Kathryn “Kitty” Gerling | October 12, 1921 – Forever
Remembered
On March 16, 1995, an 18-year-old wild child walked into
Mid-State Federal Savings & Loan Association to start a job as a bank
teller.
That wild child was me. 😂
Little did I know that one of the most influential women I
would ever meet was waiting for me there.
Her name was Kitty Gerling.
Kitty wasn't just my boss. Over the next two decades, she
became my mentor, my teacher, and, in many ways, a grandmother figure in my
life.
This woman was a force to be reckoned with.
Sixty years of service to Mid-State. A businesswoman in an
era when women weren't always given the respect they deserved. Smart, fierce,
generous, feisty, and sharp as a tack.
She could read a room, make a deal on a handshake, and tell
you exactly where to go and how to get there if you needed it. 😂
And believe me, she wasn't afraid to!
But underneath that tough exterior was a woman with an
enormous heart. She treated people from all walks of life with dignity, gave
generously, and earned the kind of respect that money and titles simply cannot
buy.
Was she perfect? Hell no. Neither am I. But she was REAL.
Kitty was ballroom dancing in her 80s, and let me tell you,
that woman didn't slow down just because the calendar said she should! 😂
She lived life on her terms, stayed feisty, fiercely independent, and full of
personality right up until the end of her 95 years. She kept doing what she
loved for as long as she possibly could.
She didn't just grow old. She LIVED. And she sure as hell
wasn't going to let a number tell her how to do it! ❤️
And through it all, she was still teaching me lessons I
didn't always appreciate at the time.
Because let's face it, when you're 18, you think you know
everything. Looking back at 50, I realize just how little I knew and how much
that woman taught me.
Kitty gave me an education in business, character,
people, and life that no college classroom could have ever replaced.
We always celebrated our October birthdays together. I
turned 50 this past Saturday, and today Kitty would have turned 105.
The picture I'm sharing is of a penholder we had made to
celebrate Kitty's incredible 60 years of service at Mid-State. We threw her a
big celebration, and that keepsake still sits in my office today. It's
something I'll always treasure.
And here's something else. I still talk to Kitty in my head.
❤️
Sometimes when I'm facing a situation, I can practically hear exactly what
she'd tell me. Her advice, her famous sayings, and occasionally that feisty
little attitude! 😂 That's how much of an
impression she left on me.
And as I reflect on my own life, I realize something.
When my time on this earth is done, I hope people remember
me the way I remember her.
Not for my job title. Not for how much money I made. Not for
the mistakes I've made along the way.
But for the people I helped, the lessons I shared, the
strength I showed, and the good I left behind.
Because being a good person doesn't mean being a doormat.
And Kitty Gerling was living proof of that! ❤️
Mid-State may no longer be here, but its legacy lives on in
those of us who had the privilege of being part of that old-school banking
family. Some of the best years of my life were spent there.
And Kitty? She was the heart of so much of it.
Happy 105th heavenly birthday, Miss Kitty. ❤️
I remember you. I respect you. I will forever be grateful
that God placed you in my life when He did.
And I promise, the lessons you taught that young, stubborn,
18-year-old girl are still being carried forward today.
That's a legacy worth leaving. And Kitty is a woman worth
remembering. ❤️
Love you forever, Miss Kitty. 🕊️
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