Veora Rotter, when she was Postmaster at Alder (1937-45, 48-58 and 1966)

Veora Rotter was postmaster at the Alder, Wash. post office from June 1, 1948 to August 4, 1958 and then again in 1966.

“A reporter on a Tacoma newspaper, when describing the town of Alder when it was about to move ahead of the advancing water, used flowery language. His paragraph from the Tacoma Sunday Ledger of October 3, 1943 on the post office is quoted:

The Alder postoffice has a pretty postmistress, Mrs. Veora Rotter, who had lived here since she was four. Her tiny office is so close to the highway the roar of trucks and passing trains muffles our conversation. Often a patron pauses at the window and says, “I want a” — , waits for a long truck to throb past, — “stamp.” The postmistress takes the cash and replies “Here you” — waits for the Milwaukee train to thunder through — “are”. Alder’s post office must be one of the few in the country with a rural mail box out front. Mrs. Rotter gets her mail in this box — all of the letters posted when the office is closed.” (Postmarked Washington: Pierce County).

The post office was located on Milwaukee Railroad on the north shore of the lake. The Alder post office was discontinued September 12, 1975 and mail now goes to Eatonville.

Photo courtesy of Carl Rotter.

Click on image to enlarge.