John Moore, who was with USPS for 62 years and was the last rural carrier on a “mileage route,” died Jan. 26.
Moore, 83, was based in Martinton, IL, and was still delivering mail up until his death.
“He was an amazing guy. Everyone just loved him,” said Julie Clay, postmaster of St. Anne, IL.
On a mileage route, an employee’s salary is based on the number of miles driven. There are other carriers who are paid by the mile, but their salaries can be affected by other factors.
Moore’s father was also a rural carrier — on a route said to have been delivered by horse-drawn wagon at one point — and he would sometimes accompany him on it as a young boy.
He became his father’s substitute in 1963 and took over the route when his dad died in 1967.
Clay said Moore was always neatly dressed in pressed pants and a collared shirt and handed out pens with his name, address and phone number on them to customers. Children and dogs could expect a treat in the mailbox at Christmastime.
In a 2018 Link article, Moore noted that his Chevrolet Lumina had 271,000 miles on it. “I hope it doesn’t retire before I do,” he said jokingly.
Clay spoke with him the day before he died, and Moore happened to mention that the car, which was still running, had 420,000-plus miles on the odometer.
“He was very proud of his and his dad’s legacy. And it was a legacy … they had more than 100 years” with the Postal Service, she said.
All in the family in Idaho
Noel Roman, the USPS historical preservation architect, recently put out a call for historical Post Office photos and was struck by a response from Laurie Darrington, the postmaster of Malta, ID.
Darrington sent Roman photos of the Elba, ID, Post Office, explaining that her grandfather, Lorenzo Darrington, became Elba’s postmaster in 1936, and the facility was under the same roof as the family home. Her grandmother, Ruby Darrington, served as postmaster from Lorenzo’s 1959 death until her retirement in 1968, when Laurie’s mother, Vivian Darrington, became postmaster and served until her retirement in 1994.
Laurie explained that the Elba Post Office closed in 1996, and sorting and delivery moved to Malta. She became relief postmaster in Malta in 2003 and postmaster in 2013.
“The Post Office in our house was unique, but my sisters and I didn’t think too much about it growing up because it was all we knew. My mom just had to open the door to go to work,” she said.
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