The Little Post Office thatRoared: and Was Heard

Author's note: This post has been corrected to read that the Bruno post office is not closing, but is staying open with decreased hours. I apologize for the error. 

It isn't every day that the town of Kerrick, Minnesota is mentioned on National Public Radio. But there it was in the news, the east-central Minnesota town of sixty-plus residents. Yesterday the Postmaster General reversed his decision about closing rural post offices. And small towns like Kerrick and Bruno are celebrating.

The victory isn't a complete one. The Bruno and Kerrick post offices will stay open for four hours instead of the hoped-for six. But they will still be a wellness checkpoint for seniors who gather there every morning.


The preservation of rural post offices is a classic David-and-Goliath story. If little towns like Kerrick and Bruno can make the Postmaster General reverse a decision, no obstacle is too big or no opponent too formidable.

Terri Stadin, Kerrick's "Post Officer-in-Charge."

People say they value things like small-town living, tight-knit communities, and the ability for older adults to live at home rather than nursing facilities.  Keeping rural post offices open accomplishes all three, at a cost of one percent of the post office budget, according to Debra Stadin, who organized a petition drive to save the Kerrick post office.

To generate revenue, perhaps the post office could partner with a company like Studio 56 to create tabletop collectibles of rural post offices. I can picture the Kerrick post office displayed on a mantel.

Listen to the NPR story here. Follow the blog sand creek almanac by Deb Sewell of Bruno for stories of the good life in east central Minnesota -- made even better by the preservation of rural post offices.

Related Posts
The Small-Town Post Office: Address Unknown?
The Little Post Office That Roared
An Angel in the U.S. Post Office