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Longtime U.S. Post Office clerk Sue Ferguson, who served as a postmaster, is retiring from her post in Perdido.

The Little River native worked for the USPS since 1999. She started in Little River as a postmaster reserve. In 2000, she took over the post office there. Eight years later, the USPS promoted her to postmaster in Little River.

Ferguson said the office transitioned from an eight-hour office to a six hour office in Little River. Unfortunately, the Little River office was downgraded to a two-hour office.

She said she couldn’t stay there because of the lack of benefits.

In 2014-15, Ferguson said she got a letter requesting her to come to Perdido as a part time flexible SSA clerk.

“I’ve been here ever since,” she said, smiling. “I usually go to Atmore in the mornings, and then come back here in the afternoons.

“I’m ready to get out,” she said.

Ferguson’s duties as clerk includes running the front window, getting packages and mail out for delivery, putting up the mail and doing the computer work that’s necessary.

She said she got to know a lot of people because the Little River post office sat on her property. William, Sue’s husband, and her leased the building to the USPS.

“We knew everybody,” she said. “Everybody gets used to you and don’t want you to leave. It’s about time we got used to it, and leave.”

Ferguson said she became a post office clerk because it just happened.

“We’re local. It was like family to us,” she said. “The girl that was there had quit that was a PMR. So, my husband said, ‘why don’t you go get it, and make sure they don’t close it.’ They were trying to close it.

“It was just part time, and that worked out fine,” she said. “(William) told me one day you’ll be postmaster, and I didn’t believe it.”

To honor Ferguson’s time with the USPS, a part was held for her at the Atmore post office on July 19.

She said she’s enjoyed her time in the USPS.

“I’ve met a lot of people,” Ferguson said. “Here it feels like home being here because a lot of people knew me at Little River. It worked out well. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I was kind of undecided about giving it up.

“My husband’s retired, and I just wanted to enjoy life more,” she said.