Hats off for the Office Ladies

                                        Early post-college photo. 1981 at Vic and Fred's wedding. 

                                            No wonder my co-workers thought I was a kid!

Whilst listening to a podcast about yet another possibly innocent person (Letters From Sing Sing, first episode) convicted of murder, I heard an advertisement for a podcast featuring strong women. March, it seems, is Women's History Month. It kinda seems like all year should be filled with Women's History, but that's an argument for a different day. 😊

I was cleaning our bathroom as I listened to that podcast. I'd been meaning clean for several days, but waited until I was "in the mood". Podcasts make perfect company for cleaning! I began thinking back about the many strong, smart, talented women I've been privileged to work with during my employment years. 

Co-workers, supervisors, and contractors: 

-at my very first "real" job, as office manager at Gamble Robinson, a grocery wholesaler in Sioux Falls, SD. Nancy, the person who'd been the office manager suffered a stroke at age 33. She was out indefinitely. It was an office of four women, not including me. I didn't have the first idea about how to be an office manager I was fortunate that Karen was the go-to for training. She was understandably a bit pissy when they brought a no-nothing college girl in to be the top office dog. Nancy was a formidable wife, mother, and great worker. It took me a while, but I won Karen and the crew over by treating them with respect.  When I eventually left the Sioux Falls Office, Karen took over as Office Manager. Thanks, Karen!

-From Sioux Falls, I moved up (down) to the Omaha Branch of Gamble Robinson, located in the Old Market. There I met three totally different strong women. Netta was a large passionate Italian mother/wife - picture puffy black hair and lots of makeup. Lila was a chainsmoking lesbian - a bit cranky until I pierced her crabby defenses. She called me "Kid".  And Pat, the personal secretary to the division chief. Pat was a Creston native, a stately older woman (probably all of 55 😏). Those three taught me a great deal. You are not forgotten, ladies!

-When Paul and I were married in 1982, women from both of my former offices attended. The friendship was strong! Paul and I moved to Osage for his job. I eventually landed a local job at Fox River Mills - a sock and glove manufacturer in town. My experience using an IBM System 36 computer teamed me up with Karla, the original computer department of one. The two of us were charged with managing data and entering orders by hand. Karla - who still works there - taught me a lot. There were lots of great female co-workers - so good at their jobs at the awesome Fox River. 

-When we moved to Creston in 1986, I finally landed a job at First National Bank in bookkeeping in March of 1987. There I learned how to pronounce each strange family name while stuffing statements into envelopes, and preparing them for mailing. (Ripperger is pronounced Reebarger) Sandy, Cathy, and Pam were great coworkers. Eventually, I was promoted to loan clerk and had my own little cubby-hole desk upstairs. There I got to better know Sharon - the marketing director and Lamona, the only female loan officer. Syd and Barb were in customer service out front - helping people with account needs. Artie was the chief teller with a dedicated team around her. Eventually, a new girl was hired fresh out of college. Julie is now the bank president! The bank was full of strong excellent women. 

-My next job in an office/co-worker setting was in the mid-1990s at Gits Manufacturing where I was a product manager. This was the most challenging job of my career. Purchasing and manufacturing lead times (how long it took to procure or manufacture) were over a year at times. Jeanie and Cynthia helped train (and counsel) me through the ups and downs. We had some good times in a little office amid each manufacturing process. Twins Tracy and Toni were also fun to work with. We're all still Facebook pals.  

-After two grueling years at GITS, I saw an advertisement in the local paper - looking to hire a Recycling Educator for three counties. This is easily my favorite ever job. At my first trash conference I met three amazing women - Susan, Barb and Pam were peers doing similar jobs. We met periodically to share resources and support. They meant the world to me. 

I was an office of one - located in Creston's Restored Depot home of City Offices and the city congregate mealsite. Judy was the Creston City Clerk - and the brains of the operation. My grant-funded was managed and paid for by the county - so several times a week I hiked a couple of blocks over to the Union County Auditor's office. There I reunited with Sandy (former bank pal) who was now the elected Auditor. Her team was great to work with - Angie and Joanie. I also got to know the treasurer, Linda, and the recorder, Paula with their staffs. Friendly and top-notch! 

                                                           Jen and Becky on a tour

-After the grant ran out, I was promoted to Landfill/Recycling manager. My office moved to the Union County Landfill where I worked with dedicated scale operators - all women. Marie, Carolyn, and Beth all were wonderful with customers, so kind and efficient. There was one woman I won't name who the contractor fired after she threatened me. She didn't like the new office with my oversite and told me she had a gun and knew how to use it. Scary! Good thing, Christine, a young female environmental consultant attended monthly board meetings and partnered with me in managing the joint! 

-Nealy ten years later, I was hired for the career job I'd been dreaming of at the Department of Natural Resources. By then I was age 50, no longer a "kid". At DNR I met and appreciated so many excellent female co-workers. Traveling together for program audits and visits was a highlight. Becky, Angie, Amy, and my supervisor Jen were the women I worked with the most.  I must not forget about fab external program partners - Shelly, Mary, and Kathleen. They are all excellent and dedicated public servants. I miss them but enjoy following their family escapades on social media. 

I've likely forgotten to name some of the office women I was blessed to work with. And there are a few that, though they didn't threaten me with a gun, weren't my favorites. I'm sure I make that list for some. Some people - men and women - live for the drama. It's not my thing.  

What I looked like at the end of my work days

While writing this blog I was thinking of the new normal. Many people no longer work in an office setting. I loved the one day a week I was able to telework when employed by the State of Iowa. But I never considered doing that more than 2 days a week. I'm not sure how well I'd get to know co-workers without frequent in-person contact. I believe employers need to find ways to build teams and for strong employees to mentor others. It's a changing work world - they'll figure it out! Because there are so many strong, smart women in charge. 

Characterization

So to continue...I've known some real characters in my life. After Pablo and I got hitched, we moved to Osage - in Northern Iowa. I kept working for Gamble Robinson, the grocery wholesaler, as a traveling office manager. I flew out of Mason City in small planes up to Minneapolis and over to Green Bay, WI. Then I visited various small grocery wholesalers the company owned - helping install IBM System 32 computers and code produce for input into the system. Those computers were about the size of a couch - with a place to sit under the keyboard and a screen not much larger than my current cell phone screen. I didn't imagine back then I would have my own computer in my home one day.

That's the screen - to the left of the paper spindle, left of the keyboard. Tiny!

The first site I visited when I started traveling was in Menominee, MI - it's on the upper peninsula, just past Wisconsin. The branch there was a tiny thing - run by a guy with his aunt who was the office manager. They were nice as pie. In fact they fed me some! Plus all the other great food good Germans know about - man they can cook up there.  

 

How do you get sheets for this?

Aunt Betty was quite the character. A long time widow, she was in her 60's. Somehow I learned she had a heart-shaped bed. With silk sheets. TMI, you're absolutely right. She and I worked together for a couple weeks so I got to observe her office behavior. It was strange. She had badly colored and permed reddish brown hair. About once every half hour she'd begin feeling her head - to pat down her curls. Then Betty would snatch a pair of shears from her desk drawer and snip off a piece of hair - tossing it in the trash. Haircut selfie!

I finished up working in Menominee just before Easter. Betty gave me a box of homemade caramels. What a sweetie! My next stop was Sheboygan, WI where I experienced my first Sheboygan steak sandwich. Bitchin'! Whenever I watch Diners, Drive-Inns and Dives I think of that town. We watched the chef cook the steaks with onions and butter on a hot griddle we sat at the counter. Delish!

I enjoyed my time traveling in Wisconsin. I was in Fond Du Lac one time in July 1984 when I got the call from my dad that my sister Susi had given birth to my niece Leslie. #fondmemories.

One week I couldn't get a motel (it was some big air show), so I stayed with Paul's brother Denny and sister-in-law Kelli in Port Washington - just down from Sheboygan. It's beautiful country up there. I stayed in their daughter Karen's room. I'm sure son Joe was around somewhere along with their little dog Moe. None of them are really overt characters. Just plain nice people.

After nearly a year of travel, I was ready to stay home and live with my husband again. Heck - we were still practically newlyweds. I saw an advertisement in Osage for a computer person needed at Fox River - the woolen mill right in Osage. I got the job - no more traveling for me. I still love wearing their socks today. After keying orders in for 2 years, it took me a long time to forget the color codes. You can purchase their socks several places in Iowa - good stuff.  

Foxy

After working three different fruity (and vegetably) jobs, I was finally ready to move on. Paul and I were living the high life, in our little rental house in Osage, IA. Actually, we only had part of the house. An elderly lady, who must have been kinda deaf had the other part. A couple times we heard her TV very late at night and worried briefly that she was dead. But no.

Our house was owned by Shirly and Henry - he was French Canadian and they met on Love Boat and got married at age 60ish. Exciting and New! (from the Love Boat theme in case you didn't recognize...). It was a cute and well kept up home in a neat as a pin town. Those northern towns with their German influence were so nice back then - very few run down places with furniture on the porch and appliances out back!

Osage is home to a family owned woolen mill - Fox River. It was named after the Fox River valley in Wisconsin where the plant started. I think they moved it earlier in the 1900's to escape the labor union. I don't recall if I heard of an opening, anyhoo I put in an application and shortly later was called for an interview. They were starting a computer department and liked my IBM System 32 and 34 experience! Yay a local job.

I would work with Karla, a chick that was only 23 or so years old. Of course I was like 25! We keyed orders into the computer after sales people did hand written orders. We also did payroll - some of the people were paid by the piece, like $.10 per sock they sewed the toes up on. Each Friday we did a back up on a magazine filled with 10 floppies - 7 inch, remember those?

Karla turned out to be quite moody. Each day I would arrive in the computer room (climate controlled) on pins and needles until I determined what the mood was for the a.m. Some days she was downright frosty and wouldn't talk. I quickly learned to follow her lead. Other days she was gregarious and fun. Outside our office was the sales and support staff. Lots of nice women of various ages. My boss turned out to be a neighbor or ours Becky Halvorsen. Word had it she had a thang with the boss, Mr. Lessard.

Fox River was fun company to work for! They had picnics each summer and golf outings. We got cheap socks and gloves!

Plus they didn't pitch a fit when shortly after I started working for them (the year was 1985) I found out I was preggers! I had suffered a miscarriage in the fall of 1984 - it had been tough. I wasn't supposed to try to get pregnant until January. After that date, it didn't take but a couple weeks and I was "with child". That child turned out to be Amy, born October 14, 1985.