For more than three years, Sue Tirapelle, who passed away May 28, ran a contract station for the U.S. Postal Service out of Drytown Antiques. Photo by: Scott Thomas Anderson

Residents of Drytown say the passing of much-loved Postmistress Sue Tirapelle has left a hole in their little community that's been hard to recover from.

In the wake of her loss, a general fear has also grown that the town will no longer have a post office to call its own, though postal officials are indicating that Drytown will keep its direct service and another person will get a chance to follow in Tirapelle's admired footsteps.

For more than three years, Tirapelle ran what's known as a "contract station" for the U.S. Postal Service out of Drytown Antiques, which she and her husband, Russell, owned.

In Drytown, the post office is far more than a pickup station for mail: It's a common place for neighbors to socialize and stay up-to-date with what's happening in the town and in each others' lives. Town Christmas pictures, along with other community snapshots, were all put on display there. Tirapelle was at the heart of this interaction.

"Going there to get your mail and seeing her was just a really nice way to start the morning," said Roseanne Lauters, who owns The Old General Store in Drytown. "Sue always had a smile. She really looked after people here and I don't know of anywhere else where you would get handed fresh-grown vegetables out of a garden along with what was in your mailbox." The immense joy Tirapelle took in gardening and canning pickles, peppers and jellies was known to all.

Though the Drytown post office was closed on Saturdays and Sundays, Tirapelle was also appreciated for making special trips to it for residents who had an urgent need for a specific piece of mail. She would often call people by phone when packages or envelopes came in that appeared to her to be important.

On May 28, Tirapelle died from an illness. Drytown residents were taken off guard. "It was really unexpected," said Edwin Kaffer, owner of The Old Well restaurant. "For most people I know, it was a shock."

Around 300 people attended Tirapelle's celebration of life at the Old Drytown School House. Lauters believes it's likely that everyone in the whole town was present. "It seemed like everyone came out for it," she said. "It was obvious how much she'll be missed."

For the moment, Drytown residents will receive their mail at the Sutter Creek Post Office. Debra Baker, who runs that office, notices the impact of Tirapelle's absence. "You can see the people she served are really feelings this," Baker said. "The post office in Drytown was a nice and inviting place. They're still getting used to having to come here. We're doing our best to make those people feel welcome here while we try to get their postal situation straightened out."

One thing Baker hopes to do to help those missing Tirapelle is to assure them that widespread rumors that Drytown is permanently losing its post office are not true. "What they'll have is another contract station," Baker observed. "But if people are hearing they'll lose it completely and have to go to another city for their mail, that's not the case. We have two applicants in Drytown already interested in taking over for Sue. We're right in the middle of getting the issue resolved."

For most Drytown residents, anyone taking over for Tirapelle will be greatly appreciated - but will have big shoes to fill. "She was someone special," said Lauters. "She was just the sweetest lady."