Robert McGuire knows every street in Kosciusko and is on a first name basis with the homeowners.
That knowledge comes from 35 years of delivering their mail. Aug. 22 is the anniversary of his employment with the U.S. Postal Service. “The weather was just as hot that day as it is today,” McGuire said. He was hired by Postmaster Emmett Clifton.
He began his postal career as a part time flexible letter carrier for the four city routes. For one and one-half years he made the route for each carrier on their days off, vacation days and sick leave. He advanced to regular carrier for city three, a route he made for nine years walking 17 miles every day, door to door.
McGuire is following in the footsteps of his dad, the late G.C. McGuire, who worked 28 years delivering mail. “I worked with my dad for 11 years. We went to work together in the morning and came home together in the afternoon. Those years are a highlight for me,” he said.
In 1989, his job was revolutionized with the arrival of motorized vehicles and his feet got a rest, offering a big relief. Curb side mailboxes were introduced and he was able to make deliveries without leaving the vehicle.
Now the policy is making delivery to curb side boxes unless a person is handicapped, he said.
McGuire is currently working an abbreviated schedule due to an ankle injury which required surgery.
Although, his mail routes keep him busy, he finds time to work with his falcons. He is a licensed master falconer, training his falcons on acreage in the Vaiden area.
