ELLSWORTH – “Bank Lady” Raynee Farrell shows no signs of slowing down, celebrating 50 years this month in the banking industry. She serves as a commercial banker at CCFBank in Ellsworth’s East End and is a familiar face volunteering at multiple community events.

The public is invited to celebrate with her 1-4 p.m. Sunday, July 26 at Ellsworth Country Club (W6920 Golf Course Lane). A light lunch and refreshments will be served, along with a specialty “Bank Lady” cocktail.

Farrell was hired in 1976 as a teller making $400 a month with First Federal Savings and Loan Assoc. of Eau Claire, located where the Ellsworth Subway is now.

“I was going to be rich!” Farrell said. “My first paycheck was $180 and my rent (because I moved from my parents, because I knew everything!) was $160. Good thing Mom and Dad didn’t mind providing me with food!”

At that time, First Federal only offered Passbook Savings (at 5.25% and within a month it went to 5.5%, Farrell said) Certificates of Deposit and mortgage loans. In 1980, they added the early version of checking accounts, called NOW (Negotiable Order of Withdrawal) accounts and changed their name to First Federal Savings Bank. In 1982, consumer loans were added to the mix and Farrell became licensed in life and credit insurance.

“Our ‘computers’ at that time were more like teletype machines,” Farrell said. “We had to build our transactions in the old-fashioned way. When Sue Gulbranson moved up, I moved to ‘Loan Secretary,’ aka TYPES all the loans, then to Consumer Loan Officer and Branch Manager in 1998.”

First Federal moved across the street in 1993 to 385 W. Main St. (now home to a credit union), which was sold to Mutual Savings Bank and eventually merged into Bank Mutual with 1^st Northern Bank out of Green Bay. In February 2018, another bank took over Bank Mutual and Farrell decided to move in a different direction.”

“Literally in 40 days we opened CCFBank in East End at our present location and the rest is history!” Farrell said.

Senior Vice President of Treasury Management Rebecca Reinhardt referred to Farrell as the pillar of CCFBank in Ellsworth.

"There are very few people whose name becomes synonymous with both a community and a bank, but Raynee has earned that distinction,” Farrell said. “She has spent 50 years investing in the people of Ellsworth, building relationships that span generations, and showing up wherever she is needed. Raynee doesn't just work in Ellsworth, she embodies the spirit of Ellsworth. Her caring heart, deep community roots, and passion for helping others make her the face of CCFBank in this community."

Throughout her career, Farrell has created countless cherished memories and friendships with her fellow “Bank Ladies.” Described in one article as “local celebrities,” the ladies have always been known to have an upbeat, can-do attitude and dedication to their community. It’s rare to attend an event in town and not see them there.

“Our Bank Lady name came about when at a wedding of one of the Bank Lady’s kids where we were all celebrating,” Farrell said. “A young man came up to us and said, ‘It’s my Bank Ladies!” The name stuck from that point on. Anyone that has worked with our group in the past 40 years is a Bank Lady, #BankLadiesRule.”

In a Bank Mutual article published to celebrate her 40^th anniversary, she detailed her friendship with Sue Gulbranson, who started at First Federal a few months before her. They worked together for almost 40 years, watched their kids grow up together, leaned on each other for support during tough times, celebrated milestones and remained best friends.

The Esdaile native and Ellsworth High School graduate married husband Tom in 1977. They have two sons, Kyle and Corey, and daughter Heather, who were raised in Ellsworth. Their families live here and Grandma Raynee has been a cheerleader for all her grandkids’ activities, even accompanying her granddaughters Audrey and Sarah on European International Club trips.

The Ellsworth community means a lot to Farrell and always will.

“Ellsworth is where my life has focused for the past 57 years, starting in Junior High, High School (where I met my husband Tom) and all the way through my grandkids’ graduations,” Farrell said. “It’s a great small town, full of caring people. My in-laws used to have businesses here that I worked at and that helped me to make connections with the business community, leading to my start in banking.”

Farrell has been actively involved in the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce since 1998. She has thoroughly enjoyed serving the business community as president, vice president and treasurer and being one of the ambassadors.

“What better way to learn about new businesses and grow your network?” she said.

She enjoyed serving on the Ellsworth High School Senior-Night Lock-in Committee when her daughter was in school, is active in the Ellsworth E3 Community Development Corporation and recently joined the Friends of the Ellsworth Public Library.

It’s hard to believe Farrell has any spare time, but when she does, she enjoys painting pallets, canning and gardening. She even used to sew all her own suits. She also considers mowing the lawn her time to unwind.

“I’m one of the crazy people who enjoys mowing their yard,” she said.

Farrell adores Halloween, which shows in her creative scarecrows in the annual Ellsworth Scarecrow competition. She tries to do something new every year. CCFBank’s display is always in the top of the competition each year and sets a high standard for others to follow.

As for this 50^th year milestone, it’s hard to put into words what it means to Farrell.
“Other than the fact that I’m aging, it means that I have enjoyed learning and growing in my career and watching how business has developed and changed over the years,” she said. “When I started there was not email, no ATM, and we did not even have a drive up to begin with.”

Digging through everything she has saved over the years, some that she doesn’t know why she kept, has brought up a lot of memories – and some tears. She choked up as she spoke about all the memories over the years.

“I might cut down in hours somewhere along the line,” she said. “But I need to be around people, especially after working around people for so long.”