Farewell to longtime employee McConnell

CRESCO - We employees at the Times Plain Dealer are sad to see long-time staff member Mary McConnell retire after over 40 years at the company!

“My first day was March 23, 1979. That’s a Friday, because that’s when the week started,” she said.

For many, many years, McConnell was adept at putting together the grocery ads. It isn’t like it is today, where a piece of artwork and typed copy can be inserted onto an ad on a computer.

“When I first started, there were 11 employees. Now there are four or five. The amount of work has changed with technology,” McConnell noted.

Back then, everything was literally copied and pasted to a page the size of the newspaper. Workers had ad books with pictures of ham, canned corn, cheese, milk and nearly everything sold in a grocery store. The item was cut out and taped onto the page. Prices and descriptions were added.

“When we got the grocery ads, it was written by hand, and you had to read their hand-writing! Each manager made up their own ad,” McConnell explained.

In the late 1970s, Cresco boasted 3-4 grocery stores, including Jack & Jill, IGA and Red Owl. Then on special holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, they had a double truck (two pages facing each other).

For the editorial portion, the typists couldn’t even see what they were typing. They were typed into a cartridge and taped on the page. The writers would type their stories on a typewriter and then a type-setter would retype it into the cartridge.

Also when she first started, the business sold office supplies in the front part of the building.

“You can’t even try to explain all the changes over the years,” McConnell said. She said there was always a “B” section, which went to Protivin on Monday night, and someone would then take it to the printing plant in Calmar. The paper has always come out on Wednesdays.

“I have worked with wonderful people and made new friends.”

Publishers or managers she has worked with over the years include Bruce Turvold, H. Denis Moore, John Hall, Matt Bryant and Dan Evans. Editors have included Ken Becker, Zach Jensen, Sarah Daehn, Keri Bugenhagen (now Schatz), Sara Troy (interim), Patty Bryant, Andy Larson and Marcie Klomp.

When a person works during the week, everyone looks forward to Fridays, but they were pretty special at the Times during the early 2000s. “We would have a golf game at coffee break,” she said. 

During Matt Bryant’s tenure, each employee could putt the ball from the front of the office to the back, and if they got it in the hole, they could leave for the rest of the day and got paid for it.

“I was the first to get it. The ball hit the wall 3-4 times before it went into the tube. Matt told me I was the last person he thought would win. It was great. It was a beautiful day. I went home and mowed. And I got paid to do it! I never in my life thought I’d get paid to mow!”

 In retirement, McConnell figures she will have a hard time figuring out what day of the week it is since she doesn’t have a job to go to, but she’s ready to retire. “I’ve always worked with wonderful people, and I loved my job. I have so many good memories. I will miss it, but I gotta move on.”

Other than not going to an office job three days a week, McConnell’s life won’t change a whole lot. She still plans to attend grandkids’ ball games and do chores on the farm.

Her job might not change, but the lives of her co-workers will be changed by not having her smiling personality and consistent work ethic to enjoy.  But everyone wishes her well in her retirement. After 40 years at one business, she deserves it!