Melancthon Council and municipal staff have organized a retirement gathering this Sunday, March 7, for Beverly Kumprey, possibly the only person in the township’s history to have served both as an employee and as a councillor.

People are not being asked to bring more than their best wishes to the 2 to 4 p.m. gathering, but CAO Denise Holmes said she’ll have a basket for anyone wishing to leave a card or whatever else.

Ms. Kumprey, 76, recently resigned from the council for health reasons, after five consecutive elections and almost 16 years. Before serving on the council, she had worked as secretary in the township office with then-Clerk Marion Hunter for more than a decade.

No other member of the council has served under four of Melancthon’s reeves or mayors: She was there during part of the tenure of: the late Gordon Oldfield, perhaps the longest-serving and undefeated reeve in the history of the municipality; Garry Matthews, who retired from politics four years ago because he wasn’t certain his health would allow him to serve a four-year term, had been appointed reeve to fill a vacancy created by the death of Mr. Oldfield in 1998; Ron Dillman, who died a couple of months following his election in 2006, and Debbie Fawcett, elected to replace him in May 2007. Her only election loss in 15 years was to Mr. Dillman in 2006.

During her years of service, Ms. Kumprey has seen what must be a record for mid-term changes in council. First it was Mr. Matthews, who moved up from a council seat to replace Mr. Oldfield upon his death, then it was Ms. Fawcett who was re-elected to replace Mr. Dillman

few months after his death, and more recently Deputy Mayor Bill Hill, who moved from a council seat to fill the vacancy left by the death of D.C. Broderick in 2008.

Mr. Hill, himself, had been appointed to the council when Mr. Matthews’ promotion had left a council seat vacant. His move to the deputy’s chair left a council vacancy that was filled by the appointment of Janice Elliott.

Ms. Kumprey had served as secretary for 12 years prior to her retirement in 1994. She ran for council and was elected in the same year. Her replacement as secretary, Denise Holmes, is now the township CAO.