Perry State Bank workers reunite over coffee Wednesday

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The first meeting of the Perry State Bank group Wednesday morning brought together Connie Culbertson, standing; and seated from left, Marilyn Burns, Janet Correy, Chuck Painter, Deanna Garwood, Dawn Parker, Connie Dillenburg and Rhonda Laird.

Wednesday morning saw the innaugural meeting over Perry Perk coffee of eight former employees of the Perry State Bank and the latterday Raccoon Valley Bank.

The Perry State Bank opened in 1927 in Perry under the ownership of N. P. Black. A Jamaica branch was opened in 1934 and a Bagley branch in 1935. The banks were bought by the Garst family of Coon Rapids in 1968. In 2003 the Perry State Bank was merged charters with the former Dallas County Savings Bank, and the resulting entity was called the Raccoon Valley Bank.

The moving spirit of the Perry State Bank coffee group appeared to be Chuck Painter of rural Perry, who retired a little more than one year ago after 32 years in the Perry branch of the Raccoon Valley Bank.

Painter was joined by Marilyn Burns, who worked for 23 years in the Jamaica branch of the Perry State Bank, which closed in 1993. Janet Correy worked for 37 years in the Perry and Jamaica branches and also in the Bagley branch, which closed in 2015 after 80 years in operation.

The Perry-based coffee cohort included Rhonda Laird, who worked for 24 years at the Perry State Bank in Perry, Connie Culbertson, who spent 25 years in the Perry branch, Deanna Garwood with 26 years and Connie Dillenburg with 31 years. The leader of the pack in job seniority was Dawn Parker of Perry, who worked for 41 years at the Perry State Bank and later the Raccoon Valley Bank in Perry.

Painter, looking like an alpha male with his furry kisser among the tellers Wednesday, said he expects more of the group’s old banker frinds to join the group from time to time.

2 COMMENTS

  1. When I first got married I moved from Wisconsin to Perry and was hired over the phone in 1973 without meeting anyone. Long before zoom or technology as we know it today. I worked on bookkeeping with Wanda, Cindy Bohner and Vicki. I loved my job and the people. My husband had a job offer in Iowa City a year later, but I have great memories of people being so welcoming. Chuck hired me back then. Glad to see so many of you still get together.

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