Maxwell takes over Post Master position at Haxtun, Fleming & Crook

A familiar face behind the counter at the Haxtun Post Office now serves in the lead role as Post Master. Shannon Maxwell was named Post Master of post offices in Haxtun, Fleming and Crook in late December 2023. Since her appointment as lead of the three rural post offices, Maxwell said her focus is to serve the three rural communities and to keep things local.

"I want things to continue to run as they always have here," Maxwell said recently. "I want to keep things local. I am still learning but I enjoy it. I enjoy the community and I enjoy being here."

Maxwell grew up in Sedgwick and graduated from Revere High School. She later joined the Army Reserves and in 2003 went active duty and was deployed to Iraq as a combat medic. In addition to her deployment to Iraq, Maxwell also served time in Korea and Panama. She retired from the Army in 2019 with 24 years of service.

In 2019 Maxwell and her husband, Gregg, moved to Haxtun on a farm south of town. The couple have two grown children, Nissa and Katelynn, and four grandchildren. Gregg Maxwell owns GNS Dustless Blasting and Fabrications.

Maxwell began her career with the United States Post Office in July 2020 when she accepted a position in Haxtun as a clerk under long-tome local postmaster Melinda Groshans.

"She was a great mentor," said Maxwell. "She taught me a lot."

When Groshans retired at the end of 2022, Maxwell served as interim post master for six months before Ben Thill took the reins as Post Master. Thill's time in Haxtun was short and again Maxwell was named interim post master. It was then that she decided to apply for the position and last December, she was officially named Post Master not only of the Haxtun Post Office but also in Crook and Fleming too.

Maxwell said the majority of her time is spent in Haxtun but she makes routine visits to the other two post offices and communicates with employees of them daily.

Right now Maxwell has two carriers in Haxtun, Kim Hinde and Gary Chase, and a relief carrier, Joe Buettenback. In addition, Rachel Wisdom works as a clerk.

"We are very short staffed right now," Maxwell said. "We just had a clerk resign."

Right now, the Haxtun Post Office is hiring for a sub carrier and a clerk. The Fleming Post Office is hiring for a part-time carrier position.

"The whole reason I applied and took this job is for the community," said Maxwell.

The new Post Master said all mail from Haxtun to Fleming, Holyoke and Amherst stays local, it isn't sent out.

Ways Maxwell said the community can help the post office is to communicate. She said if new people join the community, it is imperative that they stop by and visit the local post office. She added that if local community members have long-term visitors that will be receiving mail here, they too should stop by to let the Clerk know.

"Communication with your local post office is key to keep things running smoothly," she added.

For more information, or to communicate with the Haxtun Post Office, call Maxwell at (970) 774-6436 or visit 225 South Colorado Avenue. The Fleming Post Office is located at 203 North Logan Avenue or can be reached at (970) 265-4111.