by David Flint
Next week it’s off to sunny Florida for Kevin Miller. Stephentown’s long time and very popular Postmaster is retiring from the US Postal Service as of Saturday and plans to take a well earned vacation away from the ice and snow. Wednesday afternoon the soft spoken Miller was serving his last customers as
Postmaster. On Thursday he was to turn over the office to Sandy Masterson who will serve as Acting Postmaster until a permanent appointment is made.
Miller has been with the Postal Service since 1973, starting out in the Albany office. He came to Stephentown as Postmaster in February 1991, replacing Norm Rosenbaum. Prior to that he had spent just a year and a half as Postmaster in Lebanon Springs. Miller said he was just a bit apprehensive at first, coming from a smaller office and not knowing how the people in Stephentown would take to him. In the years since, Miller has gotten to know people in the town very well. “I look on them as my extended family,” he said, “I know their children, their pets, their mothers and fathers, their aunts and uncles.” He said he is especially grateful to the two clerks in the office when he arrived, Pat Spaniol and Maureen Saxby who, he modestly said, “Took me under their wings and showed me how to do the job.”
Stephentown has grown since Miller arrived. In 1991 there were two postal carriers, now there are three. The Post Office had 955 customers then; now there are 1,300.
Miller lives in neighboring Sand Lake and has four grown children, two boys and two girls, and “a loving wife.” He won’t have time on his hands in retirement. He has also been a self-employed roofing contractor for 25 years, and, in addition to that, he is a licensed real estate broker with Bovair Realty.
Miller informs us that the title of Postmaster originated with the Pony Express. The Post Master was in charged of the outpost and part of his job was to feed and water the horses. The ads for the job advised, “Single men and orphans preferred!” Miller has not had to feed and water the horses in Stephentown, but “Every day has been an adventure,” he said. He recalls the day a live rooster strutted about in a cage in the back room waiting to be delivered and drove the staff crazy by crowing every half hour.
Larry Eckhardt, one of Miller’s final customers on Wednesday afternoon, said of the Postmaster, “It’s been nice working with Kevin. He’s always been very helpful in getting things sent out, especially specialty items and big packages.” He added that the migrant workers on his farm have also found Kevin very helpful in sending and receiving mail and packages from home. “If Kevin doesn’t know the answer right off, he makes a call and finds out,” Eckhardt said
Miller said it’s been great working with the current staff. He will miss them and wishes them many happy years in the future. He is looking forward to retirement, but it’s a bittersweet leaving. “I love Stephentown,” he said, “it’s a wonderful community, and I have loved working here.” He said he has had a number of opportunities to transfer to other locations, but he has grown attached to the friendly atmosphere here. He mentioned how just that day he had to deliver some mail himself and got stuck in the snow. A neighbor came along and pulled him out. “I like it here. I never found any better place to go,” he said.