General's visit most memorable moment

Mary Lou Ross

CULBERTSON, Neb. -- Of all the minutes Mary Lou Ross has spent at the Culbertson Bank, the most special occurred in 1968 when Mary Lou got to meet and talk with Major Gen. Charles M. Eisenhart of the U.S. Strategic Air Command.

"Gen. Eisenhart touched me forever when he came to the bank in Culbertson and took the time to talk with me like a long-lost neighbor," Mary Lou said. "He was in full uniform, with all his medals proudly displayed, but he acted as common as his brothers, Ned and Russ, Sr. who I worked with at the bank."

Sadly, shortly after meeting Mary Lou, Gen. Eisenhart was killed in the crash of a military airplane due to icing in a flight out of Minot, North Dakota.

Although Gen. Charles had a brief but special time in Mary Lou's life, other members of the Eisenhart family were ever-present in her banking career, with five different members of the Eisenhart family serving as the bank president during Mary Lou's 52-year career at the bank which still stands tall in the middle of Culbertson's downtown business district.

"I served on the staffs of five Eisenhart presidents, starting with A.C. Eisenhart in 1963 and continuing through the years with E.W. (better known as Ned); Russell, Sr.; Russell Jr. (better known as Rusty); and David," Mary Lou said.

Mary Lou's career with the Culbertson Bank began when she received a call from Ned, who asked if she would consider leaving her job at First National Bank of McCook to come to work at the Culbertson Bank.

Mary Lou was quick to say yes. The reason was that although she was working in McCook, Mary Lou was living in Culbertson with her husband, Bob, and her young son, Jeffery. "It was a matter of convenience," she said, and her intentions, at first, were to only work at the bank until she got Jeffery through school.

That date came and passed, however, as the banking business became a bigger and bigger part of Mary Lou's life. "It seemed like every time one of the Eisenharts retired, I got a new public service job," she said.

An example is the Culbertson Cemetery District, which she has served as secretary-treasurer since 1982. "I got that job when Russ retired from the cemetery board," Mary Lou said. That was also the case when Ned retired from the Culbertson village clerk's job. Mary Lou took on those duties after Ned retired, and continued as the clerk for Culbertson for five more years.

Despite her demanding job with the bank, Mary Lou also distinguished herself in local and statewide organizations. She served three terms as president of Bethel Chapter 109 of the Order of Eastern Star in Culbertson. Her greatest honor, however, came in 1991 when Mary Lou was named Woman of the Year in Nebraska for Financial Women International. To capture the honor, Mary Lou traveled throughout Southwest Nebraska, encouraging bank CEOs to get their female staff members involved in FWI, which is the abbreviated title by which Financial Women International is best known. Taking her position as Membership Chair seriously, Mary Lou signed up seven new members, bringing about the greatest growth of any of the seven FWI districts in Nebraska.

In retirement, Mary Lou will be spending more time visiting her husband, Bob, a resident at El Dorado Manor in Trenton. After farming during the early part of his adult life, Bob became an insurance representative for the Marr Agency in McCook. After many years selling life insurance for Ohio National, Bob closed his insurance career selling multiple insurance lines, including crop-hail.

The Ross's only child, Jeffery, is a pivot specialist for Quality Irrigation out of Palisade.

More than half a century ago, when Jeffery was only three, Mary Lou began her career as a bookkeeper-teller at the Culbertson Bank on November 1, 1963. She has been Assistant Cashier since 1989.

"Mary Lou's customer service and attention to detail have been essential to our success over the past half century," said Rusty Eisenhart, chairman, and David Eisenhart, president, of the Culbertson Bank.

"In addition to her dedication to the bank, she has been an important community leader," the Eisenharts said, citing her service as village clerk; secretary-treasurer of the Culbertson Cemetery District; and her active role in Financial Women International."

Rusty and Dave concluded by saying, "The Culbertson Bank is very grateful for Mary Lou's service and congratulate her on a great banking career."