It is rare to find someone who has been loyal to a company for 50 years. In 1973, Marie Wiseman joined The Farmers Bank family. In those 50 years, she became a strong, successful businesswoman.
When Wiseman was a little girl, she attended elementary school in Mitchellville, Tennessee. One day during her 7th grade year, a tornado hit her school, and then her father decided to move her to the Portland school system. She soon turned into a Portland High School alumnus.
After graduating from Portland High School, Wiseman worked at Simpson County Bank in Franklin, Kentucky. “I worked in bookkeeping. You did everything manually then. We did have proof machines, and I ran the proof machines occasionally. I was a backup because I did postings for checks. The book (listing of companies) that I had were all businesses in Franklin, Kentucky. It was a lot of checks because it would be nothing for one business to have 10 checks at one time. You had to balance that when you got through. Everything you posted ran a tape on that posting and then everything had to balance with the ledger. If you were out, you had to find it.”
In her early career, Wiseman got married and had two children. She left the banking world and became a stay-at-home mom. When her children became old enough to go to school, she started at The Farmers Bank. “I needed a more convenient place because we were living in Portland. It was more convenient to come to work here to be closer to my kids. My dad banked at The Farmers Bank, so that is a reason I came to this bank.”
At The Farmers Bank, Wiseman went into bookkeeping and helped with the teller window. Wiseman remembers how the bank has changed and evolved over her 50 years. “After I waited at the window all day, it was everybody’s job to stay and help sort checks and put them in alphabetical order by hand. I also remember only working with Portland customer files, and now, we work with everyone’s files.”
Wiseman soon moved from bookkeeping to the loan department where she has stayed to this day. “I like to work. I’m not happy if I’m not working. That’s one reason I never retired.”
Everyday Wiseman gets up and starts a day of working. She has been known for mowing her yard or washing her car before coming to the bank. Outside the bank she loves to go antiquing, go out to eat, and watch the Hallmark and HGTV channels. She is also known for being a pianist at the local Nazarene Church in Portland, Tennessee. When asked what made her life good, she said, “My faith first. My church. My three great grandchildren and my five grandkids. All my family and friends.”
50 years of dedication. 50 years of funny jokes and memories. 50 years of growing and achieving. Congratulations Marie Wiseman for working 50 years at The Farmers Bank!
