GLACIER, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Residents in the small town of Glacier are rallying to keep their mail services running.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen says he’s received messages from residents that they were no longer receiving mail at the Glacier Post Office. The stoppage coincided with the death of the town’s postmaster earlier this month.

The Glacier Water District has owned the post office building since the 1970s and has not charged USPS to operate out of it.

But now, since the post office has stopped offering stamps, residents have no way to postmark their letters.

Jan Eskola has been a resident in Glacier for more than 50 years and says the post office’s role in the remote community goes far behind its mail services.

“It’s a place where we congregate,” Eskola says. “It’s a place where we meet our neighbors and discuss what’s going on around the area and exchange ideas and keep up with what everybody’s doing.”

According to Eskola, the next closest post office lies in Maple Falls, which is nearly 8 miles away.

Rep. Larsen sent a letter to the Postmaster General on Tuesday asking for clarity regarding the situation and whether USPS plans to renew its contract to keep the post office open.

Larsen has requested a response by Dec. 5.