WAURIKA — At the outset, Doris Anthony Pilgreen’s life changed dramatically and she needed a job — any job.
Twenty-eight years later, Pilgreen is finally relinquishing the job she once thought she’d never need.
In February 1980, Doris Pilgreen had just gone through a divorce that resulted in suddenly becoming the sole daily provider for three young girls. It was an emotional time and Pilgreen was in a dither because she had no real experience in the workplace.
But she also had no time to fret.
“I had never worked, but because of my daughters, I had to do something,” Pilgreen recalled. “So, I came down (to Jefferson County Courthouse) and talked to Savelle Overstreet, who was the County Clerk then.”
Pilgreen grinned and said, “I came in one day and went to work the next. I guess the Lord sent me here.”
“Here” is the Country Clerk’s office in which Pilgreen spent the next 28 years. It’s also the site for a reception on Friday, during which county officers and workers, family and friends will honor Pilgreen for nearly three decades of performing a job she never thought she would need.
Looking back on those years, Pilgreen remembers going through some on-the-job training in the beginning.
“When Savelle first hired me, I was a purchasing agent for Jefferson County and I didn’t really know what to do,” she said. “So, I would ask Savelle if she needed help doing something, and I started learning that way.
“Then I was first deputy clerk for a while, and when Savelle retired, in 1985, I became clerk.”
There was much to learn, because although most citizens are familiar with the position of county clerk, they don’t know much about the what transpires in that job and in the clerk’s office.
“We do payroll for the county, we file deeds and mortgages, and all of the land records for the county are kept here,” Pilgreen explained. “There are a lot of geneology-related records that we have to keep, like military discharges
“In a way, we’re the history-keepers for the county. If (people) want to find out about their family, this is where they come.
“We’re also involved with all the other offices (in the courthouse), because they have to come through us to do their jobs.
“It’s never dull here; there’s always something new every day.”
County clerk is an elected position, and if there’s a way to judge how effectively Pilgreen has accomplished her work over the years it’s this: in 22 years, she’s only drawn an opponent in two elections.
“I have enjoyed the job and the people, and serving the county,” she said. “This is really a county-wide position; what you do affects the whole county. And you get to meet a lot of people.”
Pilgreen admits being unemployed for the first time in 28 years “is a little scary,” but she has some plans for occupying time. Some of that involves those three girls, who are now grownups and the grandchildren they’ve produced.
Christy Pilgreen Green and her husband Chuck live in Duncan with three of those grandkids, Ryan Mora, Sara Barnard and Jarrett Green. Also in Duncan are Debra Rodriguez and husband Rene, and their children Daniel and Skylar.
There will also be trips to Sachse, Texas, where third daughter Tammie Rostant and her husband Pete live with 1-month-old granddaughter Audrie.
Pilgreen’s father, Glenn Anthony, died this year and an uncle, Claude Anthony, recently passed away after several years of Doris being his care-giver. But Pilgreen plans to catch up with some quality time with her mother, Ethel Anthony, and other family members.
“I plan to spend as much time with the six grandkids as I can,” she said. “I also enjoy baking and traveling, and I have a brother, Wayne Anthony, and his wife, Regina. We’re pretty close.
“I imagine that will keep me moving around, but (even now) nobody can find me at home, anyway.”
