ELLSWORTH — Roberta Keep will help her last customer July 6.

The head teller at The First in Ellsworth will retire after 35 years with the bank.

“I will miss that everyday customer that I see and being able to help with their transactions and hearing about their everyday lives,” Keep said.

Times have changed since her first day at the bank May 30, 1978.

She took the job in the days before debit cards, direct deposit and online banking. People would line up at lunchtime on payday to cash their checks.

There are still customers who prefer to do business face to face. Keep has helped multiple generations with their transactions.

“I’m seeing children that have children now,” she said.

Retirement will allow her more time to read, knit, play cards with friends and volunteer at her church and with the Ellsworth High School Alumni Association.

Keep also is planning a trip to Alaska in August 2013.

Branch Manager Gail Sargent said her co-worker of 23 years will be impossible to replace.

“I’ve got a feeling we’re still going to be calling her,” Sargent said.

“We’ve been through Y2K together,” she recalled.

The pair ventured out in frigid weather on New Year’s Day in 2000 to test the bank equipment.

Keep also was on the job during a major bank remodel in 1994.

Employees have built long careers with the bank. Teller Nancy Parsons retired after 41 years last February. Other employees have been there 20-plus years.

“We’re like a family,” Sargent said. “It’s not just a workplace here.”

One of Keep’s tasks was to decorate the bank for the holidays.

She is known for her handmade May baskets, which will still be available at The First after her retirement.

For more business news, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.