Arlene Cannon Retires As Revere Postmaster
By Kevin Fox
"There are a number of people who I will miss greatly. There are days when this position is a lot like being a bartender. People get close to you and they want to talk and they need someone to listen. I hear a lot of personal things as well as problems," stated Revere Postmaster Arlene Cannon. Friday, November 23 was Cannon’s last day in the Revere Post Office, although her retirement is not official until January 1st 2008.
Arlene Cannon started working for the Postal Service in Revere as Clerk in 1979 under Postmaster Mary Elwell. She served in that capacity for two years working weekends and time when Elwell was out of the office. After two years , Cannon transferred to Kahoka in order to get more hours where she served a City Carrier on a four hour route as well as some clerking within the Kahoka Office. Cannon then went inside the office where she was a fulltime Clerk. When the position opened up as Revere Postmaster, Cannon applied for it and as she stated, "I was very fortunate to get the Revere position in June of 1991. How can you beat having a job three blocks from home and good hours. I have also had a couple very good clerks who have worked for me over the years. There are a lot of nice people in town, and I have already been told by a lot of people that they will miss me and in turn I will miss them as well. The Post Office is the meeting place with 35 post offices boxes. I have one rural carrier (Becki Krueger) who comes out of Kahoka that does Kahoka Rural Route 2 and Revere Rural Route 1. My other rural carrier (Nancy Carroll) comes out of Alexandria and delivers Alexandria Rural Route 1 and Revere Rural Route 2. I have a lot of people who do not live on Revere Rural Routes who come in and buy stamps and do mailing out of the Revere Post Office because they do not want to see it leave."
Cannon is looking forward to joining her husband Rodney in retirement and even more so once she gets over some hip surgery that was to have occurred on Monday, November 26. The couple recently purchased a camper and is looking forward to doing some traveling during the winter. Some of our close friends have campers as well so we are looking forward to traveling with those friends. Once warm weather arrives, she is looking forward to getting out on the golf course more and work in the couple’s garden. She added, "I don’t think I will have any trouble staying busy." And then with a laugh she stated, "I will have to take over some of the housework again. But it’s time to retire. I have been working since I was 13 years old when I began work on a working permit in Iowa and started in a dime store. But I was very happy in the Revere Post Office, and once I got this position I was home and never wanted to go anywhere else, although it may have been possible to go up another level or two."
Becki Krueger hosted a retirement party for Cannon on Friday, November 23 which was very well attended by friends and the community.
Pam Hufford is Officer In Charge at the Revere Post Office until the position is filled. The new Postmaster should be appointed by late February or early March.
