Geneva honors Schindlbeck for 37 years of service

GENEVA -- None of his co-workers, city officials, aldermen or even the mayor ever accused Ed Schindlbeck of being at a loss for words.

So when the City Council recently honored the street department worker for 37 years as a city employee, everyone settled in for a nice, long speech.

"I don't know what to say," Schindlbeck said, leaning on the podium in the City Council chambers.

"It's been fun. I really didn't know it was going to last this long."

Schindlbeck started working for the city on May 3, 1971. His retirement today comes almost exactly 37 years later.

He served under eight mayors and two city administrators.

Schindlbeck said his most memorable day -- or days -- on the job came in 1979, when as a member of the street department, he worked 32 straight hours plowing out snow during the great snowfall of that year.

"It just kept snowing," he said.

Joining him at the council meeting were his wife, Brenda, their two sons, and his brother, Tim, and his family.

The council gave Schindlbeck a framed certificate of service, a gift wrapped in the city's blue and yellow "Swedish flag" color scheme and a cake.

Schindlbeck will trade his job for some work for his family. But he told the elected officials he does not rule out another career.

"Now I can run for office or something," he said.