Lee Gann retired recently as chief clerk of the Kingsland Post Office where he spent his entire postal career.

“We’re sorry to see him retire after 27 years,” said Postmaster Steve Machacek. “All the customers are always asking about him. We wish him the best.”

In 1981 when Gann was starting out with the Post Office a First Class stamp went up from 18 cents to 22 cents.

“At Kingsland when I started they had a box section of 600 boxes and one route carrier with about 500 boxes,” said Gann.

Machacek says the 78639 Post Office now serves 1,250 boxes inside the post office and close to 3,300 boxes on five rural routes.

“The Postmistress that hired me was Patty Aycock Versyp,” said Gann. “There have only been three total, including Cindy West.

“John Laxon who is the Postmaster now in Tow and Willie Smith who is at Llano now started with the Kingsland Post Office within a few months of me.”

Gann now works with Lentz-Gann Insurance Agency in Kingsland, helping his wife Renee serve Germania customers. He works also for Terry Wooten Real Estate in Llano.

Gann was born and reared in the West Texas town of Crane. After graduating college in 1971, Gann’s dream of the professional circuit was pulled up short by a broken arm and he settled on a ranch in western Llano County. He lived in Kingsland for a time and now has returned to ranch life.