FREISTATT, Mo. -- The United States Postal Service is considering closing almost 4,000 post offices nationwide in an effort to cut costs. In the Ozarks, about 35 are on the hit list for possible closure, including the one here, where residents feel that post office is an essential part of everyday life.
Freistatt is a town of nearly 200. At the corner of 3rd and Main, you'll find the hub of this small community, which is halfway between Monett and Mount Vernon.
"It's been in business, I think, since 1884," City Clerk Deborah Schoen said.
"It's part of the commuity. You go down to pick up your mail and 20 minutes later and it's like,'Oh, I've got to go,' because you're visiting with your neighbors," said Ryan Buchmueller, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church.
The post office here is at the core of Freistatt, because people in town don't have mail boxes at home. They come here to send and receive mail.
"All our correspondence comes here to the local post offie and during the day we do general bussiness," lifelong resident Roy Obermann said.
