It’s all about her travelers
Roberts has more than a handful of poignant stories from throughout her tenure as group travel leader that have little to do with the beautiful destinations but lots to do with her Legacy Club members.
“On my first big trip, we went to New England, and a few weeks later, a gentleman on that trip passed away,” she said. “As an avid photographer, I was touched to be able to give the family photos of his joyful moments on that trip.
“On another occasion, a lady was discouraged by her family to join us on our trip to Hawaii. She didn’t heed their advice and was genuinely the life of the party on that trip. She died a few months later, and her family told me how grateful they were that she had gone.”
Roberts expresses her thanks in many special touches, including sharing her culinary passion with her members.
“I research recipes for our trips and warn our travelers that they may be trying something I’ve never made before. But they are always game. In this job, you give above and beyond your time and money, but I want to do what I can to make every trip special. It’s fun for me, and I receive most of the rewards.”
Ducks and bank managers make it look so easy
Robert’s husband is conveniently employed as a produce manager for a large supermarket, where his wife can find the best and freshest ingredients for her culinary creations. “While Charlie has been at a few group functions, he’s never gone on one of our trips. Our members refer to him as Charlie on ‘Charlie’s Angels’ — you hear about him but never see him,” Roberts said with a laugh.
“But that will change this summer because he’s going with us on an Alaskan cruise — he’s so excited. He’s so supportive of me in this job. It is tough on the families, being gone so much.”
According to Roberts, Farmers State Bank is a family affair.
“We have many longtime employees here, including my mother, who has had a 20-year career at Farmers. She just retired — for the third time. Needless to say, she loved her time here.”
Bank employees come together once a year for Relay for Life, a walkathon for cancer.
“The walk is held on a local track. The goal of every team is to have a team member walking on the track at all times from the evening until the morning,” Roberts explained.
Roberts was then asked the obvious question: Does that mean that someone has to get there at 2 a.m. to take their turn?
“Yes, indeed it does. Our local banks and businesses are very competitive as to who raises the most money; but it’s also lots of fun,” she responded.
This dedicated employee has a paperweight on her desk that reads “Cherish memories. If you want to keep them, you first have to live them.”
“If there is anything this job has taught me, it is that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow,” she said. “While those of us in these jobs are sometimes like ducks, making everything look so easy to everyone else, when in reality we are frantically paddling underneath the water. We are so privileged to not only make incredible memories for ourselves but participate in making incredible memories for others.”
