October 31, 2012 at 3:32 p.m.
Thank You Barb
That could be what Barb Phillips says starting today. She has ended her employment at The Dodgeville Chronicle after 35 years.
Thirty five years ago the Voyager space craft lifted off for the first time, Elvis Presley passed away, Star Wars opened in theaters and Jimmy Carter was President.
But more importantly, at least to us, Barb Phillips started her career at this paper.
Barb has been an ideal employee. She defied sickness. If the weather was too bad to drive, she walked to work. If she was needed for extra time, she was there.
Barb had to work with many different machines to get the paper into print form each week. When she started the typesetting equipment was state of the art....for about three years....then changes were made. They had to be made to keep up.
Every time there was a change, it meant Barb had to keep up too.
And she did.
From the Justowriters to the Compugraphics to computers and everything in between, Barb was there to set the copy for the paper. Her duties then spread into composing advertisements and then began including page lay-outs.
Barb took each challenge and found a way to live with it. In short, she found a way to make it work.
As I write this I wonder how many words she put into type over those 35 years. I would bet if they were transformed into dollars they would eclipse the national debt many times over.
Barb also helped in the mailroom. I wonder how many million people have received their paper each week that Barb labeled and got ready to put in the mail sack.
It is often said a good part of success is showing up.
Barb always showed up and she brought the strongest work ethic she could with it. She was magic on the keys of the machine. She was magic when it came to spelling. She was magic when it came to doing the job to the best of her ability.
Will Barb be missed?
That will go down as one of the silliest questions ever asked. She will be missed by those of us who know her and also by those of you who do not know her. Because she has been one of the reasons you have received your copy of The Dodgeville Chronicle the past 35 years.
A simple thank you isn't enough but it will have to do for now.
Thank you Barb, for 35 great years.
Will Barb stay busy?
I think Abe Lemons was thinking about Barb when he said, "The trouble with retirement is you never get a day off."
