Wauneta postmaster retires after 23 years

After 32 years with the USPS, Postmaster Kathy Kerchal has retired.
A career with the USPS was never her plan. After graduating high school, Kerchal had planned to take a year off and then head to college. Instead, in June of 1992 she found herself working as a Temporary Employee Clerk at the Post Office in McCook. She quickly moved from a temporary position to a career employee and soon found herself in a management position.
After seven years at the McCook Post Office, in November 1999 Kerchal acquired a position at the Post Office in Wauneta as Officer in Charge. And a few months later she was installed as Postmaster of the Wauneta Post Office–a position she would hold for the next 23 years. Kerchal says that, while a career with the USPS was not her original plan, it followed a natural path and she wouldn’t change it.
As Postmaster, Kerchal was responsible for the day-to-day operations in the Post Office building. She would manage any employees, pay bills, ensure building maintenance, interact with customers and file multiple reports. According to Kerchal, the job required her to have an immense amount of internal knowledge dealing with the changing regulations and operations of the USPS.
She also often volunteered to assist with new employee orientation in North Platte and says that she really enjoyed that aspect of the job. Kerchal reflected several times that she always stressed that being nice was a big part of her advice to any employee she talked to. During training, she always told employees that you always want your customers to leave with a good feeling. Kerchal felt the same way when interacting with her employees. Many who know Kerchal will agree that this is, in fact, a big part of her personal philosophy.
Of her time with the USPS, Kerchal says that she remembers counting mailboxes instead of sheep to fall asleep. Her coworkers and employees are remembered fondly. She liked to stay involved in the community of Wauneta and volunteer when she could. One of her favorite memories, however, were the pranks that she would play. She remembers three older gentlemen, specifically, were the targets of her fun–and they gave it right back. One prank, in particular, involved tying together a bunch of balloons and taping them to a postcard so that when the mailbox was opened, there was a never-ending stream of balloons being pulled out of the box. She also recalls waiting for someone to open the drop box to mail something and surprise them by sticking her hand through the back. These jokes made everyday fun and enjoyable.
As her retirement drew near, she said that it went fast. She says how quick the years flew by was something that she always heard but didn’t believe until it actually happened to her. However, she is already enjoying her retirement with her husband Dave–who retired in January. They are both excited to spend a lot more time with their children and grandchildren and look forward to being able to attend the various events that they are a part of. Both Kathy and Dave love to garden and always plant a large garden–this year’s includes around 40 tomato plants. Kerchal says it has been nice to spend time in the garden and be able to take her time doing garden tasks and not just fit them in when she can. There are also plenty of projects that they have planned. Kerchal also looks forward to getting to her list of books she wants to read. They are hoping to travel more, as well, and would like to get to Yellowstone soon.