On Thursday, June 30, his last day at work at the Grand Marais Post Office, Postmaster Frank Lehto (left) received well-wishes from Acting Manager of Operations for Area 4 Eric Brademan.
Grand Marais Postmaster Frank Lehto retired after 28 years with the U.S. Postal Service on June 30. Why did he end his career on a Thursday? Lehto said the official reason is because it is the last day of the month. But he added that the day holds special significance for him—40 years ago on that date he entered boot camp with the U.S. Navy.
Lehto’s military and postal service career were somewhat intertwined. Lehto, originally from Esko, came to the post office after 12 years on active duty with the Navy. While working for the postal service, he continued his military service with the Air National Guard, retiring in 2010. Lehto retires with a total of 28 years of federal service.
He started his postal career as a letter carrier in Duluth. Lehto enjoyed that experience, delivering mail in a post office Jeep. He became a supervisor in Duluth and then served as the postmaster in Nashwauk from 1993 to 1999. He came to the Grand Marais Post Office in 1999.
Asked what kind of changes he has seen in the postal service over the years, Lehto recalled that he came to the Grand Marais Post Office in 1995 to fill a temporary assignment as officer in charge (OIC). At that time, there were no computers in the office. “We’ve gone from all paper, pen and ink— from an account book—to everything computerized,” he said.
Another change has been in what the post office delivers. Lehto said over the years the number of letters handled has decreased significantly while the number of parcels has increased tremendously. Lehto added that the local post office has seen a correlation between the number of parcels delivered and the Arrowhead Electric/True North broadband buildout. “We’ve seen a huge increase in mail orders,” he said.
“I’ve enjoyed serving as postmaster of Grand Marais and for the last two years, managing the Lutsen office. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the people up here.
“I feel really good about leaving. I feel that I’ve got the best crew I’ve ever had, so I won’t worry about leaving,” said Lehto. The post office must advertise the postmaster position, but Nancy Briggs of Grand Marais is the interim officer in charge (OIC).
Asked what his plans for retirement are, Lehto said he isn’t really sure. One thing he plans to do is to continue to work on cars, a hobby he enjoys. Leading up to retirement, Lehto took a trip down memory lane. He attended a federal vehicle auction in Duluth and purchased an old postal Jeep. “The funny thing is, it could be the one I drove. It was used in Duluth!”
Will he begin yet another career? Again, Lehto said he isn’t sure. He said he spent his summer 40 years ago in boot camp, so he isn’t going to rush this summer. “I’ll enjoy some time off and then…we’ll see…”
Leave a Reply