Snowman collection keeps her grinning

Though a tad of snow touched down and actually stuck in Phillip County this past weekend, there was not nearly enough to build a snowman. Not to worry, Malta's Penny Mackey has your snowman needs covered, and then some.

From salt and pepper shakers to cookie jars and from plush toys to center pieces and Christmas tree ornaments, Mackey says she has at least one snowman – from one medium or another – for every 74 years she has been alive and said her collection started around infancy. The collection ranges from porcelain, store-bought items to local, handmade items she has won at the Festival of Tree's auctions, but each member of the collection has at least one thing in common with all the others; the smiles.

"I collect snowmen because they smile," Mackey said. "If you are feeling down, all you have to do is hug a snowman. I have never seen one with a frown, have you? The holiday times are kind of stressful, but you can't walk into this room and not smile because these will be scattered all over and there is no place you can look where there isn't a snowman."

Though labeled "snowmen", Mackey admits that her collection is made up of both snowmen and snowwomen – about 50-50 – adding that the word "snowman" has become all-inclusive just as the word "guys" describes both males and females. Her grandchildren recently gifted her a set of plush snowballs (which Mackey doesn't hesitate to fire at reporters) and the collection ranges from items 3-feet tall down to a couple of inches. Mackey said she has no favorite in the collection, but thinks they are all equally precious.

Mackey graduated from Turner High School in 1959 and then headed the University of Montana to receive a BA in education before starting a 10-year career as an educator on the western side of Montana. Eventually, Mackey migrated to Missoula, but found the competition for teaching jobs fierce in the 'Garden City' and the wages not up to snuff, thus ending her career as an educator. Mackey eventually found her way to the U.S. Postal Service and held a job as a postal worker for many years, on both sides of the state before returning to the prairie as Post Master at the Harlem Post Office.

"I came back home," Mackey said, "I missed the flat country."

The years of working at the Postal Service also allowed Mackey to form another collection of items; stamps. Where the snowman collection numbers somewhere in the 150 range, the stamp collection numbers in the millions. From rare, highly sought after misprints to random, postmarked leftovers, Mackey said stamp collecting is a dying hobby, but one she still appreciates. She said that looking at stamps shows how historical norms have drastically changed in the U.S. – from Ben Franklin being on stamps in the 1800's to Elvis Presley making appearances over the years – and said she often used stamps to help teach classes when she was an educator. Mackey added that if any area teachers of 4-H groups are interested in using stamps in their classes, she is just a phone call away and would love to share them.

"I've got boxes of them and if any teachers want some, I have boxes of used stamps so come see me," she said.