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Show Sprague Branch Libr. nth East City u.ii n in . ... i. ...... ,i .,. hm wwm- -mi -.... rf. ,f ,- 1 1 -iTriii)iriW.J-.---'--.-iT-Mjn,fMi)lti t itriiiiii-ii ii amiiHilirtfl William Walker ends long: postal service. WALKER RETIRES AT S. H. POST OFFICE With a happy smile on his face and 46 years and eight months of U. S. postal service behind him, William F. Walker, superintendent of the Sugar House station, retired re-tired April 25 on his 70th birthday. Will Walker's service record, long though it is, is spotless. His retirement comes when he can enjoy it and make use of those few extra hours a day that are now liis very own. But his retirement will not be an idle one, nor will his leisure time be spent in dreaming of the past. Indeed, no, for his work is pretty muqh cut out for him and his mind is full of plans for the future. But to get down to the Will Walker story, one must go back to his grandfather, Walter Walker, Walk-er, who was one of the first postmasters of Farmington, Davis Da-vis County, the birthplace of the now retiring superintendent. Or to his father, John, who was a mail messenger for years--or even to his son, Keith, who is now in Denver brushing up on administrative admin-istrative postal work to become a personnel expert for the post office of-fice service. of the South Second ward of Liberty Lib-erty stake. And in his years of service there he has been a member mem-ber of the bishopric twice, stake MIA president, a scout master for years and a district scout commissioner commis-sioner more years. In all, he has enjoyed his scout work beyond measure, he said, grinning with pleasure as he recalled re-called his many good times with the boys. During the past three years, Will Walker has had double duty at home, for his good wife, Mrs. fllae Simmons Walker, has been bedridden most of thajS time. f A tireless toiler, the Sugar House superintendent comes to work as early as 6 a.m. every day; he sees that the first mail is en route, then he hurries home to administer admin-ister to the needs of Mrs. Walker. Returning before noon, Will Walker works on and on, 10 to 12 hours a day if necessary, to complete his long and arduous chores in the station. And so it goes. But he is not the complaining type, and liis cheery smile and Continued on Page 2 As a matter of fact, the U S. postal service is pretty much in the blood of Will Walker and his family, and among his legions of friends, many of whom are in the service with him. However, he started out as a telegrapher, first for the railroad, later for the Postal Telegraph company and also as an instructor for the old LDS Business college. It was September of 1908 that Will Walker was notified he had successfully passed the U. S. civil service requirements, and that he'd be given an opportunity for $30 per month to fill a job. He'd been introduced to the civil service deal by John Gundry, general gen-eral delivery clerk in Salt Lake, who urged young Walker to have a go at it. He never regretted his start or his subsequent experience, for he has been in nearly all departments of the post office in Salt Lake. He worked general delivery, money order, out-going mail, station examiner, ex-aminer, assistant postal cashier and came to Sugar House as station sta-tion superintendent January 1, 1946. Incidentally, the Sugar House station has grown from an annual gross of $134,000 ten years ago to more than double that in 1954, Walker said, and now has an average av-erage payroll of 100 men who sort and carry the mails on its 63 routes. William F. Walker is an honorary hon-orary member of the Sugar House chamber of commerce, about his only civic service affiliation other than his church. He is a member MIL WALKER Continued from Page One. friendly good word or two are as certain as the coming of daylight day-light when you enter the Sugar House post office. Indeed, Will Walker's good na- tured being will be missed around the post office, just as it will be felt like spring sunshine sun-shine at his home these next years where he plans to spend more and more time with his wife and his yard and garden. The Walker gardens have long been show places in Salt Lake at 880 South 4th East, and with a little more leisure, Will most certainly cer-tainly will find time for improvement improve-ment with his methodical perfectionism. perfec-tionism. Carefully packing Mrs. Walker into a railroad bedroom, they took an extended trip east the early part of April, and have just returned re-turned home with a bright new Oldsmobile. The trip was a boon to Mrs. Walker's health, and gave Will just a glimpse into what retirement retire-ment can hold in store long hours of pleasant recreation. But with all, Will Walker's first love is the post office, one can tell at a glance when he's talking about his son, now a veteran postal employe em-ploye of 14 or 15" years, and his son-in-law, Frank Nebeker, also a postal clerk that there will always al-ways be an interest in the mail rooms. The Walkers also have two grandsons, five granddaughters, and it seems certain from here, that one or more or possibly all some day will join the rank of their kindly forebears. |