by MaryAnne Block
St. Joseph Post Office clerk Jill Soltis was recently honored with the “For the Long Haul” award from the United States Postal Service.
It’s an award that recognizes postal employees who have served their customers with outstanding service for more than 25 years. Her name was submitted by former St. Joseph Postmaster Tony Terwey, who is now the postmaster in the Richmond office.
So many customers throughout the years have enjoyed Jill Soltis as the cheery, pleasant and helpful St. Joseph postal clerk.
Soltis, a full-time clerk, is nearing her 30-year anniversary at the local post office.
When she first started her job, a first-class stamp cost 29 cents. At that time, the bulk of the mail was letters, but that has changed throughout the years so now there are many, many packages to be delivered.
“I have always loved my job,” Soltis said. “The customers are the greatest, and the sense of community in St. Jo(seph) is wonderful. You don’t find that in larger cities. In St. Jo(seph) there are friendly smiles and handshakes, and it almost feels like I am serving family.”
Soltis said after she gave birth to her first child, she was back to work in one week. Unlike then, nowadays maternity leave allows for moms to spend more time with their newborns, if they choose.
Soltis has four grown children and two grandchildren. But she also has a very large extended family – the postal patrons she proudly serves.
This is the first year the USPS has launched its “For the Long Haul” award recognizing dedication and commitment. The USPS announcement states this: “Our letter carriers, retail associates and the postmasters are the heartbeat of USPS service.
Jill Soltis, lead full-time clerk in the St. Joseph Post Office, is a welcoming, familiar face to postal patrons. She recently received the “For the Long Haul” award from USPS for her outstanding service for nearly 30 years in St. Joseph. Soltis was nominated for the award by her former postmaster, Tony Terwey, who is now the postmaster in the Richmond office.
