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By BERNIE PRICE Rappahannock News Special Writer
Weldon Burke, a monument to strength, integrity and hard work in Rappahannock County, has retired from carrying the mail in Woodville. His contributions span almost a half-century of history in this county, beginning with his boyhood on Hazel Mountain to moving from his ancestral home when the federal government took the land for Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park. His memories would fill a book.
Through it all, he carried with him the conviction that the mail must be delivered. He can recall that over the years, only towering snow drifts and sheets of ice ever prevented him from making his rounds.
It was not always easy. There were times when bees built homes in the mail boxes and he had to fight off clouds of yellow jackets to deliver a message from a friend or relative writing back to folks in Woodville. Then were times when the snow drifted so high that he couldn’t even see the road and had to practically feel his way to the mail boxes.
Weldon began his career as a mail carrier with a horse, then graduated to a horse and buggy and finally ended with a truck. According to Mr. Burke, he hkd to borrow the cash to buy that first horse. He says he never made any money but adds
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