RUDOLPH, Ohio - Some people wondered why Jan Bauman, the longtime postmaster and clerk-treasurer in Jerry City, would give up a job in the town where she lives to run the post office in an even tinier Wood County hamlet.

But Ms. Bauman, who arrived in Rudolph a year ago Oct. 1, says the move was a promotion because unlike Jerry City, Rudolph has a rural route in addition to post office boxes. Rudolph also has the distinction of being one of the most beloved little post offices every Christmas season.

From Dec. 1 to Dec. 24, mail comes in from all over the country to be postmarked with the office's one-of-a-kind Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer postmark. Ms. Bauman figures she and her small staff will hand-stamp more than 100,000 pieces of mail before Christmas with the special postmark.

"We enjoy doing it," she said with a laugh. "You get to see a lot of people you haven't seen in a long time. We have cookies and coffee, and it just kind of de-stresses everyone."

Ms. Bauman, 53, who worked at post offices in Bowling Green and Dunbridge before spending 13 years as Jerry City postmaster, has a friendly smile for customers who at this time of year are not just the locals.

Faye Hickman, and her daughter Joanna, drove over from Van Buren one day last week to mail about 50 Christmas cards as they've done for years. Mrs. Hickman said the people on her mailing list appreciate the special touch.

"Everybody likes them, especially the ones with children," she said.

Fred and Ruthann Ortner of Whitehouse had about 80 cards to mail and felt comfortable enough to bring their Yorkshire terrier, Hamley, into the post office with them.

"We wanted him to play with Rudolph," Mr. Ortner said.

The couple discovered the post office a few years ago while riding bicycles on the Slippery Elm Trail, which passes through Rudolph. They stopped to get something to drink, saw the post office, and have been bringing their Christmas cards ever since.

"It's fun. It's something fun to do for Christmas," Mrs. Ortner said. "It makes our cards a little more special."

Ms. Bauman said she enjoys being able to give customers the personal touch whether it's staffing the counter, answering the telephone, passing out cookies, or hand-stamping Christmas cards. During all other months of the year, mail deposited in Rudolph gets shipped to Toledo to be postmarked.

Ms. Bauman said she chose the design for this year's postmark. It shows Rudolph with a wreath hanging around his neck with "2006" on a bow on the wreath.

"I was tormented over it," she confessed. "It's hard to figure out what you're going to do, but my rural carrier gave me different ideas. I thought it was cute, and I liked the idea of putting the date on the bow."

She's made a few other changes since she came to town.

The post office began selling sweatshirts with the Rudolph postmark last year, and this year, she invested in a reindeer costume the post office previously rented. Employees dressed as Rudolph will greet customers - who can have their pictures taken with the red-nosed one - from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

"That gets costly, and I figure in a few years, it will pay for itself," Ms. Bauman said, adding, "You can tell I was a clerk in a small town that didn't have enough money."

Contact Jennifer Feehan at:

jfeehan@theblade.com

or 419-353-5972.

First Published December 11, 2006, 11:25 a.m.