Thanks for the memories

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Being two hours late for your first day of work and accidentally head-butting the governor isn't exactly the best way to start a career in state government.

Unless you're Nancylea Hunt.

Despite her less than stellar beginning, Hunt went on to amass 62 years of full-time state employment -- a tenure touted by state officials as the longest in Missouri history.

At a retirement reception Friday, the 81-year-old Hunt recalled oversleeping on Feb. 28, 1941, the first day of her three-month temporary state job. When she got to work that day, she rushed into an elevator -- and met Republican Gov. Forrest Donnell head-on.

"I hit him pretty hard," Hunt said as she greeted such well-wishers as first lady Lori Hauser Holden, Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell and state Supreme Court Judge Duane Benton.

Years later, Hunt reminded the former governor about the incident: "He said he still had the scar."

Hunt, who is single and has no children, has worked for the past couple of decades as a professional assistant for the state Board of Fund Commissioners and Escheats Office, which issues general obligation bonds.

Her former co-worker Frank Blankenship spent more years on the state payroll -- 69 to her 62 -- but worked fewer total hours, according to the Office of Administration. Blankenship became a part-time state employee after retiring in the mid-1970s, and stopped working altogether about a year ago.

Gene Rose, a spokesman for the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver, said Hunt's service appears to stand out nationally.

"It's rare to hear of someone who dedicated themselves to public service for that long," said Rose, coincidentally a former communications chief for the Missouri House. "It's harder and harder for state government to remain competitive in the job market, so for someone to serve in state government for that long is definitely a benefit to state government."

A native of Prairie Home and graduate of the Sedalia Business College, Hunt worked for Standard Oil Co. before she became a state employee. She had her share of bad days throughout her state career, in which Missouri had 12 governors, but she was leaving with no regrets.

"If you like your work, you never work a day in your life," she said. "If you don't like your work, you better find something that you do like."

One thing Hunt doesn't much appreciate is being called "elderly."

"Watch it, boy, you may be in trouble," Hunt told one interviewer. "I never thought I'd live this long.

"I always said people when they get to be 80 years old have no business driving a car," she added. "But I still drive. I drive a convertible."

One of Hunt's notable achievements was her discovery of the original construction plans for Missouri's Capitol, records that had been long thought to have disappeared.

"I really didn't think much about it," said Hunt, who nonetheless was honored by then-Secretary of State James Kirkpatrick for her discovery.

Mark Kaiser, executive secretary of the Board of Fund Commissioners, said working with Hunt the last 25 years have been an unforgettable experience. A hard worker, she always had time to offer advice -- such as telling her boss that he needed a haircut, Kaiser said.

"When some people get on in years they won't be as sharp," Kaiser said. "But she's not leaving because she's slipping or losing it, she is just leaving because she feels it's time for her. I can't see this record ever being broken."

Asked what it's been like working with the 50-year-old Kaiser, Hunt deadpanned: "I turned out to be a young man's slave."

An avid St. Louis Cardinals fan who is active in her church and community, Hunt is also widely traveled. She has visited 34 countries and 47 states and has more plans for travel abroad. In 1970, she took a trip around the world.

In light of a revenue crisis that has resulted in some layoffs of state workers, Hunt said she was retiring at a good time. With two years of annual sick leave remaining, her pension income from the state will exceed what she earned while on the payroll.

But that's not really what it's all about for Hunt.

"I'm going to miss the people," she said.