BENTON POSTMASTER TO END 40-YEAR JOB

BENTON -- Although his father used to order queen bees through the mail, Benton Postmaster Jordan "Gus" Robert never imagined he'd be delivering them.

And delivering a swarm of bees to a local beekeeper was just one of the many unusual things Robert has done while working for the U.S. Postal Service.

One woman asked if the post office could hold her parcel -- a box of baby chicks -- over a holiday weekend.

"We used to get chickens C.O.D. all the time," Robert said. "They would come in on the Friday before Labor Day and we couldn't hold them that long. So we had to sell them."

Robert, who has been Benton's postmaster since 1973, will retire next month.

"I feel like anybody that buys a stamp is paying part of my salary so I owe them some service," he said, in between selling stamps and answering customers' questions about mail delivery.

Robert has sold thousands of stamps to residents and businesses alike in his 40 years at the Benton Post Office.

When he began work in 1955, first-class stamps cost 3 cents and postcard stamps were 2 cents. Now a first-class stamp costs 32 cents and postcard stamps are 20 cents.

In addition to price increases, Robert has seen a lot of other changes in the postal service.

Automation has also made a difference in the business, he said.

"It's more important to have the proper address than years ago," he said. "You have to have it addressed properly."

Automated machines and bar codes have also cut down on the number of hours employees must work.

Another significant change has been the growth of the Benton community. Many of the large farms have been divided and more people have moved into the area.

In 1965 there were 160 post office boxes to serve Benton residents, now that figure has tripled. The rural route has also doubled since 1965.

"More people move today than when I first came," he said. "Surprisingly, there's a lot of people I don't know."

And that's pretty surprising information from a man who knows every address in Benton.

Robert originally hoped to leave work at the end of September but needed four additional hours to qualify for retirement, even though he hasn't taken a sick day in 39 years. His last day of work will be Oct. 2.

And he's already made plans for his retirement.

"I'm going to the sale barns and raise cattle," he said, adding that when his wife retires next year the couple will probably do some traveling.

Robert lives on a 100-acre farm outside Benton, where he owns 70 head of cattle. The land has been owned by his family since 1880.