W
hen Patsy Smith left The
Union-Recorder after putting in
her last day of work at the daily
newspaper, she left a legacy likely never to
be matched again.
It was a job that spanned more than 50
years.
During her career, which began in Oc-
tober 1962, Miss Patsy saw the newspaper
grow from a weekly publication to a five-
day-a-week daily newspaper.
Through the years, she has seen many,
many things change within the newspaper
industry. Things are not done in the same
manner they used to be accomplished.
What used to be performed manually is
often now done electronically, which great-
ly speeds up the time in producing and
distributing each edition of the newspaper.
Over the years, Miss Patsy has seen
many people come and go. Some stay for
just a short while, while others have been
with the company 30-plus years.
“We’ve had people come to work here
who had no concept about newspapers or
what is involved,” says Miss Patsy. “I al-
ways tried to tell them that it didn’t matter,
that it takes each department to do whatev-
er their portion is. It then goes to the next,
the next, and the next. It’s similar to the
spokes on a wheel of a bicycle.”
From the customers to the newspaper
carriers, everyone has a role, she pointed
out.
It’s something Miss Patsy says she
learned early on in her career, which
was supposed to have been a part-
time job, but became a full-time
job just a week after she was
hired 51 years ago.
Miss Patsy says a lot of
times, she’s heard people make
“There’s God, my
family (and) The
Union- Recorder, and
sometimes I’m not
sure what order those
three come in.”
the comment, “‘Your newspaper this; your
newspaper that.’”
But she says she had always reminded
them it wasn’t just her newspaper, but that
the newspaper was theirs, too.
When it comes to caring about getting
the job done and always striving to do it
right, it would be difficult, if not impossi-
ble, to find anybody that does it
any better than Miss Patsy.
“It’s always been
my feeling that you
have to care; it has
to come from in
here,” says Miss
Patsy, pointing to
her heart with a
big smile.
Miss Patsy, who
has served as hu-
man resources coor-
dinator/receptionist
at The Union-Record-
er since 1982, says she
was going to miss waking
up during the work days
of the week and realizing
she doesn’t have to go drive
to the newspaper office any-
more.
“It’s probably going to take a while for me
to really absorb that I’m not working any
longer and don’t have to drive to the office
anymore, unless I just want to drop by for a
visit,” says Miss Patsy.
“When I decided I had things here at
work where I wanted them to be, then I
decided that was it,” lamented Miss Patsy.
“I just woke up the day I made
that decision to myself and
I was at peace. It was re-
ally a peaceful feeling,
because I knew I
had made the right
decision at the
right time.”
She says some-
body once asked
her about The
Union-Recorder
and that she told
them:
“There’s God,
my family (and) The
Union-Recorder,
and sometimes I’m
not sure what order
those three come
in.”
200th l 21