One Last Delivery After 25 Years Of Dedication To Community News
Just over 25 years ago, Edwin (Ed) and Mary Lou Fox stopped by their daughter Terri Koomler’s salon for a haircut and noticed a copy of The Waynedale News sitting on a table. Terri told them they could take it home, as she had already finished reading it. While looking through the paper later that day, Ed noticed an advertisement for a delivery route and thought it might be a small job he and his wife could do together during retirement.
After a phone call to discuss the details, the couple soon began delivering the newspaper under the leadership of former Publisher, Bob Stark.
Not long after her parents became involved, Terri also began delivering papers on another route. What started as a modest retirement activity for Ed and Mary Lou quickly became a family effort, with grandchildren occasionally taking on delivery routes over the years.
“When we began delivering the newspaper, it was just a small job to keep our minds and bodies active in retirement,” Mary Lou said. “As time went on, our route got bigger and we fell in love with the job and the people we were delivering the paper to.”
At the height of their delivery work, the Waynedale couple handled a large portion of the newspaper’s distribution, delivering The Waynedale News to hundreds of homes and more than 250 businesses, amounting to thousands of newspapers each edition, across South, Southwest, and downtown Fort Wayne. For many readers who pick up the paper at a local business, it is likely Ed and Mary Lou were the ones who placed it there.
Recalling challenging times, Ed reminisced about a winter where he delivered papers in snow that came up to his hip!
Over the years, Ed and Mary Lou became familiar faces throughout the community. Now at ages 85 and 86, they are regularly greeted by business owners, office staff, and residents who look forward to each new edition and recognize the couple and their delivery vehicle.
In January 2026, Ed and Mary Lou will officially retire, concluding more than two and a half decades of managing these responsibilities. Terri also plans to retire from delivery at approximately the same time.
“The people we deliver to have touched our hearts, and we’ve touched theirs,” Mary Lou shared.
Through the years, even when not on the job, people in the community often stop them to say hi and thank them for delivering the community paper. Remarkably, one time the couple was in South Bend when someone stopped them to say, “Hey, you used to deliver the Waynedale News to me!” It’s moments like these that Ed and Mary Lou say they are thankful for their ability to have had a role in sharing joy and keeping the community informed with the newspaper delivery.
On behalf of its staff, advertisers, readers, and supporters, Publisher Alex Cornwell extends a heartfelt thank you to Ed and Mary Lou Fox, along with Terri Koomler, for their dedication to the community newspaper.
“Whether it was a sunny or snowy day, your care, consideration, and passion for your work and the community you serve never faltered,” Cornwell said. “Your teamwork and commitment to excellence are truly inspiring. You will be greatly missed.”
Ed, who began his working life as a 9-year-old carrier for Fort Wayne’s Journal Gazette, says it’s fondly ironic that he will end his working career by also delivering papers. He commented, “I have enjoyed being in the Waynedale community. We’ve built many relationships over the years and that will be hard to say goodbye to.”
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