstown post office.

WAYNESBORO, PA. -- Christine Sanbower is a woman in charge of a mail-dominated agency in Waynesboro. Sanbower became her hometown's postmaster in mid-July. She juggled several tasks on a hectic, recent morning, helping customers and employees as the phone rang almost constantly. Despite the organized chaos, Sanbower is thrilled to be working in Waynesboro again at a post office with which she's very familiar. "The same carrier who delivered my mom's mail probably still does," she said.

MARYLAND -- The U.S. Postal Service is considering moving Western Maryland mail processing from Frederick, Md., to Baltimore as a summertime cost-saving experiment. A Postal Service official said the temporary change wouldn't affect how long it takes local mail to be delivered, but a retired postmaster disagreed. Currently, mail collected from ZIP Codes starting with 217 -- which includes Washington County -- is processed Monday through Friday in Frederick, where postage is canceled, then mail is sorted for delivery.

CHEWSVILLE - Peering through the windows of the Chewsville Post Office this December is like stepping back in time. From the two mannequins in their holiday finery to the lighted Christmas tree and wreath, a stop at the post office seems a bit like visiting a department store in days past. The friendly service, occasional holiday treat and stamps prewrapped for gift-giving match the feel of an old-time store, where customers were greeted by name and customer service was a priority.

FUNKSTOWN - When Helen Downs and her staff contemplate the future at the Funkstown Post Office, the impact of the explosive growth in the area is a major concern. But they say they are determined that customer service will continue to be efficient as well as friendly and courteous. "I have enjoyed my seven years as postmaster here," said Downs, who has worked for the postal service for 33 years. Downs shares her duties with three part-time sales/service associates, as they are now called.

pepperb@herald-mail.com A mail sack thrown over his shoulder, Hagerstown Post Office Postmaster Richard Sheffield peered from under a knit cap, appearing confused, and shuffled through a stack of mail, contemplating which boxes got which letters. A 20-year post office veteran, Sheffield hadn't delivered mail on a route in three years. But as an incentive for post office employees to increase their contributions to the Combined Federal Campaign, an annual fund drive for local and national charities, he agreed to deliver mail if employees increased donations by more than 5 percent than they gave last year.

Editor's note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail will run "A Life Remembered. " The story will take a look back at a member of the community who died in the past week through the eyes of family, friends, co-workers and others. Today's "A Life Remembered" is about Marguerite Stotler, who died June 19 at the age of 99. Her obituary appeared in the June 21 editions of The Morning Herald and The Daily Mail. marlob@herald-mail.com Debbie Dhayer was just 11 when her grandmother, Marguerite Stotler, took her to Washington, D.C., to watch the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961.