Maine Woman Celebrates 50 Years Working at the Same Job

Back in the day, it was not all that uncommon to know people who spent decades at the same job.

In some towns and cities where there were mills and factories it was not uncommon to find people who spent their entire lives working at the same place.

I spent some time living in Erie, Pennsylvania.  When I was there, one of the largest employers was a General Electric factory that made diesel-electric locomotives.  A longtime resident of the area once told me that, during the peak years of that factory, people would often graduate on a Saturday and start work at the factory on a Monday.  They'd spend their entire careers there, too.

Due to many changes over the last few decades, those days are really over.  These days, many of us change jobs on a regular basis.  According to USA Facts, the average time spent at a job has dropped to just under four years.

However, there are still some exceptions to that rule.

The Story of Maine's LouAnn Lindie

According to an article in the KJ, 66-year-old LouAnn Lindie just celebrated a major milestone: she has been employed by the same McDonald's restaurant for a half-century!

The article explains that, in 1975, LouAnn and her sister Dawn stormed into the McDonald's on Main Street in Waterville, Maine.

Dawn reportedly demanded to speak to a manager.  Dawn, who was 15 at the time, told the manager that they both needed jobs. Dawn would not take no for an answer, and before they knew it, the manager had hired them both at less than two dollars an hour.

Dawn stayed with the job for seven years, but LouAnn, now LouAnn Lindie, never left. She has been there for fifty years.

Not surprisingly, over the years her duties have changed significantly, but some things never change.  When she first started, she was working 5 AM to 1 PM.    These days, LouAnn Lindie is still working mornings, but now she is the breakfast manager.

Three mornings a week she is at the restaurant by 3:30, checking the lobby, making sure everything is spotless, and even helping unload the trucks. On two other mornings, she starts at 2:30. Over the years, she has trained thousands of employees.

LouAnn has been married to her husband, Michael, for 47 years. They raised two children together. Michael once did maintenance at McDonald’s before moving on to Scott Paper in Winslow.

Earlier this week, McDonald’s celebrated LouAnn’s dedication.  Red and yellow balloons filled the restaurant, she was gifted a red, white and yellow crew jacket, and the local owner, Ron Lydick, wrapped her in a big hug.

Congrats to LouAnn on her lengthy career!