Friday was bittersweet for Nesquehoning rural mail carrier Shari Wentz.

That's because it marked both the end and a new beginning for the 25-year United States Postal Service employee.After 20 years of working in Nesquehoning's Post Office, Wentz was retiring from her post."I loved my job," she said, noting that she began her career in the Lehighton Post Office in January 1990 and worked in various post offices around the area before finally settling into Nesquehoning in 1995.Over the years, she met hundreds of people, made new friends, watched children grow up and mourned the loss of residents with their families along her route in Lake Hauto, along Route 54, in the Hauto Valley Estates, at the Carbon County Correctional Facility and Emergency Management Agency and other fringe areas of the borough."Shari did a wonderful job," postmaster Robin Manjone said. "She did it all. She will be terribly missed."When asked what she will miss the most from her career, she simply said "the people.""That was the best part of my job," Wentz said. "I feel like a lot of them are my friends."I got to see a lot of changes over the years," she said. "I'm leaving with a lot of great memories but I'm going to miss the people the most."Wentz said that the people she worked with on a daily basis were also what made her job so rewarding."We all worked well together," she said. "I'm going to miss them and the work we did."Wentz and her husband, Curtis, will now be able to enjoy time together at their Franklin Township home or at their cabin, or will be spending more time with their children and grandchildren.Manjone said that it will be hard to replace Wentz, who was known for her dedication to the 625 customers she served five days a week.Wentz smiled, but said that her replacement, Joann Meckes, will do a good job picking up where she left off and asked the people on her route to be patient as Meckes gets settled into her new role."It has been my honor and a privilege to serve the community of Nesquehoning," she said as she prepared her final route. "All the wonderful customers I had over the years, I will truly miss them. With a heartfelt thanks to everyone, I leave with lots of great memories that I will cherish forever."