By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
For Ontha Oberley delivering mail isn’t about the job, it’s about the people.
And now that she’s retired after “33 years, one month, and a couple weeks,” the customers on her route are what she’ll miss. “You get to know people. They welcome you in. It’s very personal. I know their names. I know their kids’ names. I know their dogs’ names,” she said. “It’s a personal touch.”
Friday was Oberley’s last day as a mail carrier in the Bowling Green Post Office.
For Postmaster Kate Kamphuis, Oberley is an example of what public service should be. “It’s her dedication to her customers first and foremost, and her dedication to this uniform and this job.”
Oberley makes sure “everything is done properly.”
The mail is delivered on time to the right place. Oberley is a Bowling Green native who went to school here, graduating from Bowling Green High in 1975, and then attending Bowling Green State University.
She raised her kids here.
She was working for an accounting practice when she got the call about the post office job.
“I love working outside,” Oberley said explaining why she switch career directions. “I love walking, and being out in the community. And once you get out you’re on your own.”
She spent her first year in Toledo doing data processing, before coming home to Bowling Green. Then for 23 years she walked her route, before taking a motor route.
She’s worked in all the neighborhoods of the city. “I have a nice rapport because I grew up here,” she said.
The job has changed over the years. “When I first started it was like I joined the military.” Now it’s run like a consumer-driven business.
The number of parcels mail carriers deliver has increased greatly with the advent of Amazon. Now the postal service provides the last mile on many FedEx, US, and Cargo Express shipments.
That promises to strengthen the postal service if it’s handled right, Oberley believes.
She’s had her run-ins. She’s been bitten once by a dog. She keeps track of where “the ornery ones” are. She’s a dog-owner herself.
Last year she got rear-ended and her truck flipped.
Oberley said, with her daughter, Kadi, who lives in Italy, expecting Oberley’s first grandchild, this is a good time to retire.
Her son, Nathan Baker, lives outside Philadelphia with his wife.
Oberley says she feels “young and healthy.”
“I love the arts. I have a huge circle of friends,” she said. “We love to travel. We love to eat good food and cook good food. I love music. I’m so excited.”
For Kamphuis,, her retirement marks a loss of tradition.
“These older employees are really helping newer employees,” she said. Oberley understands the importance of putting the customer first. “Just insuring accurate delivery, timely delivery,” Kamphuis, said.
“A lot of our customers are used to having the same thing done at the same time of the day.” Carriers need to understand the importance of reliability. “It’s not about the paycheck. It’s about what you do to get that paycheck.”
