New Postmaster in Granville
Is Former OIC Nancy Demers
By Martha Slater

The smiling face behind the counter at the tiny Granville Post Office belongs to the newly-appointed postmaster, Nancy Demers.

A one-woman band, Demers also serves as the window clerk, selling stamps, answering questions and weighing packages; puts the mail in the post office boxes, answers the phone—you name it. The only job she doesn’t do is drive the mail truck, delivering mail to homes in Granville. That job is done by Richard Shum, who also delivers mail to folks in Hancock and Rochester.

Demers was appointed to her new post December 23, and served as the OIC (officer in charge) for the seven months prior to that, following the retirement of the former postmaster, Bert Torstenson. She’s worked at the Granville Post Office for her entire four-year career with the U.S. Postal Service.

As the only employee, Demers works a lot of hours, since the Granville Post Office is open weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 8-11 a.m. She does shut the window down for an hour at lunchtime, although the lobby is open so any of the 70 folks who have post office boxes can still get their mail.

"If I get sick and can’t come in, I do have some people I can call to help out, but I’ve been pretty healthy," Demers notes.

Born and raised in Rhode Island, Demers has lived in Granville for the past 35 years. Before she went to work for the post office, she worked with her husband, Dennis, for their property management business, caring for Hawk houses, etc., and still helps out when she can. They have two grown daughters, Jessica, who lives near Atlanta, Ga., where she works for CNN and is expecting her second child; and Phaedra, who lives in Colorado, where she’s a teacher at the Keystone Science School.

Asked if there was any downside to her job, Demers replied, "Well, the hours certainly aren’t as flexible as they are in property management, but I really like this job. I like people and I particularly like working in Granville where I see a lot of people I know. I enjoy the community aspect of it and I just like being here."

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