Judy Yielding Celebrates 40 Years with State Farm
Judy Yielding says she doesn’t like housework nor yard work so why retire? What would she do? So, Judy is celebrating 40 years of business at State Farm in Monticello on January 1 and is having a celebration reception from 2-5 p.m. at Thomas Persons Hall on January 4th. All are invited!
Judy opened her office in Monticello in 1980 in the back of the real estate office of Robert Zekowski. She was one of the first female insurance agents around and was in unchartered territory opening up cold in Monticello. Her manager, Morgan Harvill offered her $600 per month to open. He told her that they were hiring a male agent in Griffin at the same time but were giving him $1,200 a month because his wife did not work.
She asked him if he was trying to talk her out of becoming an agent and he affirmed that. She told him that he was doing a darn good job but that she was determined to give it a try! She took him up on the offer and never looked back! She worked hard and occasionally had to turn to her parents for financial help as her little salary didn’t cover much. She persevered and moved out of that office into the old bank building owned by Lanier Ozburn.
Finally, she needed more room as her business began to grow and she moved into one side of Charles Bramlett’s office. In 1996 she built and moved into her current location off Hwy. 16 west across from Ingles supermarket.
Before opening the State Farm office here, Judy lived in Albany and taught kindergarten, music and English at St. Teresa’s Catholic School in Albany and worked with Prudential Life Insurance Company at night. It was in Albany that she had her three children who have now given her seven grandchildren. She states that they are so wonderful that she should have had them first!
In August of 1979 she and her family moved back to her hometown of Jackson. Her brother, Luke Weaver, was the State Farm agent in Jackson and worked one day a week in Monticello from the courthouse selling insurance. He encouraged her to take the position in Monticello and he would bow out of there. She had some unusual first customers which tried to convince her to leave town but she is not a coward!
Judy loves working and has a wonderful office staff. They include Angie Hooper, office manager, who been with Judy for 10 years. Deanna Ballew and Angie Lewis, both of whom have been there five years and Brittney Hyde, who has been there a little over a year. She may be the new kid on the block but is a go getter! Ms. Lewis worked for Judy’s brother, Luke, before he retired, so she has many years with State Farm.
“They are not just team members, they’re my daughters from other mothers,” says Judy. She says that she is technologically challenged and is so fortunate to have the team members. She said that they don’t need her; she needs them.
As for insurance, Judy says that nothing is the same as when she started. Change is always inevitable and change has certainly come in the insurance world. Attorneys and catastrophic losses are driving up insurance rates and it is a tough industry with lots of competition but she is proud to be a part of the Number 1 auto insurance company in the nation.
“We love our customers and will always be there for them.”
State farm offers auto, fire, life, health and other lines of business. She is an independent contractor and the team members work for her, not State Farm. She sings the praises of her team members every chance she gets. She says that if they ever leave then she will have to start enjoying house and yard work….NOT!
Judy’s home address is Jackson but she is in Monticello most of her waking hours. She says she lives in Monticello, but sleeps in Jackson. She states that she has been with State Farm from red hair to white hair and that she plans to remain with the company seeing no retirement in sight! A fellow agent, Zeke Rhodes, said that you would read his retirement and obituary in the same paper and that is exactly how Judy feels!
