Retirees Taking 65 Years of Experience With Them They almost made it through the celebration and presentation without tears. Almost.
Members of the community, employees of the courthouse and the county came together Monday afternoon to wish bon voyage to at least three retiring employees. Among them, they represented nearly 65 years of service.
Barbara Underwood has worked in the Blaine County courthouse for 31 years. Twenty-five of those years were in the court clerk’s office and another seven were in the county clerk’s office.
She had been a legal secretary when she went to work for the court clerk. “I liked all of it, especially the legal part of it,” Underwood said. “Then I was a legal instrument recorder (for the county clerk). And I was a(voting) precinct official. I got to see lots and lots of people.” Underwood said she enjoyed meeting people the most. Recently widowed, Underwood said she hopes to move closer to her children in the not-too-distant future.
When Underwood was presented with a proclamation from the state legislature marking her years of service, she grew more than a little misty-eyed. Discussing her late husband with Rep. Mike Dobrinski, who was on hand to present the parchments, Underwood said she wished her husband was there to share her retirement but was looking forward to being closer to their children.
Louise Cooper has been a courthouse fixture for more than 21 years. It has been her job to keep the building clean and decorated, even pointing out when items needed repaired or replacement.
“I just liked doing my job,” Cooper said. “It’s what I got paid for, but it was time for me to retire.”
As the proclamations were handed out and admired, a table full of baskets for cards and weighed down with gifts got more and more crowded. Eventually the stack of cards cards overflowed the baskets and were shuffled into piles.
Jana Loewen also retired after 11 years in the elections office. “My favorite part was the employees. I just love them. I worked in a great office with great ladies,” she said. But she readily admitted she wouldn’t miss the early mornings or late nights some elections required.
Dobrinski quizzed her what she planned to do with her time now that more of it is free.
“I’m going to do whatever God puts before me,” she said without missing a beat.
The representative said that this was the best part of his job, and he thanked the ladies for their service.
What he didn’t say was that although the jobs these women are vacating have been filled by others, the accumulated knowledge, experience and know-how will be sorely missed, along with the smiling faces that have kept the needs of the people so well met for so long.