A bill honoring the life and legacy of former Shoshoni Postmaster Dessie A. Bebout has passed the US House of Representatives and is now on its way to the President’s desk for final approval, County 10 reports.
This legislation, which will name the post office in Shoshoni, Wyoming after Bebout, passed the House unanimously this week after being introduced and passed unanimously in the Senate earlier this year.
The bill, introduced by US Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Tom Carper (D-Del.), was passed by the Senate in April. It was then supported in the House by US Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), who played a key role in ensuring its smooth passage.
Bebout, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 102, was a World War II veteran and a distinguished figure in her community. She began her career with the US Postal Service in 1962, eventually becoming the Postmaster of Shoshoni, where she served for 13 years with distinction.
In a statement, Senator Barrasso expressed deep admiration for Bebout’s legacy.
“Dessie Bebout devoted her life to serving our country and the people of Wyoming. Dessie deserves Wyoming’s gratitude for her heroic service in the US Navy in WWII and as Shoshoni’s Postmaster for over a decade afterward. The passage of this bill will ensure that Dessie’s legacy lives on in Wyoming. It was an honor to see this pass the Senate and House unanimously, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law soon,” he said.
Senator Lummis also praised Bebout’s impact.
“Dessie Bebout was a trailblazer, and her enduring legacy and pioneer spirit is the perfect embodiment of our Wyoming way of life. Her love and unwavering service to the Cowboy State are unmatched, and permanently memorializing her commitment to our great state is the perfect way to honor one of Wyoming’s most cherished daughters,” senator said.
“There is nothing more appropriate than renaming this post office after Dessie. I am honored to play a small role in honoring her legacy,” Representative Hageman echoed these sentiments.
Bebout’s remarkable career included more than just her service as Shoshoni’s Postmaster. After graduating from Fremont County Vocational High School in Lander, she worked for the Fremont County Extension Service and at F.E. Warren Air Force Base. In 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Bebout enlisted in the US Navy as part of the “Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service” (WAVES) program.
Beyond her work in the Postal Service, Bebout was an active civic leader. She served as a Fremont County Election Judge, was involved in the Shoshoni Chamber of Commerce and PTA, and contributed to the Wyoming Women’s Commission and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Women’s Auxiliary. She also sat on the Riverton Hospital Board and participated in various other community organizations.
In recognition of her extensive service, Bebout was awarded the Wyoming Women of Distinction award from the Wyoming Council for Women’s Issues and the Medal of Honor from the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The bill to rename the Shoshoni post office in her honor is the latest recognition of Bebout’s lasting impact on her community and the state of Wyoming.
