Paul Bryant Photo From left, Kathy Childres, Betsy Meyer, and JoAnn Perry talk about retiring at the Brownsboro Post Office on Friday. The women, with a combined 63 years with the USPS, were asked to retire early as the government agency reduces its workforce nationally. Three women with a combined 63 years with the United States Postal Service in Henderson County will retire at the same time on Monday.

"It's a good opportunity to go start your life over," Kathy Childres, 58, said. "I can take the uniform off and be somebody else now. There's nothing negative about it."

Childres has been with the Chandler Post Office for 29 years. Just days before they were scheduled to report for work for the last time, she joined JoAnn Perry and Betsy Meyer at the Brownsboro Post Office to talk about their lives after retirement.

"I'm going to be outside sitting on my patio" the next morning, Childres said. "But the Postal Service has been very good to us, and I'm going to miss the people."

Meyer, 57, put in 28 years in Brownsboro, and her decision to retire early didn't come quite as easily.

"I struggled with the decision to quit more than you guys," she said, looking at Perry and Childres. "You know, people come in and say, `Oh, you're just going to love retirement.' But I don't know."

Brownsboro Postmaster Ricky Williams said the women were given the option to retire early as the USPS reduces its workforce nationally.

`Right now, they're just looking at ways to streamline and cut costs. Eventually, they'll get the workforce down through attrition and early outs. But, basically, there is still a need for postal workers."

Childres said she and others were informed in September the USPS was looking for employees to retire early.

"They offered us an incentive, and we took it. We're proud of our offices and proud of the U.S. Postal Service. "

All three women said they'd enjoy the time off, but each wondered if they'd ever take another job.

"The best part of this is not having something we have to do," Perry, 67, said. We can just do whatever comes up. But we'll miss the customers, and we've had the opportunity to work for some really nice people."

And while Perry appeared to leave open the possibility of returning to public service one day, Childres said she would not consider it.

"No more public employment, " she said. "I think I'm going to get bored at some point."

Perry has been with the Murchison Post Office for 16 years.

The postal workers began their careers as part-timers with varying schedules and remained that way through their retirement.

However, as the most tenured workers at their offices, they were the highest paid. The only benefit they did not receive from the USPS was paid holidays, the women said.

Only 10 holidays are observed annually by the USPS.

Williams said the positions vacated by Childres, Perry and Meyes will eventually be filled.

The USPS reported on Nov. 16 a $3.8 billion loss for fiscal year 2008-2009, despite cost-cutting measures that led to $6 billion in savings and a $4 billion reduction in required payments for retiree health benefits.

The savings includes a reduction of 40,000 USPS employees.

In 2010, the USPS expects to report a $2.2 billion loss, according to reports. Its operating revenue this year was $68.1 billion. In 2008, it was $74.9 billion.