By Marla Jones, Reporter • marla@southerntorch.com

RAINSVILLE, Ala. — Longtime Rainsville Postmaster Pam Kirkland has announced that Friday, August 31 will be her last day as a employee of the United States Postal Service.

Kirkland began her 30 year career with the Post Office as a city carrier in Attalla, Ala.

“My first day it rained on me, a dog chased me, and a man threatened to kill me because I didn’t have any mail for him,” said Kirkland. “My postmaster came out, stood on the road in front of man’s home and screamed ‘you will never speak to a federal employee like that again!’”

While she went on to say that she cried the entire way home from that first day of work, she did continue on with the Post Office.

“At that time, you were called in when needed,” she said. “Saturday was my only official day of work. I prayed every day ‘please don’t let them need me’, [but] after three weeks, it clicked and I knew that it was a job I could be proud to work at.”

Kirkland has served as an Acting Postmaster across north Alabama from Boaz to Geraldine and Leesburg, before landing in Rainsville in 2003, where she has served for the last fifteen years.

She said some of the funniest things that people would call and ask are:

Can I have tomorrow’s mail today?

Will you look up a phone number for me?

Will you deliver mail on Halloween?

What’s in the package? I haven’t ordered anything. (Postal workers have X-Ray vision.)

During her tenure, she has served on numerous finance teams, as a credit card officer, transfer agent, and received many Spot Awards. In 2014, Kirkland was named Postmaster of the Year.

“Rainsville has been a great city to call home. Employees have been like family,” she said. “Saying goodbye is hard to do.”

Kirkland is a survivor of throat cancer, and has been cancer free for five years after making it through 32 rounds of radiation and five rounds of chemotherapy. She says her future plans are to wake up each morning and see what God has for her to do that day. We wish Pam a happy retirement!