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US POSTAGE PAID DECORAH, IA PERMIT #6

POSTAL CUSTOMER

www.driftlessjournal.com | news@driftlessjournal.com | 563-382-4221 | Tuesday, September 12, 2023 | Vol. 5 Issue 37

Bert the Mailman hangs up his hat

especially for

The reality of being a caregiver

Decorah’s favorite mail carrier retires after nearly three decades of delivering smiles

By Denise Lana

By Kate Klimesh The hardest part of taking care of someone you love, especially a parent, sibling or spouse, is seeing the change in that person as they go through the natural decline that can come with aging, or suffer through a round of critical, debilitating illness. The biggest part of the sadness that comes from watching this process is two-fold: this is someone you know and love – care for deeply, that has been a part of you, who is now, simply not who they always were. They become frail or forgetful, or suddenly dependent or unsure – simply not the same personality. And this someAmericans times jarare caregivers ring loss is what according to caregivers AARP grieve. Caregivers also grieve because they are powerless to affect any real change against the symptoms and signs that come about as age, illness and inﬁrmity takes hold. Whether over weeks, months or years, they cannot make it better by willing it so, nor by being there extra hours or through countless hours of encouragement and planning. Behind the pain of grief is the reality of being a caregiver – that one day their loved one’s needs will be beyond what can be given in the current setting. That no matter how hard they work, or how much support they give, their loved one will be in a better place and receive more appropriate care in a more formal setting with medical services and 24-hour care available. What does this mean? This

One in ﬁve

means a team will coordinate and work together to provide food, shelter, housing, medical care, daily monitoring, and social, spiritual and emotional support. These are typically difficult conversations to have with loved ones as it can bring up feelings of guilt and failure. “They took care of me, but I am unable to meet all their needs.” According to a 2020 AARP. org study, one in five Americans are caregivers. The average length of time a caregiver spends taking care of a loved one is five years. Many lose their jobs due to caregiving responsibilities and endure financial distress, as well as physical and mental well-being declines. One in five caregivers suffer their own major health crises, ending their caregiving abilities. Even those not living with their loved one can feel pulled or distracted by feelings of worry that something will happen – a fall, medication error or scam – or become fatigued by being “on-call” 24 hours a day, or simply from keeping track of and maintaining two separate households. Caregivers may feel like they’re always watching, observing, checking, double-checking and trying to investigate issues covertly when they can’t recall if medication schedules were kept, or meals were missed, or what the doctor said at the last visit. It is equally important for any caregiver to remember that their primary goal in providing care is to support the loved one’s independence as much as is possible for them in this new situation.

Bert Lucas has worn many hats over the years, one of which he’ll retire this week. Bert the Mailman will walk his last route for the USPS Saturday, Sept. 16. TOP- Lucas can be spotted handing out suckers to children on his route. INSET- Lucas had a short stint in the Military. ABOVE- Lucas estimates that he has bought and handed out over 500 gifts, to children on his route in honor of his daughter. (submitted)

Locally-known postal worker Bert Lucas has worn a variety of hats throughout his adult life, but none are more recognized than “Bert the Mailman.” The year was 1995. On the back side of his 30s, Lucas, on a whim, applied for a job with the United States Postal Service after seeing an employment ad in the local paper. Lucas was christened a moniker that would stick with him for the next three decades… residents and businesses in Decorah know him simply as “Bert the Mailman.” Those outside of Decorah might know him under other names and in various capacities, as the mailman held numerous positions before USPS. In his youth, Lucas joined the Army after dropping out of high school and getting his GED, but a medical issue brought his military enlistment to a quick end and he returned to his hometown of Cresco. He managed several convenience stores before purchasing the local redemption center, and 12 years later grew restless and sold the center. Now, clad in the classic USPS blue postal shorts uniform and carrying an armful of letters and packages, Lucas is the friendly face and tanned lanky frame that can be spotted all over town. With an almost constant barrage of honking horns, waves and greetings shouted from windows and vehicles, Lucas is akin to a friendly celebrity everyone looks forward to seeing each day. “I’ve had so many people shout at me,

Celebrating Fall Fest at NICC

Caregiving continued on page 5

a lot of them I didn’t even know!” Lucas laughed. “Every once in a while, a cop would blow a siren at me!” Bert’s extended family Over the years, Lucas has seen 109-degree days and -27-degree mornings. According to his calculations, he has walked more than 70,000 miles – 160,312,000 steps – throughout his postal career. True to the unofficial USPS motto, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from swift completion of their appointed rounds,” Lucas has been dependable and steadfast, being sent home from work only one day that he can recall – just short of being sick. “It was back in 2008 when that terrible flood hit,” he explained. “The water was up to the edge of the dike and the city evacuated everyone north of Water Street, and that included the post office.” Having traversed the same dedicated mail route in Decorah for 25 years, Lucas shared that he has come to consider many of the familiar townsfolk his extended family. On two different occasions in 2007, Bert’s close relationships with his residents proved lifesaving. During his route one late summer day, he noticed an older person on his route who waited daily for his arrival, was absent from her post. Noticing she had not picked up the previous day’s delivery, Bert grew concerned, and after contacting her granddaughter, it was discovered that she had fallen, cracking several vertebrae, and was stranded inside her home. Just three weeks later, Bert’s keen observations paid off when he noticed another resident

Bert the Mailman

continued on page 6

Offering a family favorite, cotton candy, as well as a heaping serving of festive bovine-themed spirit are NICC staff (l-r) Kyra Bellrichard, Stephanie Dennler, Kristi Flack and Erin Powers-Dahly. The quartet were tagged and ready to moooo-ve the bags of sweet treats for the Sept. 7 N I C C Fall Fest. INSET- Super excited about NICC Fall fest were (l-r) Macie and Chase Meyer, complete with balloon art, and fresh out of one of several bouncy houses available at the event Thursday evening in Calmar. (Driftless Multimedia photos by Kate Klimesh)

Driftless Area Art Festival Celebrating the Visual, Performing & Culinary Arts of the Driftless

Sept 16 & 17, 2023 Soldiers Grove WI Saturday 10 am - 5 pm, Sunday 10 am - 4 pm

80+ artists, free admission, kids’ activities

Supported by the Prairie du Chien Tourism Council