BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cherryroad.com
For more than 50 years – and through three major editor changes – Darlene Wierman has been the face of the Cassville Democrat.
All that will change Wednesday, as Wierman has decided to retire.
Hired under Owner/Editor Bob Mitchell, Wierman’s career has been marked by her tireless work ethic and her friend-to-all personality.
“I will miss getting up and coming to work every morning and interacting with the community,” Wierman said. “I have always been a worker. I started working at Whitley’s as a sophomore in high school, and I have worked ever since.
“I think my mother instilled that work ethic in me. I have three older brothers, but my mom turned a lot of the work over to me at an early age. I think that’s why I like to keep busy. There’s nothing I enjoy about sitting around.”
Sitting around was never in her job description at the Democrat, as she did every odd job from pasting pages to bundling papers to editing copy and organizing the office. Wierman said some of her favorite jobs over the years were in the pre-digital era.
“I really liked ad design and pasting up the paper the old-fashioned way,” she said. “There was a lot of creative work involved in that. I also loved meeting and interacting with the public. There used to be more people that come to pay their subscription or buy a paper in-person.”
Bob Mitchell, former owner of the Democrat whose family owned the paper since 1872, said Wierman’s loyalty was unparalleled.
“Darlene is a very loyal employee and always a hard worker,” he said. “She never shirked any responsibility. One of the things I really appreciated about her was the attention she gave my mother, who sat up front next to her all those years. Darlene was always receptive of what she had to say, and they both worked on me with ideas. Some of them I did, and some I didn’t.
“She’s loyal, and the Democrat is very important to her, especially when she used to be more deeply involved in building it.”
Lisa Schlichtman, former owner of the Democrat, said those paste-up days were some of her favorites, as well.
“We had some fun memories in the pre-digital era cutting and pasting the paper together,” she said. “Darlene loved doing that, and she taught me how to do it. On Wednesdays, we would all bundle the papers for the postal delivery, and when it was all hands on deck, she was right in the middle of all of it.”
Wierman also said those were some of her greatest memories.
“When Lisa was here and we were fully staffed with 8-10 people, it was a fun time, and I enjoyed the camaraderie of getting the paper out,” she said.
Schlichtman said when she and her late husband, Mike, bought the Democrat in their early 30s, Wierman was already a mainstay.
“Mike and I inherited Darlene, and we didn’t know what we were doing,” Schlichtman said. “She took us under her wing and taught us everything she knew. She has this institutional knowledge of the newspaper, and Mike and I really needed it.”
Schlichtman said Wierman’s knowledge and helpfulness extended beyond just the nuts and bolts of the paper.
“I had a lot to learn, being the first female editor and in a pretty conservative town,” Schlichtman said. “I would do the job at times and get frustrated or upset, and she was a wonderful listener. She was someone with whom I could talk things through, whether it be a story idea or something going on with an elected official. She would always give a valuable perspective and help calm me down.
“She and I are in some ways very different. She’s a little more reserved, and I think when she speaks, people listen because of how she speaks.”
Wierman said she recognizes that skill in herself at times.
“I think I do have a calming way of speaking with people that helps calm them,” she said. “I always try to answer their questions and say we are just here to help.”
Mitchell said that quality of Wierman’s was one he greatly appreciated, as well as her commitment to Christianity.
“She had a great consistency of being concerned if anything was going on, and she’d always ask me, ‘Well, what would your mother think?’” Mitchell said. “She kept me in short range several times. Everyone knows Darlene has a strong basis of Christian family principles, and that kept me grounded at times.
“I really valued her in that aspect, and she was in the Democrat family as much as anybody.”
Community-wise, Wierman’s presence over the years has given her a unique perspective of Cassville news.
“The role of the newspaper in the community is record-keeping, but it also gives people something to look forward to each week and to know what’s going on,” she said. “The biggest news I recall is when we had the fire on the square at Tomblin’s and Whitley’s. That was traumatic for everyone and a horrible experience. To walk over and see business-people crying is not anything you can forget.”
While some times were tough, Wierman said there were some great successes, one especially that continues to thrive.
“One thing I am really proud of is when Lisa, Veronica [Zucca] and I got Connection Magazine off the ground,” she said. “When we saw what we did, it was very satisfying. The way the public reacted and the unbelievable response we had, that encouraged us to keep going. It was such a huge success, and we didn’t know what it would do. We learned everything the hard way, but Lisa had some great ideas.”
As she says goodbye to the Democrat, Wierman is not totally sure what awaits her in retirement.
“I don’t have any plans,” she said. “I’ve never developed any hobbies. My job has been my hobby. I have no idea what to do to keep busy. I’ve kept my home up, so there’s not much to do there. I have friends that tell me I can learn to play Bridge with them, and I’ve been invited to go exercise. I will find things eventually to occupy my time.”
Whatever Wierman decides to do, one thing Schlichtman pointed out will be exceptionally clear.
“Darlene has been the face of the Democrat for decades,” she said. “It will be strange not to have her there greeting everyone.”
