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Five decades in Dubach

‘Ms. Minnie’ leaves the post office
Friday, May 28, 2021
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Leader photos by JESSIECA CARR

Minnie Joy Brown of Dubach poses with her retirement gift, an adding machine, from her employees at the Dubach post office during her 50 year retirement party from US Postal Service on Thursday morning.

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Minnie Joy Brown celebrates with her fellow postal workers at the Dubach Post Office Thursday morning. Brown retired after 50 years.


“She was a great boss,” remembered Mildred Doss. “She never had a harsh word and was a really hard worker. She never took days off. She had one sick day in her whole 50 years, and it was in the first six months. They say she stepped on a nail while unloading a truck, and they sent her home. That is the only sick day she used in her whole 50 years.”

Doss was one of the many postal clerks who served under Minnie Brown during her postal career that spanned half a century. Minnie Joy Brown is a staple in the Dubach community as she has been the postmaster in the small town of Dubach since 1981.

“I love Dubach, and they were the greatest community in the country,” said Brown with a smile on her face.

Brown’s career began when she was hired by the United States Postal Service on April 6, 1971. When she was 27 years old, her career began as a parttime flexible clerk at the Dubach office, and her starting pay was $3.52 an hour. She said she was only one of three women who were working in the office at the time and that it was rare to see a woman as a postal worker. Brown talked about the way the men in the post office viewed her and her co-workers and the toughness it took to get the job done.

“The first thing they said was ‘You don’t belong here,’” she said. “I started with the post office when you were ‘starting in your Daddy’s world’ as they say. You had to be tough when you were a woman.”

Though much of her service was with the Dubach office, Brown was loaned to the Monroe office for 10 years. During her tenure in that office, she was the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) coordinator, worked as the safety captain and organized the yearly food drive. Brown garnered a stellar safety record and helped the Dubach office move to its new location in 1990. She also earned accolades such as Postmaster of the Year (twice) for the League of Postmasters. After her 10-year loan was up in Monroe, Brown came back to Dubach where she guided a Level 18 post office for

40 years and touched the lives of countless Dubach residents.

“To be at one location for 40 years in one community, I mean that says a lot about not only the community but the person and what they mean to their community and employees,” said David Camp, USPS District Manager for Louisiana.

In attendance at the retirement party, there were several of Brown’s former carriers and fellow postmasters to send her off in style. Each had a story about her efficacy and ebullience in and out of the office.

“If any postmaster has a question, you would call Minnie Joy,” said Lou Antley, a retired postmaster from Choudrant. “She would know the answer and she would help you. That’s what everybody remembers about Minnie Joy.”

The same sentiment was echoed by Kay Bishop, a retired postmaster from Eros. Bishop talked about how Brown was a wealth of information about all things USPS. She also said that one phone call to her and you got the answers you needed either immediately or a few minutes later.

“If she did not have the answer on the top of her head, she would call you back in five minutes. She would say, ‘I’ve got it here somewhere,’ and then call you right back. She was the best,” said Bishop.

To commemorate her retirement from the postal service, Brown received a personal letter from U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy congratulating her on her rare career accomplishment and a Service Award pin. Her awards were presented by Southern Area Vice President Tim Costello who remarked about her notable service.

“I’ve done many 50- year awards throughout my career as a district manager, but I cannot recall doing one for a woman,” said Costello. “It really gives me a distinct honor to present it. Number 1, the post office didn’t hire that many women in those years.”

Though she has retired, Brown’s service is not done. She has never taken any of her vacation time during her career and is now using it to relax at home. In her stead, Rebecca L. Hood has been named acting postmaster for Dubach and realizes that she has some large shoes to fill as Brown called her personally to take her post.

“When Ms. Minnie was retiring, she called me and said, ‘I’m fixin’ to go,’” said Hood. “It has been a pleasure working with her.”

When asked what advice she would give young people on job longevity, she simply said, “Good health and you have to love your job.”

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