Stabenow, Peters, Amash Announce Senate Passage of Legislation Naming Lake Odessa Post Office after Michigan’s First Female Letter Carrier

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) as well as U.S. Congressman Justin Amash (MI-03) announced that the Senate has passed H.R. 1850 to designate the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 907 Fourth Avenue in Lake Odessa as the “Donna Sauers Besko Post Office Building.” Donna Sauers Besko was an Okemos native who became Michigan’s first female letter carrier.

This legislation, authored by Congressman Justin Amash, passed the House of Representatives earlier this month and Senators Stabenow and Peters led the effort to pass it in the Senate. The bill now heads to the President’s desk for signature.

“We are so grateful for Donna Sauers Besko for her leadership and inspiration in becoming our first female letter carrier in Michigan,” said Senator Stabenow. “I was glad to partner with Senator Peters and Congressman Amash to pass this bill that honors Donna Sauers Besko.”

“Donna Sauers Besko’s commitment to the mission of the United States Postal Service helped brake a barrier and blaze a career path for countless others,” said Senator Gary Peters. “Renaming the postal facility in Lake Odessa after Donna Sauers Besko will serve as a fitting tribute to her life’s work, and I was proud to join with Senator Stabenow and Congressman Amash to pass this legislation.”

“It has been a pleasure to work with Mrs. Donna Sauers Besko’s family, as well as local officials and members of the community, to honor this pioneering figure in Lake Odessa’s and the Post Office’s history,” said Representative Amash. “With this naming, the Donna Sauers Besko Post Office Building can serve as a reminder to everyone not to let anything stand in the way of pursuing your dreams.”

Donna Sauers Besko was born in Okemos in 1918. She started her career working as a clerk for the United States Postal Service out of the post office in Lake Odessa. After Lake Odessa switched to city delivery, she applied to be a letter carrier. Mrs. Sauers Besko became Michigan’s first female letter carrier and went on to work as a rural letter carrier in Perry until President Lyndon Johnson appointed her Postmaster of the post office in Ovid, Michigan. She retired from this position in 1980 after working for the United States Postal Service for 28 years.