Warden postmaster retires

Erichsen intends to 'let world go by' for a while

WARDEN - There are usually more people in attendance when a postmaster is installed, not when one retires.

Not so in Larry Erichsen's case.

Co-workers and postal colleagues showed up to support him for a celebration of his retirement from the Warden Post Office Thursday afternoon.

"Oftentimes, I see this size of a group when we do postmaster installations," said Randy Stevens, manager of post office operations. "Normally when a postmaster retires, it's kind of quiet, slipping away into the sunset to be forgotten soon."

Stevens told the group the title of postmaster is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week job requiring dedication and good servitude to the people.

"When you're a good servant to the people, people love you for that and then they recognize it," Stevens said, telling Erichsen, "This is evidence here of your hard work and your dedication. We want to tell you thank you and wish you well … Many years of service and hard work, and it should be recognized. The best recognition is that from your friends."

Erichsen, a Moses Lake resident, retired after four years with the military, a total of 28 years with the post office and 11 years based at the Warden post office.

His last day was Friday.

"I'm 66 years old and I just want to do something else," he explained. "I'm just going to sit back and let the world go by for a while."

Erichsen and his wife have discussed a possible move, but for the moment he plans to remain in Moses Lake to be close to family.

Erichsen began working for the post office in Havre, Mont., then worked as postmaster in Kremlin, Mont., Big Sandy, Mont., and Sprague, Wash., before arriving in Warden in 1997.

"I really enjoyed working with the people here," he said. "It's been enjoyable working with them. Of course, I like people and I've always been a people person, so it's worked good for me. They've been awful nice and awful good to me. They'd come in and they'd b.s. with me, discuss once in a while their problems with me and I'd try to listen. It's just enjoyable. There are really some really, really great people in Warden."

Erichsen said he won't miss having to come to work every morning, but he will most miss his interaction with the community.

"I thoroughly enjoyed going up to the school and reading with the kids every Thursday and helping some of them with their schoolwork and stuff," he said. "I did that a couple hours a week. The overall response from the community to my retiring and my time here in Warden, they've been very receptive. They've wished me well and been very nice, very good."

Tyce Cutler will serve as interim postmaster until a permanent successor is named.