For the last 34 years, Debbie Asher has worked her way through every stack of mail one piece at a time. She doesn’t plan to stop any time soon.
Platte City Post Office postmaster Marla Eschbacher presented Asher with a National Safety Council “Million Mile Award” in a small ceremony Friday, June 30. The award is given to workers with driving as a daily requirement who have logged more than a million miles or gone 30 or more years without an accident.
When Asher started as a U.S. Postal Service delivery driver, Platte City had just two routes, and she didn’t realize she would ever qualify for this distinction.
“I figured out at one time that I’d have to work 90 years to drive a million miles,” Asher said of the distinction and her future plans. “Supposedly, I can retire when I’m 66 and that’s seven years away. I’ll just do it as long as I can.”
Asher mainly drives Route 3 in Platte City — located within the city limits. However, she has worked most of the nine routes during her tenure, which includes eight years as a substitute driver and 26 in a full-time role.
A native of Camden Point, Mo., Asher now calls Platte City home, and she raised her son Andy Asher in the community.