Age 39: We were young(er) once

Members of the Michigan Department of State Bureau of Driver Improvement's Data Input (aka "Order") Unit, circa 1988. Likely this is a Christmas Party photo.

Betty's retirement party is this afternoon, so folks have been hunting through old photos. Lisa found this one in her files. I initially dated this as 1984, as that was the only Christmas where Holly, Claudia, and I were all members of the unit, but we didn't yet work in little boxes so that guess was wrong. I remained an honorary member of BC's staff after I got promoted to management staff, as did Holly after she took another position. Both Holly and Claudia left the unit in May of 1985, when I succeeded Holly as Betty's lead worker; after I left, Claudia returned. Fred, who was only briefly a member of the unit, moved to Management and Budget in 1989, which sets an outside limit for the photograph's date.

Faithie passed away early in 2004. Sharon (Dee), Claudia, Susie and DC have all retired; Betty, the other Diane (Dee Dee), and (I think) Holly will be leaving this month, and I left a few weeks back. Fred's with Retirement Services (how appropriate!), but I'd largely forgotten him until seeing the picture and hunting him down. Jimmy and Lisa still work in the building and are, I believe, planning to soldier on.

Of the people in the photo, only Dee Dee is still doing the job she had when the pic was taken.

Probably this photo was taken by Homer Smith, who was DI's Bureau Director for many years--but Section Supervisor Rick Borucki may have been the photographer. Since Dee Dee's labelled Maynard, the labels are recent.