My name is Lorraine French and I’m the postmaster for Meeteetse, a small town in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin.
My husband and I moved here from Montana 46 years ago to raise Black Angus cattle. We later had two children — that’s why I joined USPS.
I’ve been with the Postal Service for 33 years, starting out as a letter carrier in Powell. I became postmaster of Meeteetse 14 years ago and supervise one part-time flexible clerk and two highway contract routes.
Our ranch is 43 miles northeast of Meeteetse, and my commute ascends 2,500 feet in elevation. I see elk, deer, antelope and the occasional moose on the way — and I’m often the only soul on the road.
Between my work at the Post Office and on our ranch, I know everyone in the area. One customer refers to me as the “information lady” as I’m usually able to answer her questions whether she’s looking for a package, a housekeeper or a handyman.
Sometimes the two worlds meet, like when there’s a cattle drive on the street in front of my office!
We get tourists asking for directions, and I’ve had people hoping to locate a certain person. I can’t give out customer information, but I can relay a phone number.
I have introduced neighbors and reunited people. I also call, text and email my customers to let them know when their packages arrive. My record for packages was 46 for one gentleman.
I spend my off hours with our cows, and still drive a truck during harvest season, but I’m not in the physical shape I used to be.
It makes me appreciate what the rest of my family does — my husband, daughter and son work on the ranch — and they have learned to appreciate the hot meal I make for them when I come home.
Sometimes it feels good to drive away from all that ranch work because I really love my job as postmaster. I never know what the day will bring!
“On the Job,” a column on individual employees and their contributions to the Postal Service, appears regularly in Link.
