You hear over and over how you should start your genealogy
research by looking through documents and photos in your own home. I didn’t believe I had any documents,
however, while looking through some plastic totes that were packed many years
ago, I came across documents I didn’t know I had. Imagine that, all those “seasoned
genealogists” knew what they were talking about. Who knew?
Jerry Eneau Modrell worked for the United States Post Office
from the mid 1950’s until he retired in 1986.
In 1973, he transferred from downtown Kansas City to Topeka,
Kansas. We didn’t like living in Topeka,
however, dad finished his career and retired from Topeka.
Dad spoke very highly of his secretary and always said he
could not do his job without her. Her
name was Linda (if I remember correctly).
Linda is the reason I wanted to become a secretary. I always wanted to be as important to my boss
as she was to hers.
Dad worked at the postal facility located across from Forbes
Field in Topeka at the Postal Supply Warehouse.
He bought and sold mail truck parts across the country. He would come home from work in the winter
and say, “I spoke to so and so in Florida today and it was sunny and 75 degrees”,
while we were knee deep in snow and below freezing temperatures. In the middle of summer he would come home
and say, “I spoke to so and so in Florida today and it was sunny and 80 degrees”,
while we were suffering from upper 90 degree temperatures with 100%
humidity. I always thought he would move
to Florida upon retirement, but chose southern Texas instead.
Dad had to be “on call” sometimes (several of the managers
rotated that duty) and I can remember him getting up in the middle of the night
to make phone calls. We only had one
phone and it was located in the living room which was next to my bedroom. He had this square device that he would hold
up to the talking end of the phone and push buttons (it had a telephone key pad
on it). Magically, he was connected to
the phone at his work where he could then call anywhere in the country and the
long distance charges would not be charged to our home phone (yes – people actually
paid money to talk long distance). He
would discuss parts needed immediately to repair mail trucks that were not
running. He would leave for the office,
get those parts ready to ship and take them to the mail sorting facility in
north Topeka where they would be mailed overnight. Then he would come home and still manage to
get up in time to be at work at 7:30am and make it through the day. Thankfully, that didn’t happen very
often. As I get older, I don’t know how
he managed to do it.
I have attached the Certificates he received for classes he
attended while working at the Post Office.
© 2016, copyright by Janice Penry. All rights reserved.
 |
| Labor-Management Development March 22, 1966 |
 |
| Rapid Reading January 18, 1968 |
 |
| Leadership Development April 4, 1967 |
 |
| Human Relations, Supervision January 15, 1970 |
 |
| Pre-Supervisory Development June 3, 1965 |
