It takes an act of Congress and a lot of bipartisan support to rename a post office. In Shoshoni, Wyoming, that honor was just bestowed upon Dessie A. Bebout as her family, local community and politicians gathered to honor the rededication of the town’s U.S. Post Office building in her name.
Bebout was called a trailblazer who was an advocate for education, veteran and a postmistress for 13 years in Shoshoni, Wyoming, living to age 102 before she died in 2023.
On Wednesday, her family was joined by members of Wyoming’s Congressional Delegation, local officials and scores of townspeople at the Shoshoni High School Name for the renaming.
According to Doug Smith, the Colorado and Wyoming district manager for the United State Post Office, many post-office dedications celebrate local heroes, while others honor national figures such as Bob Hope, Nat King Cole and Walt Disney.
He said that these dedications are a way to pay tribute to soldiers, pilots, chaplains, law enforcement officers and those who sacrifice for our country.
“She joins a very demanding field,” Smith said. “This ceremony is especially meaningful to me because Dessie was one of our own. Not many of our post offices are named after people that actually worked in the United States Postal Service.
The Dedication
More than 100 people gathered in the Shoshoni school auditorium to honor Bebout’s legacy and the hard work it took to rename the Shoshoni Post Office in her name.
“It is a true honor to stand here today to celebrate and pay tribute to a life that exemplified service, compassion, leadership and deep Wyoming values,” U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, said. “Today, we officially rename the post office in memory of a remarkable woman whose legacy is etched not just in the building itself, but in the hearts of all who knew her.”
The idea of renaming the post office in honor of Bebout began with U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and his late wife, Bobbi. They were reading what Barrasso called an incredibly great story about Bebout in Cowboy State Daily and were struck with her years of service to both her country and to the post office.
“My wife Bobbi grabbed onto two things,” Barrasso told the gathered crowd. “One is 17 years here as the postmaster, where she was given the Order of the Vest, which is the highest order that you can get as a postal worker. The second was her incredible service in the military.”
Once he received the unanimous support of Bebout’s children, Barrasso began the process of receiving support for the renaming of the Shoshoni Post Office. Today was the culmination of that effort with the official dedication at Shoshoni.
Dessie’s Legacy
The post office dedication was just one of many honors given to Bebout for her years of service. In honor of a life that included feeding the hungry and caring for the sick in Shoshoni, as well as serving in a special military program for women in World War II, the mayor of Hudson declared a new Hudson holiday: Dessie Bebout Day.
“Bebout represents the epitome of service to our community and nation, a debt of gratitude we can never repay,” reads the mayoral proclamation, which was presented in the Hudson Town Hall on a rainy Memorial Day.
“It was such a total surprise,” said Bebout of the event. “I thought, ‘My gosh, am I dreaming? Am I hearing things? Is there something wrong with me?’ I was not expecting it.”
She passed away at 102 in 2023, but her legacy extends beyond Shoshoni, speakers at the post office rededication said.
During Wednesday’s event, she was remembered as a patriot and beloved member of Wyoming.
“I'm going to get emotional because this would be that was one of the most beautiful people in the world,” Paster Echo Klaproth said during her invocation. “She walked out an amazing 102-plus years of life while here on Earth. Dessie was a woman who worked hard at whatever she put her mind to.”
She was remembered not just for her miliary service but for her dedication to others.
“She's just evidently a great representation of what we all stand for as postmasters,” Smith said.
Her oldest son Eli Bebout said that when the war broke out, all of her brothers and relatives got into the war and his mom was just anxious to do that.
“She was so proud to be in the service,” he said.
His brother Nick Bebout agreed.
“I think it goes without saying that I'm so proud of mom,” he said. “She flew a flag every day of the week at her home. It was a tremendous day, and I'm sure Eli and Ruby and I are all on the same page when it's a very proud of our mother.”
Bebout’s daughter, Ruby Calvert, said that the renaming of the post office was a testament to her mother’s respect and love for her small town of Shoshone.
“Mom's New Year's resolution was to do one kind thing for someone every day,” Calvert said. “I asked mom, how do you do that? You're 100 and you can't exactly get out and do good things for people like that. And she said, well, you know, I just make a phone call every day.”
Calvert remembered the years her mom spent volunteering on various committees including as the secretary for the PTA, the Chamber of Commerce and advocating for the local school.
“She lived by her own code of ethics,” Calvert said. “She was just an amazing woman.”
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis had a statement at the dedication read by Jackie King, Lummis’ state director, in which she recognized Bebout as a trailblazer.
“Her life of 102 years was pretty much a nonstop adventure,” King said on behalf of Lummis “Just as you've heard today. She was a dreamer who at a young age had hopes of becoming a pilot.
“She was a patriot who felt the call to serve our nation during World War Two and nearly earned the rank of officer, which would have been almost unheard of for a woman in that era and almost achieved her dream to fly. She was a public servant.”
Eli Bebout was one of the featured speakers at the dedication ceremony recognizing his mother, Dessie Bebout, and the newly named U. S. Post Office in Shoshoni, now named in her honor. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
More than 100 people gathered Wednesday to celebrate the dedication of the U. S. Post Office in Shoshoni, Wyoming as the newly named Dessie A. Bebout Post Office Building. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
The new plaque recognizing the newly named Dessie A. Bebout Post Office Building was hung in the U. S. Post Office front lobby on Wednesday to recognize the legacy of local postmistress, Dessie Bebout. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
The family of Dessie A. Bebout visited the newly named Dessie A. Bebout Post Office Building on Wednesday after the building was officially dedicated and the plaque newly hung. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
The plaque officially renaming the Shoshoni U. S. Post Office to the Dessie A. Bebout Post Office Building was unveiled on Wednesday in a dedication ceremony to honor the legacy of Dessie A. Bebout for her years as postmistress and her military and community service. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
The Shoshoni U. S. Post Office was renamed the Dessie A. Bebout Post Office Building in honor of Dessie Bebout. Her family came to the dedication ceremony to honor her legacy and the honor. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
Dessie A. Bebout raised five children, her three and her sister’s two, and they came together on Wednesday to honor her legacy and the renaming of the Shoshoni U.S. Post Office in her name. Pictured, Eli Bebout, Bessie McGirr, Ruby Calvert, and Nick Bebout. Not pictured is Mike Metcalf. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily)
Memories Of Mom
For the Bebout children, Dessie Bebout was their biggest cheerleader and inspiration as she encouraged them to pursue their dreams.
“Mothers are so special, but particularly our mother,” Eli Bebout told Cowboy State Daily. “She was so proud of being American, being a WAVE and serving the country as a postmaster. She was what America was all about, the greatest generation.”
She was also remembered for raising not only her own children but taking in her niece and nephew when her sister unexpectantly passed away.
“They moved in with us and mom had five of us to raise,” he said. “Dad was gone working all the time so she really did it all. And all five of us attended the University of Wyoming, and mom was also really proud of that.”
For Nick Bebout, his mom was his second coach.
“Both she and my father followed me through my sports history,” Nick Bebout said. “I played eight years in the NFL, and they tried to attend a few games every year and I think that was fun for them.”
Eli Bebout credited their mother with getting him started in politics and helping him get his start with a write-in ballot.
“She expected us all to have integrity, honesty, and to work hard,” Eli Bebout said. “She believed in faith, family and friends. That's what drove mother.”
The work ethics was also inherited by daughter Ruby Calvert who said it was instilled in her and her brothers.
“She was just so strong and believed in working hard and in education,” Calvert said. “She also believed in helping others.”
“In naming this post office after Dessie about we honor more than her personal achievements,” Hageman said. “We honor the story of so many women of her generation who stepped up and gave back and never stopped believing in the promise of their community in the country.”
Contact Jackie Dorothy at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
