End of a Era! Or, Mom is Retired!

On Friday, I got to go to my mom's retirement party! She has worked for the Co-Op for 34 years and today was the first day she didn't get up to go to work.
My mom started her career in the Dodge City office, but for as long as I can remember she worked upstairs at the Hanston Co-Op. Her job brought us to the community that shaped me as a person. Hanston is also where she met my step-dad who will forever just be my dad.
It was a happy and sad day to watch the community come and congratulate my mom and in the same breath ask when she is leaving. In an effort to be a part of her grandchildren's lives my mom will be living with my brother, sister and at the manor for a portion of each year. Unfortunately, none of us live in Hanston.
We still have family there so it is not like we will never be back, but with mom not living there it will just be different. I will always be a Hanston Elk and I couldn't have asked for a better town to be raised in.
I thank the Co-Op for being raised in a small town, for always standing by my mom, looking out for the single mom with her three kids and later caring for a widow with no kids at home.
My mom has always been a hard worker and she earned this next phase of life of being close to her kids and grandkids. Love you mom, you made it!

I was too late to get a picture of her with her cake, it was gone!

It's weird seeing her at Don's desk, but whatever!

Mom with possibly her 2nd and 3rd best harvest help. We all know who was #1!