Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – The post office in Vergas was rededicated in the memory of longtime Vergas mail carrier Jon Glawe on Friday as part of the 2023 Looney Days festival.
Glawe delivered mail for 36 years to the small Otter Tail County community before retiring in 2011. Glawe passed away in 2016.
Rep. Michelle Fischbach introduced the bill to rename the post office on the U.S. House floor in 2021 before it was ultimately passed by the both chambers and signed into law in Dec. 2022.
Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-MN, speaks during a post office renaming ceremony in Vergas on Aug. 11, 2023. (Rayna Zima / TV3)
During the ceremony, Fischbach said the renaming of the post office in honor of a community member was one of her favorite things about her job as a lawmaker.
“You guys know Jon, you knew Jon, you know what a wonderful man he was and what he did for the community,” said Fischbach. “And so you are here to honor him. This is not about me carrying legislation, it’s about you and your sense of community, and how you stick together and it’s about rural Minnesota.”
Jon’s wife, Darla Glawe, told event attendees that her husband loved Vergas and was always available to help out at different community events like Looney Day and the Maple Syrup festival. She also said she remembers Jon telling her some stories about his deliveries.
“I remember one time when he came home and he said he ‘delivered’ someone to his brother,” said Glawe. “And I kinda looked and wondered what he was talking about and he said he had his urn of ashes that he delivered.”
She also said he expressed how grateful he was for all of the treats that were left in mailboxes and all the invitations for cups of coffee made by Vergas residents over the years.
The Jon Glawe Post Office is located at 123 East Main Street in Vergas.
