MAY 18 • 2023 | 31

more contemporary single-story home with 
their advancing age. Their cousin Shirley, a 
third figurine that often entered the mail-
box, who was disabled with a broken leg 
and accompanied by her service dog, also 
needed better accommodations. Having 
seen the Powells’ mailbox, they found a 
new, perfect home.
It didn’t end there. For Halloween, Mary 
and Shelley “left town” and were replaced 
by two doll-looking skeletons in black 
robes. Powell made another post related to 
that. 
Around the holiday season, many people 
asked about Mary and Shelley’s religion and 
what they would be celebrating.
“I said in a post it was a mixed marriage, 
Mary was Christian and Shelley was Jewish, 
and they celebrated both holidays,
” Powell 
said. “We didn’t get a menorah in the mail-
box, but we did get a Christmas tree and 
seven or eight nicely decorated packages. 
Next holiday season, if a menorah is not put 
in, I’ll go find a dollhouse-sized menorah 
and add that to the holiday celebration.
” 
With all the additions, people could won-
der how the Powell’s still get their mail and 
if the mailman has any logistical issues. 
The Powell’s ordered this custom-de-
signed mailbox after moving into their 
Orchard Lake Village home about five years 
ago. Though not an exact replica, the mail-
box roughly resembles the Powells’ house, a 
modern Tobocman home with a flat roof. 
The mailbox is equipped with plenty of 

windows and solar lighting which illumi-
nate the mailbox at night. At 26 inches in 
length, space is not a problem, allowing 
Powell to move the dolls and furniture to 
the back of the mailbox so the mail can fit. 
Powell recalls his mailman saying he’s never 
seen anything like this in all his years on 
the job. 
In the most recent mailbox switcheroo, 
the person(s) responsible took away the bed 
and put in a wooden workstation at which 
Mary sat. They also put in a wood burning 
stove.
During the ice storm Michigan saw earli-
er this year, Powell made another post while 
legitimately not being able to open the 
mailbox as it was frozen shut. 
“I said Mary and Shelley are trapped in 
their home in the mailbox. They’re without 
electricity and they were relying upon the 
wood burning stove to keep warm,
” Powell 
said. 
In these eight months, Powell says it’s cer-
tainly created joy for him and his wife and 
has allowed for his creative writing juices 
to flow. 
“We look forward to opening the mailbox 
and seeing what might be in there,
” Powell 
said. “
And I’ve always enjoyed writing. I’ve 
written 14 health books. I wrote a book 
on sports cliches. It’s actually gotten me to 
think about writing a children’s book about 
this, because it’s a fun story.
”
Powell, 72, is president and CEO of 
the Michigan-based American Institute 

for Preventive Medicine, a company that 
facilitates worksite wellness programs for 
companies and hospitals throughout the 
country. 
When asked if he’s hoping to find who’s 
behind the mailbox mischief, Powell says it’s 
not something he’s actively seeking at this 
time.
“I don’t need to know who’s doing it,
” he 
said. “I don’t think it’s sinister in nature. I 
like it. I certainly don’t complain about it.
”
In the first few months, there were five or 
six makeovers in terms of something being 
added or subtracted to the mailbox. In the 
past few months, it’s slowed down. Powell 
figures whoever’s behind it all may have 
been away for the winter, but now with 
the story all over national and local media, 
maybe they’ll see the notoriety and positive 
comments their work has attracted. 
“People are really interested in the lives 
of Mary and Shelley — they want to know 
what they do for a living, if they have 
children, if they’re paying rent or if we’ve 
tried to evict them. It’s almost like they’ve 
become real people. It’s been a lot of fun,
” 
Powell reflected. 
“I think what’s captured everybody’s 
attention is the positive, uplifting nature. 
There have been thousands of comments. 
One woman said it’s the first time she’s 
smiled in a month since her sister passed 
away. It’s struck a chord that happiness and 
fun things certainly still have a place in our 
society.
” 

The Powells’ 
mailbox

Don 
Powell

COURTESY OF DON POWELL