Mary Cosner

Editor’s Note: The following is part of a series of articles profiling The Inter-Mountain’s staff.

ELKINS — Mary Cosner, who now works in the mailroom and pressroom at The Inter-Mountain, was a driver delivering The Inter-Mountain for 23 years.

“I started driving, delivering The Inter-Mountain, in 1997,” Cosner said. “I’ve been working in the pressroom since October.

“I drove the Buckhannon route. It used to take four hours to do it. It was three routes put into one. It was about 150 miles a day,” she added.

Cosner is no longer an independent contractor driver, but instead works as an Inter-Mountain employee in the press room.

“Mainly I take care of labels and labeling the papers for the mail,” she said. “I also work with the inserting machine.

“I like working in the pressroom. I like the people. I’m not in the cold weather anymore,” she said with a laugh.

“I get along well with everybody back there. I’ve known them for years. They’ve watched my kids grow up. My daughter was 2 when I started and my other daughter was nine months old when she started riding with me. Now they’re both grown up, 26 and 22.”

Cosner said her favorite experience was getting to know The Inter-Mountain subscribers whose papers she delivered.

“While I was driving I really liked the customers,” she said. “Some of the older ones, when I first started, they sort of adopted my kids like their grandkids, gave them Christmas presents. One lady gave them popsickles every day, because we brought her mail to her with her paper. I delivered to some of them from 1997 right up until last October.”

Cosner, who is an Upshur County native, has two daughters and two grandsons.