Published: May 29, 2008 02:25 am      

Retirement parties for five UP employees set today

PALESTINE — Retirement parties for five Union Pacific employees are being held today in Palestine. The retiring employees’ careers represent a total of 179 years of service in the railroad industry. Through mergers, transfers and layoffs, it is a winding road that has brought most of them to this milestone in their careers.

Retiring from the Union Pacific Car Show are Linda Marciel “Lucy” Guillot, a clerk, and Norman F. Hart, a carman. Retiring from UP Damage Prevention is Claims Adjusters Sharon Fisher, Mickey Wortham and Don Seale.

Guillott began her 39-year railroad history with Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1969, working there until she got an opportunity to bid into the Palestine Car Shop in 1981. Two years after her arrival in Palestine, Missouri Pacific merged with Union Pacific. Guillott has worked in the Car Shop continuously for 27 years, except for a three-year period when she worked in the Claims Department.

Hart is the only retiree to have worked for Union Pacific his entire career. He went to work in 1975 in the UP Pocatello, Idaho, Car Shop. When that shop was closed in 1997, he transferred to the Palestine Car Shop where he has remained until his retirement after 33 years of railroading.

Fisher began his 37-year railroad career in 1971 with Texas Pacific Railway in Odessa. With the TP/MP merger, she moved to Houston in 1976 and with the MP/UP merger, she moved to Dallas in 1983. In 1985, she and her family transferred to Palestine when her late husband, A.D. “Tony” Fisher accepted a position as UP Claims Agent here.

Wortham is one of the two employees to actually begin and end his railroad career in Palestine, although he worked in several different locations and held positions in the Operating Department before finally settling in the Claims Department. He is retiring after 36 years of railroading.

Seal is the only retiree to actually serve his entire career in Palestine Claims Department. He has held a number of positions in 34 years of his employment, finally serving as Office Manager of Damage Prevention Claims Department.