By By Janet Little Cooper
Faye Franklin has spent the last 40 years in the bookkeeping department of First National Bank and Trust. On Friday, she said good-bye to her co-workers and friends at a retirement reception in her honor.
"Working at FNB&T has been a wonderful experience for me," Franklin said. "There is not a particular reason why I am leaving. I just feel like it is time."
Franklin began her career at the bank as a high school graduate from Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill, Fla. She held several jobs prior to her employment at the bank that involved bookkeeping services.
"I kept the books at Atmore Flying Service for a short time," Franklin said. "And I worked at Elmore's, the dime store for a short time and kept the books for James McMullen at M &M Exterminators. His wife, Dot was one of my former teachers. Sue Beck was a teller at FNB and told me about an opening in bookkeeping. I applied and was hired by then bank president, John Garrard. He jokingly talks about me having brown hair then."
The bank was located in the Main Street Jewelers building when Franklin reported to her first day of work.
"Our department was upstairs in the old building and then we moved to the present Main street location," Franklin said. "At first bookkeeping was downstairs and then we moved to the upstairs after it was renovated. Then in the 80's after the bank acquired First State Bank, our office was relocated to their branch on North Main."
A change in location is not the only thing that has changed over the last 40 years of Franklin's employment with the bank.
"When I first started we did everything manually," Franklin said. "The first computer system was brought in during 1979. We have experienced several computer changes over the years that I have had to be directly involved in and has changed the way I do my job."
Franklin has also worked under four different bank presidents, Johnny Jones, John Garrard, Ollie Strawbridge and now Shep Marsh.
She has worked as supervisor of the bookkeeping department that is now called Account Services for 35 years or her 40. Franklin has had as many as 9 employees under her during that time, but currently has four.
Franklin has seen many personnel changes as well, and has a host of co-workers who once worked in her department and have moved on that refer to themselves as her children. She has no children of her own, but gladly claims the individual's she has helped raise through the bank.
"I have made a lot of friends," Franklin said. "Not only in employees but in customers as well. One of the things I like most about my job is being able to help people. And I want to thank all of my customers. I have grown to love a lot of people and I hope they won't forget me."
Franklin is not sure how she will do in retirement. She agrees that it will be quite an adjustment. She does hope to do some traveling when her husband, Lyvonne "Bonnie" decides to retire from his job with Atmore Industries.