SMALL-TOWN POSTMASTERS A WEALTH OF COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Postmasters in small towns do more than handle the mail: They keep track of what is going on in their communities.

"In a small town, the post office knows who is sick and who's hurt," said June Ernst, Frohna's postmaster since November. That knowledge extends to local events, birthdays and anniversaries.

"We can tell when it's someone's birthday because they get more mail," Ernst said. "We kid them about their age and wish them luck."

Keeping up with current events is not a post office service, but "something that just happens," Ernst said. "The post office is a place for folks to visit."

There are still quite a few people Ernst doesn't know around Frohna. "But everyone knows me," she said.

At Oran, Tom Urhahn, 47, has been postmaster for the past 10 years. He started in the postal service in 1980 as a part-time clerk. He also has worked at the Cape Girardeau Post Office.

Urhahn's community involvement is extensive: He is president of the Oran Board of Education, mayor pro-tem of the Oran Board of Aldermen, treasurer of the Oran Knights of Columbus Council and adjutant at the Morley Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.

"I was born and raised in Oran," Urhahn said. "I know just about everybody and that includes the kids and the grandkids."

Urhahn recalled a letter arriving at the post office addressed only to "Mom." "I could tell by the return address where the letter was supposed to go," Urhahn said.

Another letter addressed to "Moon" was delivered to the man who used that nickname.

"The majority of folks don't use box numbers," Urhahn said. "We know the people. We'll try to deliver the package."

When Urhahn and his two rural mail carriers sort mail and encounter a confusing name or address, they ask one another to find out where the letter or package should go. A bigger post office would have to send the letter back, Urhahn said.

"In rural areas, the postmasters are on a more personal level with the residents," said Vaughn Steffens, a rural mail carrier at Frohna. "Every letter and package belongs to a face. In the larger post offices, those letters belong to a box number."

Steffens said Ernst "is good to work for. She's very knowledgeable in her job and easy to get along with," he said.

Ernst's first postmaster job was at Pocahontas. She took over that position in March 1990, having worked through the ranks from her first postal job as a part-time clerk loading trucks at Jackson in February 1983.

"The postmaster's position in a small town is the best job you can have," Ernst said. "I like the people. I like the community.

"People are very similar in rural areas," said Ernst, who was raised a Catholic and whose father was a Lutheran. "The only difference between the people at Apple Creek and Biehle is that they are Catholic and the people in Frohna and Altenburg are Lutheran."

Ernst said she gives tours to school children, goes to local blood drives and picnics, and patronizes local businesses when she can. She said area residents always comment on the seasonal decorating she does on the post office windows.

Being part of the community is important for a postmaster, said Ernst, who resides near Biehle with her husband, David, a farmer, and their two sons. "If I lived here, I probably couldn't participate much more than I do," she said.

"We're here to be of service to people," Ernst said. "We want to make sure that people in the area get the service that they need."

Service is also a priority to Urhahn, who has delivered packages on Christmas eve rather than let the gifts remain in the post office until after the holiday. He has also delivered medicines to elderly residents on weekends.

"At a little post office, we can do those extra things that will remain in the hearts of people," Urhahn said. "Big offices don't have the time to do those sorts of things. I can deliver them since I know the folks."

Being able to help people is one of the good parts of his job, Urhahn said, whether it is giving directions, filling out money orders, wrapping a package for an elderly resident who may need help, or listening to someone talk about his or her aches and pains.

"An advantage of a little post office is we can take time with folks," Urhahn said. "We may not be doctors and lawyers, but people always ask us why they received a particular piece of mail. We have to be good listeners.

"We're in the public eye everyday," Urhahn said. "People know that I'm accessible to them."

Urhahn said knowing the residents is a help in his positions on the town board and school board.

Being available on a daily basis is an advantage because he knows what area residents are thinking or what problems they might be having. He said he has kept rumors from spreading when he hears them at the post office.

Urhahn said he would like to stay at the Oran Post Office. He likes the close relationships, the ties to the community and daily rap sessions. "I enjoy talking to people," Urhahn said.

"When I do things for people, it makes me feel good," Urhahn said. "Our primary goal is to give the best service we can. We say `thank you' after each transaction," he said

"I'm a goodwill ambassador for the postal service," Ernst said. "No one can do what we do. I'm just one person among many who makes it happen. I'm very proud to be a part of that."