Bank of Taney County Memories by Christie Biggs

Bank of Taney County opened September 1958, I was nearly 3 years old.
At age 16 I opened my first checking account with $5.00 and depleted that stash in NO time at all. (I think I ordered a box of checks that was $2 so that left me $3.) hmmmmm...not much different now is it?

I recall going in and thinking the ladies all looked so nice in their "uniforms" brown....like UPS ---- I don't believe they enjoyed being twinkies, but I remember thinking they all looked so "smart" and how fortunate they were to be in such a nice place to work all dressed up!!
Through the years workers came and went with the bank growing on and changes made consistently.

The first change was when Bank of Taney changed to:
Boatmen's Bank of Taney
Boatmen's Tri-Lakes (that's when we stepped out and included Branson, Crane and Stone-Ridge...now called Branson West)
Boatmen's Bank of Southern MO (when we merged with Springfield "national" bank)
Boatmen's Bank (I think we dropped the southern mo... for a while)
Nations Bank 1997
Bank of America 1998

A lot of good people have gone through those doors, I'm happy to treasure all the faces and with memories, some sad, some sweet, and many hilarious but ALL with love, I still see so vividly; Glee Williams AKA "Granny", Patsy Johnson, Bob Hodges, Eddie Beaver, Jay Frank Taylor, Barb Dorgan, Betty Burche, Aletta Reynolds, Martha, Eileen Dilday, Arlene Braden, Liz Houseman, Lona, Tammy Morton, Karrie Blevins, Don Brown, Amy Snapp, Linda Morey, Deborah, Leslie Wyman , Joanne, Candy, Jolene, Rita D, Pam Kueck, Barb Keller, Barb Casey, Helen Soutee, Janet, Tammy Rutherford, Della Russell, Shelly, Tracy, Teresa Blair, TJ Buttry, Vicki Holland, Wanda Campbell, John and Jack, Renee, Lisa, Shelly, Kevin, Dana, Amy Tate, Dixie Tilley, Dean Harmon, Pam Rogers, WOW ....so many more.

Some have gone on to meet the Lord, and the rest are tarrying, working through our daily lives waiting to meet with them again one day soon.

My term as a teller began in 1984 so I missed out on the years where they used to see how many bankers would fit into a Volkswagen and how many trips Jack would make to pick up workers on snow days so he would have people to count money and run transactions for that day. Each of us have memories that make us smile and are precious in our own mind. I'm especially glad to have known Glee Williams, we young "peons" had a definite respect for Glee which she so gracefully earned. One of the funnier stories of my era with Glee involved a new associate that had been told to use the bank car (we had those back then) and go into Springfield for all day training. When TJ got back that day she was bragging on what a nice "ride" she enjoyed into town and back. Come to find out Glee had left her keys in her own personal pink luxury car so when TJ went out, she just grabbed the first car with keys in it. (remember when we used to do that too?) Glee had worked all day, never leaving the bank not realizing her car had gone on a little trip. I don't think she cared that TJ took her car but as a new teller it scared her to death when SHE realized what she had done.

Glee's special name was "Granny". I'm not sure why nor when that name was attached but it followed her throughout her banking career. Some of my first thoughts soon after my employment was, "why does everyone call her Granny? I can't call her Granny, I already HAVE a Granny"!! I cautiously began calling her that and in no time at all felt comfortable with having a 2nd GRANNY. The operations department had an important set of keys that were held on a key ring that had belonged to Glee and bore her initial. We used to say, "Throw me the Granny key", new associates had a hard time understanding what the "Granny Key" was but we continued to use it for a long while after Granny was gone, not wanting to give it up, as all things do change we had to retire the "G" ring a few years ago. The Granny key ring still exists and I know it deserves a special spot in history as Granny will always have a special place in our hearts.

The next time you walk into your local Bank of America branch in Forsyth, just know that the doors welcome you with more than 51 years of howdys and a lifetime of history.

Christie Biggs

Bank of America VP & Mortgage Specialist

417-272-0468