Larsen said she enjoys helping people and is looking forward to continuing to do her best now that she is postmaster.
Her postal career started in October 1993 when she accepted a part-time job as a carrier.
?My brother-in-law works at the post office in Newton, and I worked for about one and a half years as a temporary carrier there,? she said.
Larsen also worked a dual appointment as rural carrier relief and transitional city carrier in Newton from February 1994 until April 1997.
It was in April 1997, though, that Larsen said she knew the post office was her calling after accepting a part-time flexible distribution and window clerk job in the Marion facility.
?I was a clerk and also threw mail while at Marion,? she said.
Greg Topham was the Marion postmaster then and continues in that position today, she said.
While working in Marion, Larsen said she had an opportunity to serve as officer-in-charge at Elbing and in January 1999 was appointed postmaster of Whitewater.
In September 2007, she accepted the postmaster job in Valley Center and in August she became Hillsboro?s postmaster.
Larsen has also had other assignments, including acting supervisor, customer services in El?Dorado, officer-in-charge in Sedgwick and Mulvane.
Larsen has also been asked to do special projects such as serving on city inspection teams, periodical review teams, and she is a member of the National Association of Postmasters of the United States, with part of its mission being to prevent the closing or consolidation of post offices.
In her 16-year career at the post office, Larsen said, she has been asked to mail a lot of things, but she is still learning about new places, new requests and the best way to send those items.
During her time in Marion, she said she assisted in mailing some things that many people might not even think could be mailed.
?People have come in with live doves, racing pigeons, baby chicks and more,? she said. ?We even have mailed queen bees.?
Larsen said she is proud of the postal employees at Hillsboro. Leonard Frantz and Kathy Woelk have both been with the post office for 25 years.
?Leonard makes 700 deliveries on his walk-out route daily,? she said.
As the holiday season approaches, Larsen is wanting people to know the deadlines for mailing are either close to expiring or some have already past.
?International parcel post ended Nov. 13 for military, and packages for international countries range from Dec. 4-11, depending on the destination,? she said.
People wanting items to arrive by Christmas still have time to send first-class letters and priority mail until Dec. 21 with express deadlines until Dec. 23.
