A return to the old Citizens Bank building in Hartselle on Friday refreshed Clara Howell’s memory of what it was like to work there as a teller during the post World II era. | Clif Knight

Clara Howell recalls her tenure at Citizens Bank

Clif Knight

Hartselle Enquirer

A return to the old Citizens Bank building in Hartselle on Friday refreshed Clara Howell’s memory of what it was like to work there as a teller during the post World II era.

Mrs. Howell, 89, her husband Sim, 90, and their daughter, Julie Haynes, stopped by for a look after Mrs. Howell spotted the corner building as a former workplace while they were outside for a drive on a sunny, spring-like afternoon.

“It looks a lot like it did when I left here 63 years ago,” Mrs. Howell recalled. “It has the same floor tile, ceiling, stairway and the vault is still intact. “ I was the first teller on the right for most of the time I worked here (1946-1953).”

“Back then some people didn’t trust banks as a depository for their money and would dig holes and hide it underground in their back yards,” she said.” I can remember at least two or three instances when a customer brought in money in rusty tin cans and dumped it in my window to count.”

“When I started to work for the bank I roomed with a family that lived on Pearl Street and walked back and forth to work every day,” she pointed out. “Later, after I married, my husband would park on Sparkman Street and pick me up after work.

“Mr. Broom, the bank president, would park at the back door each morning and bring in the money we needed to do business that day. One morning he and my husband arrived at the same time and he let Sim help him bring in the money.”

“In those days, Citizens Bank was the town’s only bank and we had customers waiting to be served throughout the day,” she added,  “especially in the spring when farmers were taking out loans to buy supplies for their crops.”

“I enjoyed my time at the bank,” Mrs. Howell said. “Mr. Broom was a stickler for accuracy and he expected everything to be done right. He was a good boss and a good banker.”

“Our Christmas Club savings plan was a big thing back then,” Mrs. Howell recalled. It allowed customers to put back

a few dollars each week and build up a nice nest egg for the next Christmas season. One of my jobs was to sit at the door during the holiday season and hand out Santa Claus cutouts to remind customers that membership in the Christmas Club was open.”

The Howells live in Falkville in a house they moved into when they married 68 years ago.  They have two adult daughters, Julie Haynes and Anna Henderson, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

The Citizens Bank building is currently occupied by Home Place Mortgage Co. Kerry Richardson, branch manager, said the building is unique and has an interesting history. “I love the stories people tell about it and welcome the opportunity we have to show it off to our customers and their children.”