For Dot Johnson, working
for Extension in Lincoln County
has fulfilled her dream of being a missionary. Johnson says she always
wanted to be a missionary, but with no money for college, it wasn’t
in the cards for her. After 60 years working as a secretary with Cooperative
Extension in Lincoln County, Johnson feels she has indeed fulfilled
her mission: helping people.
“I was glad I got into
this because Extension helps people to live better lives,” Johnson
said. “It’s all so wonderful what we do.”
Johnson was 17 years old
in 1942, just out of high school and working as a waitress at a downtown
Lincolnton drugstore. Women who worked at the nearby courthouse told
her that the county Extension director, Graham Morrison, was looking
for a secretary.
Johnson talked with Morrison
that day, and she was hired on the spot. She began working for a salary
of $50 a month, which was raised to $60 the second month when the state
kicked in an extra $10.
At the time, few people,
including Johnson, earned enough money to pay income tax. “I thought
it would be nice to pay income tax,” she said.
As of August, Johnson has
worked twice as long as most state employees do at retirement. She thought
if she ever got to 50 years, she would retire. But that anniversary
came and went, and 10 years later, she marked another milestone.
“I thought if I ever
got to 50 years, I would quit. But it was so hard to stop,” she
said.
On Aug. 1, Johnson was honored
for her 60 years of service to Cooperative Extension with a banquet
at the Citizens’ Center in Lincolnton. Representatives from Lincoln
County government, N.C. State University
and Extension administration were on hand for the celebration. It was
an occasion for Johnson to reflect on all the things she would have
missed had she left her job after 30 years. She would never have learned
to use a computer, for instance. For many years, she said she couldn’t
leave the office without her electric typewriter; now she feels the
same about her computer.
She has worked for four
county directors and outlasted countless Extension agents.
“You couldn’t
ask for more from any employee,” says Kevin Starr, Lincoln County
Extension director. “Dot puts a high priority on serving the client.
If there’s any way for clients to get help, Dot’s going to
get it for them.”
Phone calls have always
kept Johnson busy, but early on she placed calls by telling a local
operator the number she needed to reach.
Johnson was a charter member
of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Secretaries Association and served
as Southwest District president for several years. “It is a real
good organization” she said, “and I’ve enjoyed being
part of it.”
—Natalie
Hampton
