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Rural mail carrier has been making her rounds for 47 years

Steamboat Springs — JoAnn Lombardi, 81, stepped out of her white Subaru Outback one morning last week on Routt County Road 29 right next to a row of mailboxes right where Trout Creek tumbles out of the foothills of the Flat Tops mountain range. The longtime rural mail carrier handed rancher Bernard Knott an “If it fits, it ships” parcel, probably for the last time.

After delivering the mail on the same little rural route for 47 years, Lombardi is retiring. Her last day is Monday.

Lombardi and Knott briefly reminisced about the time Knott came to Lombardi’s rescue with a team of draft horses and pulled her old Toyota Land Cruiser out of a snowbank.

“I didn’t really go in the ditch,” she recalled. “I didn’t land on my roof or anything. Bernard was in the field feeding cattle, so he unhitched the team and pulled me out.”

via Rural mail carrier has been making her rounds for 47 years | Steamboat Pilot & Today.

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D' Ann Pryor Bibb
D' Ann Pryor Bibb
8 years ago

I thought the same thing Leland lol

Michael Nuzum
Michael Nuzum
8 years ago

One of those roads u can do that on prolly. Been there, done that

Miranda Myers Quaile
Miranda Myers Quaile
8 years ago

Lol

Miranda Myers Quaile
Miranda Myers Quaile
8 years ago

Maybe she is getting her own mail….

Suzanne Loria-Oamil
Suzanne Loria-Oamil
8 years ago

Any one of us and we’d be fired for delivering on the wrong side….nope lets praise how not to do it and get rewarded…

Sharon Beebe
Sharon Beebe
8 years ago

Still doing it wrong after all those years lol

Leland Grant
Leland Grant
8 years ago

this foto shews her serving the wrong side of the road

Deanna Webb Brown
Deanna Webb Brown
8 years ago

I was wondering that too Tracy Wagoner.

Rita Beedy
Rita Beedy
8 years ago

Lisa Heaton…… 47?!

Jodi Ihde
Jodi Ihde
8 years ago

Um, why is she driving against the flow of traffic?

At first I thought that the picture was flipped (like in the “old days” when they had to be careful to put photo negatives the correct way before making a print). But then I saw that the flag is on the correct side, so she’s definitely going the wrong way.

Chris Whipple
Chris Whipple
Reply to  Jodi Ihde
8 years ago

Looking at the so called road, it probably is a driveway for houses at the end of it so not really the wrong way, wouldn’t be a surprise to me

Tracy Wagoner
Tracy Wagoner
8 years ago

Congrats to her. Am I the only one who wonders why she’s delivering out of the left side?

sheila beck
sheila beck
Reply to  Tracy Wagoner
8 years ago

Who says she is delivering mail? Maybe she is at her own box getting mail out just for a photo op? Photo ops do not always match the story or pic- just saying….only us rural carriers would notice this LOL

Vickie Collins Anderson
Vickie Collins Anderson
8 years ago

God bless her! Happy retirement!!!!

Brad Roberts
Brad Roberts
8 years ago

RaeLynn this will be u! 47 years lol

Rayeann Reeves
Rayeann Reeves
8 years ago

She is, read the story.

Symton Poole
Symton Poole
8 years ago

Why she can’t retire and let somebody else work? YOLO!

Linda Eden
Linda Eden
Reply to  Symton Poole
8 years ago

If she’s still physically able to do the job and enjoys it why complain about her working. I, myself, can’t see working till you are 81, retire and enjoy life before you die. But, if that’s what she enjoys then bless her heart for still being able to do it at her age.

Darlene Lambright
Darlene Lambright
8 years ago

There’s hope for me! Don’t plan on going that long but, want to go long enough to get a decent retirement built up. 🙂

Ellen Kumburis- Frederick
Ellen Kumburis- Frederick
8 years ago

God bless her for doing this job for that many years. Welcome to retirement and hope you enjoy the many years you have left:)

Theresa Blanks Nester
Theresa Blanks Nester
8 years ago

The amount of loads we are doing now…our bodies won’t hold up 20 yrs much less 47…the way they overworking us now, we all going out for workers comp disability

Susan Monroe
Susan Monroe
8 years ago

o*g this is going to me working til 81 lol

LaJuan Freeman Lancaster
LaJuan Freeman Lancaster
8 years ago

It also looks like her door is open and no seat belt!

Kim Mann
Kim Mann
8 years ago

22 miles and 10 deliveries twice a week – I’d be able to do that 47 years too!

Carrie Friedman Spurlock
Carrie Friedman Spurlock
8 years ago

o*g. 81. o*g.

Nick Whitlow
Nick Whitlow
8 years ago

Amie Davis

Jodi Ihde
Jodi Ihde
8 years ago

It looks very rural & maybe it is far enough between boxes that she must get back in the left seat. I guess if the mailbox is in the driveway (and not the road) it can be served from that side.

Jesse Koleszar
Jesse Koleszar
8 years ago

Congrats!

Tina Anderson- Raulerson
Tina Anderson- Raulerson
8 years ago

Congrats!!

Cassie Pilgrim Bone
Cassie Pilgrim Bone
8 years ago

Don lol

Ronnie Colt Bush
Ronnie Colt Bush
8 years ago

It looks like there’s a drop off on the right side of the road. That is also a private driveway.

Kathy Taylor Casper
Kathy Taylor Casper
8 years ago

Happy retirement, you earned it?

Lynn Barton Klenow
Lynn Barton Klenow
8 years ago

My body will never make it that long.

Denise Snyder
Denise Snyder
8 years ago

I doubt that pic was taken when she was delivering, theres a kid/person in the back seat. Anyway, kudos to her for lasting this long.

Jeanne Luddeni
Jeanne Luddeni
8 years ago

Time to retire I think

Andrea Collins Hollingsworth
Andrea Collins Hollingsworth
8 years ago

Wow!

Donna Andrulat
Donna Andrulat
8 years ago

God Bless congrats on your retirement

Helen Seravalli
Helen Seravalli
8 years ago

my body can’t do it that long, o*g!!!

Cammie Cofield Alexander
Cammie Cofield Alexander
8 years ago

Why is she delivering from the wrong side of the road?

Courtney Johnson
Courtney Johnson
8 years ago

This is my future 🙁

Roger N. Campbell
Roger N. Campbell
8 years ago

now that’s a Lady. Awesome

Christine Trillard
Christine Trillard
8 years ago

I bet her customers will miss her like crazy…it might be rough for the next driver!

Judy Odom
Judy Odom
8 years ago

There IS something good about the USPO, and this Lady has found it. I knew it, I just knew it!!!

Lisa Shaver-Dula
Lisa Shaver-Dula
8 years ago

Congrats

Missy Hale
Missy Hale
8 years ago

Ya the reason the rest of us have to wait 9 years to become regular

Maria Buonauro-meeks
Maria Buonauro-meeks
8 years ago

Bless her heart but no way is be outta there!

Francine Reilly
Francine Reilly
8 years ago

I hope that was a staged photo for the picture cuz that is not how mail is delivered! Person in car, wrong side of the road, door ajar, no seat belt……