Napoleon State Bank employee celebrates 50 years of service

"It is a great place to work and it feels like family"

(NAPOLEON, Ind.) – A Napoleon State Bank employee is celebrating a milestone work anniversary on Thursday.

Linda Wagner has officially worked at the bank for 50 years! 

She graduated from Jac-Cen-Del as the class valedictorian in 1975, however decided not to go to college due to medical concerns.

Wagner was working at the Colonial Cottage restaurant in Versailles when former Jac-Cen-Del superintendent Steve Gookins encouraged her to apply for a secretary position at the bank. 

She worked as the secretary until she was asked to become Napoleon State Bank’s Loan Collections Officer. 

“They said just give it a year or two and if you don’t like it, we’ll find a different position for you,” Wagner recalled. 

It turns out that Wagner enjoyed the role so much that she has served as the Loan Collections Officer since 1986! 

The bank is celebrating Linda’s half-century of commitment with digital signs encouraging customers to stop by and wish her well. 

One visitor today was a former customer that she helped with student loans many years ago. 

“He was so nice and it was great to see him after all these years and he thanked me for helping him back then which was really kind,” she said. 

She added that her career at Napoleon State Bank has been a wonderful experience and described her co-workers as family. 

While Linda is celebrating the anniversary, she is also looking forward to her upcoming retirement in January. 

“I feel very close to the people I am around here as this has been a wonderful place to work."

She added, "I was fearful of having to train someone to take over my role, but the person I am currently training is doing a wonderful job and will do great. I told her that she can make a career out of this and one day retire from here too."