Bessie Endress served 30 years as the Sherman town clerk and 18 years as a town councilwoman. Town Supervisor Mark Persons called Endress “one of the greatest public servants we’ve ever known in the town of Sherman.”

“She just defined everything she did with excellence,” he added. “She set a very high bar for what a public servant should look like for all of us.”

As a town clerk and town councilwoman, Endress contributed to the success of the Sherman community for a significant length of time before her retirement in April.

Persons said one of her greatest attributes as a public official was how she made herself available to the people of Sherman.

Endress is pictured in May at a Sherman Town Board meeting with her daughter, Kim; son, Brian; daughter, Karol; and son-in-law, Larry.

“She was available almost any time people needed her,” he said.

In addition to her other responsibilities, Endress served as a bookkeeper for Persons as well as for his predecessor. Persons said Endress was someone he could always go to when he had any questions.

“Bessie was the type of board member that you really appreciated,” Persons said. “She always came thoroughly prepared, had her comments or corrections or questions on the minutes always ready.”

Endress said her experience serving the community as the town clerk and a town councilwoman was interesting and enabled her to make friends with people she had never known before.

“I hope that I served my community by seeing that everything was copacetic,” she said. “I hope that I made some kind of an impact on the community as far as serving.”

During her service to the people of Sherman, Endress said she tried to be available and help anyone who came by her office for any reason.

Endress presented her resignation in April. “It has been an honor and Privilege to serve in this position for over 18 years and to work with Board members dedicated to bringing the best to the Town of Sherman,” Endress said in her letter of resignation.

“I just felt that I should step down and let them get someone that maybe was a little younger and would have maybe more ideas about things,” Endress said. “I just felt that it was time to move along.”

Endress was honored May 5 at a meeting of the Sherman Town Board with her family for her many years of public service. Persons presented Endress with a special plaque commemorating her 30 years of service.

“We just took a minute and honored her,” Persons said.

The board took several weeks to consider a replacement. After considering different candidates, Brant Henning was appointed and began serving on the Town Board in June.

Endress offered advice to people interested in following her example as a public servant. “They have to be dedicated, not just to serving the community, but being ready and available for anything that might come up,” she said.