MRS JANE (JEANNIE) REA, B.E.M.
10th November 1882-17th September 1969
Born Jane Murdock on the 10th November 1882, at “The Row”, Hillmount, Craigs, Cullybackey, the third child of a family of nine to Mr Alexander Murdock a carpenter, she came to be known as Jeannie to many. She attended the Old School, Cullybackey, then situated at the bottom of the Old Road, until she was fourteen. The principal of the school Miss Leitch was keen that Jeannie should sit her examination to become a monitor and go on to take up a career in school teaching, but Jeannie Murdock had other ideas. Having already decided that teaching was not for her, nonetheless, she went along dutifully to Galgorm, where the examination took place, but deliberately failed the exam.
The post office had always held a fascination for Jeannie so when Miss Jane Leitch, sister to her school teacher and postmistress in the village post office invited Jeannie to help her, she had no hesitation in taking up the invitation and left school one Friday in 1896 and started working in Cullybackey Post Office on the Monday.
When Miss Leitch retired in 1904. Jeannie, with seven years’ experience applied for the vacant position. At only twenty-one years of age she had the distinction of being the youngest postmistress in the whole service. During her first year as post mistress the Old Age Pension was introduced at five-shillings per week. Her wages at that time was twenty-five shillings per week, so to try and make a few extra shillings she delivered telegrams on a bicycle around the area for sixpence.
On the 3rd July 1905, at age twenty-three, she married Robert Rea in the Presbyterian Church, Cullybackey. They had two children, John Alexander born on the 9th July 1907 and Eileen born on the 5th January 1906. Sadly, at age twenty-seven and with two small children she was widowed when Robert sadly died on the 4th October 1909 aged just thirty.
Left with two young children to bring up she worked hard to triumph over tragedy and despite difficulties she continued as postmistress. In 1907 she built her own home and moved the post office there. She saw the postal business expand greatly and during the Second World War she was compelled to do emergency telephone duty twenty-four hours per day. O the 8th June 1950, after forty-six years faithful service to the Post Office she was recognised for her services when she was awarded the British Empire Medal. The inhabitants of the village and surrounding district rejoiced with her and in November 1954 when she had completed fifty years as postmistress, they presented Mrs Rea with gifts of a radiogram, an inscribed silver salver and a cheque. She also received a congratulatory telegram from the Postmaster-General Earl de la Warr. She summed up these years by saying, “When I hear the click of the door latch I say to myself, ‘an old friend or a new one?’ – because it has been a beautiful adventure in friendship. After completing sixty-four years in the post office, Mrs Rea retired on 30th November 1961 as Postmistress in Cullybackey
Many friendships were made over these years and although retired Jeannie was not one to put her feet up. She continued in business at her news agency rising every weekday at 7.15am to start business until 6pm closing. She was also treasurer of the Parents’ Committee of 1st Cullybackey Scout Group, a post which she held since the formation of this committee. Jeannie was also treasurer of Craigs Parish Church Mother’s Union. She took much pleasure from the simple things in life, a bus outing, or a walk in the lanes around Cullybackey. At age eighty-six, Jeannie passed away on the 17th September 1969 and was laid to rest in the Craigs Parish Church graveyard.