The Folsom Post Office recently said goodbye to one of its longtime employees and native son Arnie Appel.

During a ceremony held at the Folsom Post Office, Appel and other postal employees were bid a fond farewell by their peers. In Appel’s case, he’s retiring after more than 45 years of service.

That’s not counting his three-year army stint, spent in Germany — where he met his future wife, Monikia.

“You can call it the end of an era,” fellow employee Teresa Deocampo said. As his supervisor, Deocampo has worked with Appel for eight of those 45 years.

“Arnie is one of those people you can always rely upon. When it comes to his work, I never have to worry about him,” she said.

Appel said he merely comes to work and “focuses on what needs to be done.” Working for the U.S. Postal Service, he added, is something he’s loved doing.

Appel’s ties to Folsom are strong ones, with his family living in the area for many years. His father made a name for himself as a mining engineer — to the point that city even named a street after him.

When he left the service, Appel learned that he could test for a USPS job. “I got the job and found myself back home, in Folsom, working as a mail carrier.”

Back in those days, Appel continued, Folsom was a lot smaller. “I knew everyone on my route,” he said. He enjoyed walking the route and talking to the people he’d run into. “I love this town and the people who live here. Being a carrier, I had the chance to go out and see old friends and make new ones. I loved the job,” he said.

Appel and his fellow carriers, back in the day, were also close friends. After work, he recalled, the mail carriers would meet at a cafe or the bowling alley, to “unwind and share some stories.” Appel said that it was common for him and his fellow carriers — along with their families — to spend the weekends up at Lake Tahoe traveling to the coast.

“Those were great times,” he said.

After 16 years, Appel transferred from carrier to clerk, working behind a desk. “I don’t have problems with paperwork,” he joked. “I was a company clerk when I was in Germany.”

It was in Germany where Appel met his future wife, Monikia. For him, that’s the most defining moment of his life. “When I met her — I knew that my life was complete. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had.”

Married for more than 45 years, the Appels have two children — Kenneth and Kirsten — and three grandchildren: Olivia, Natalie and Benjamin. During that time, Appel and his wife have done a lot of traveling.

“(We’ve been to) China, Thailand, Jamaica and other places. Germany,” he said, “I love Germany. I always love going back to Germany.”

Appel and his wife had been planning to take another trip last spring when he had a heart attack. He now shrugs off the experience. “I was in the hospital for a week. No big deal — I still have more than 4,500 hours of sick leave,” he said, laughing.

Deocampo and Folsom Postmaster Donna Landau said Appel would be hard to replace.

“He’s funny, hard working and loyal. I’ll miss him,” Deocampo said, “and I’ll miss hearing his stories about travel.”

Travel is still in Appel’s future. “Monikia and I will be traveling again soon. We’ll be doing more of that.”

Gardening is in his retirement plans as well.

“I love to work outside,” he said. “Working in the yard and garden will keep me busy for awhile.”

While he’ll miss his USPS job and the people he works with, Appel said he’s looking forward to this new chapter of his life.

“I have a lot of things to do — some I’ve done before and others I haven’t. Whatever I’ll be doing,” he said, “I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.”