An 80-year-old Lansing postman who's been completing his appointed rounds for more than 56 years says retirement may finally be around the corner.
Richard Dawson began his postal career in 1956, making $1.82 per hour at a time when a first-class stamp cost 3 cents. He's been married to the U.S. Postal Service longer than his wife, Luella, of 42 years.
Dawson has been dispensing letters and packages in the shadow of the state Capitol for about 30 years. Professional peers talk about Dawson returning to his route despite falls that bloodied his knees and trudging to work in a snowstorm that kept most carriers home.
Dawson tells the Lansing State Journal he's compiled about two years of unused sick time, but declined to pick a retirement date.
