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Wiscasset’s longtime employee Becky Applin, will be at her desk just a few more days at the town office before retiring, Friday, Dec. 6. (Charlotte Boynton photo) |
By Charlotte Boynton
Rebekah “Becky” Applin, a familiar face around Wiscasset’s town office for the past 32 years, will retire Friday, Dec. 6.
Applin started out working part time for the town as a janitor and worked into the accounts payable position. “Sue Varney and I have done most jobs in the town office,” she said with a chuckle, “although she has a couple years on me.”
“Things have changed since I did the janitorial work – we used to shovel snow, that was before the town had snowblowers,” she said.
Applin was born in Gardiner, and has lived in Wiscasset for the past 37 years. Except for a short time in Florida, Maine has been her home, and will continue to be in her retirement.
She is a 1970 graduate of Wiscasset High School and for many years served as the alumna association treasurer; a job she will continue to do.
Applin is married to Dennis Jumper, who served as Wiscasset’s town attorney for over 20 years. Jumper recently retired from his law firm of Snyder and Jumper.
When asked what their plans are now that they both are joining the group of retirees, she said, “We have no real plans. We want to spent more time with our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren… .”
Between she and her husband they have four children, eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren with two more expected in the spring.
“We have a diversified family,” she said. “We have a doctor, a pharmacist, a mailman, and a facilities manager that works for Google.”
Applin said she will do some volunteer work. “After a while, I will probably get bored and even look for a part time job,” she said. She already has volunteered to work with the town’s cemetery committee to work on the old records.
Over years, she has become very interested in genealogy with people coming into the office looking for information on their family members.
“I have met and worked with some wonderful people while here at the town office, and I will miss being here,” she said. “A person spends more time with the people they work with than they do anyone else. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for the town for so many years. However, I am now looking forward to moving on to the next stage in my life, retirement.”
