A dedication ceremony to designate the Lake Odessa Post Office as the “Donna Sauers Besko” Post Office Building will be held Friday, June 28, 2019 at the Central United Methodist church, 912 4^th Ave., Lake Odessa MI.  The ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m.

A bill was introduced by Congressman Justin Amash and was signed into law on December 21, 2018 by the President to designate the Lake Odessa Post Office as the “Donna Sauers Besko” Post Office Building.

Congressman Amash along with postal officials will be present to give remarks and tributes.

Krista Finazzo, District Manager, U.S. Postal Service Greater Michigan District will give the dedicatory speech. 

Mrs. Sauers Besko began her career with the Post Office Department, now the United States Postal Service (USPS), as a clerk in 1952. Five years later, in 1957, she became the first female letter carrier in Michigan. She worked as a letter carrier based out of the post office in Lake Odessa, Michigan.

In 2015, local elected officials and her descendants began advocating for the post office in Lake Odessa, Michigan—where she served as Michigan’s first city letter carrier—to be named after Mrs. Sauers Besko. Barry County Commissioner Ben Geiger wrote: “Before Donna, Michiganders had never had their mail delivered by a woman. With persistence and determination, Donna became the first female letter carrier in Michigan.” He continued: “It’s rare for small towns like Lake Odessa to be the home of pioneers like Donna. Our community would be thrilled to have our post office renamed in honor of Donna Sauers Besko.”

Friends and family members of Ms. Sauers Besko will be attendance to witness this special designation.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

###