Hooray!

SHORT C O M PA N I E S

WINTER 2017

Customer Service Week 2017

BUILDING
TRUST
Inside:
Brian P. Short....................................2
Building Trust....................................4
Austin Update...................................4
Brownsdale Update............................5
Cannon Falls Update..........................6
Fairmont Update................................8
Goodhue Update...............................9
Grand Meadow Update.................... 10
Le Sueur Update...............................11
Luverne Update................................11
Pipestone Update............................. 13
Red Wing Update............................ 14
Shared Services Update..................... 15
Stewartville Update.......................... 16
White Rock Update.......................... 17
Admiral Merchants Update............... 18
St. Paul Flight Center Update............ 19
Wellness..........................................20
News.............................................. 21
Eagle Awards.................................. 22
Executive Offices Update..................23

Brian P. Short
Pipestone, Minnesota was one of
my last stops on the annual First
Farmers & Merchants Christmas
Cookie Tour. There, we celebrated
the remarkable career of FF&M Vice
President Vicki Quist, who retired at
the end of December. Vicki has done
wonderful things for her customers
in Pipestone during her 30 years with
First Farmers and a total of 44 years
including her tenure with Pipestone
National and First Bank Luverne,
FF&M’s predecessors. It would be
difficult to walk down Main Street
in Pipestone without bumping into
someone who knew Vicki well and
Cliff Boom (retired in July after
39 years, 30 with FF&M), Elaine
Hansen (retired in June afer 50
years, 30 with FF&M), Cindy
Kunkel (retired in August after 28
years with FF&M), Vicki Quist
(retired in December after 44 years,
30 with FF&M) and Brian Short
(30 years with FF&M - not retired!)
2
First Farmers & Merchants Banks
30th Anniversary
who had been helped by her in the
past. When Vicki spoke briefly at our
Advisory Board dinner on December
18, she mentioned that one of her
great joys was helping her customers
“achieve the dream” of owning their
own home.
Thinking of Vicki, Gayle Stegemann
(who also retired on December 31),
Marlene Trageser, Linda Goehle
and LaDonna VanAartsen, the
FF&M team members who were
with the bank in October 1987 when
we started and were still serving
our customers in December 2017, I
recalled some of the challenges we
faced thirty years ago.
FF&M was born out of the recession
which tore apart families, farms and
small communities in Minnesota. We
began life with two small offices, in
Luverne and Pipestone, Minnesota,
with about $57 million in total assets,
less than $20 million of loans, less
than $2 million of capital, and about
10-12 employees. I received many
warnings about this new venture – the
Ag industry was dying, communities
like Luverne and Pipestone were
“no growth” communities, and
because technology was overwhelming
banking, only the mega banks could
afford the vast investments which
would be necessary in the future.
Finally, I was warned that we would
never be able to retain the skillful
individuals who would be necessary
to work in banking in the future.
We proved the experts wrong! Today,
there are 18 FF&M offices in 16
communities in Minnesota. We have
more than $750 million in assets,
and over $550 million of loans. Of
that $550 million of loans, $250-300
million are Ag and Ag real estate
loans, making FF&M one of the top
100 Ag lenders in the country. We
have almost $580 million in deposits
and strong earnings. I am proud to be
associated with a team of more than
153 people who work for FF&M, all
committed to serving our customers.
This year, I have reminded all
members of our teams that our
success has been due primarily to
our great customers. We have grown
because farmers, small businesses
and consumers have chosen FF&M as
their bank. However, we have those
great customers because we have
great leadership in all of our banks
with wonderful teams of professional
bankers providing excellent service
to those customers. Every member
of the First Farmers & Merchants
team subscribes to our purpose in our
corporate mission statement:
To become the engine which
stimulates economic development
and promotes financial security
in the communities served by the
banks.
In addition to great leadership and
great customer service teams, each
of our bank offices is supported by
committed members of our Advisory
Boards of Directors. They provide
great disinterested advice and counsel
to me and to our bank leadership. We
are better organizations because of
their service.
While 2017 has been a good year for
FF&M, we all recognize the many
challenges in the future.
First, the Ag industry, the primary
industry served by First Farmers
& Merchants Banks, is once again
under stress. Commodity prices are
down, and are now below the cost of
production. Second, the experts are
again predicting the death of small
community banks, as consumers flock
to the mega banks.
As always, I find encouragement and
insight when I visit with our customers.
In Brownsdale, Minnesota, Bob, a
long-time customer of the bank, told
me that his farming career began in
1945 when he hitchhiked to a land
auction and bought a farm for $165
per acre. Land in the area currently
sells at over $8,000 per acre. However,
it was 1945, and when Bob’s dad
heard what Bob had done, he became
angry and threatened to drive him to
Rochester, Minnesota, to have him
committed to the psychiatric ward of
the Mayo Clinic. Bob’s dad said he
didn’t understand why anyone would
pay that much hard earned money for
dirt!
With that encouragement, Bob began
his farming career. The first year,
a hail storm destroyed his entire
crop. Proving that he was the eternal
optimist, Bob married his high school
sweetheart the next year and with his
wife at his side, farmed throughout
the next 30 years. In the late 70s, two
of his sons, who had left the farm to
pursue jobs in the metro area, decided
to return to the farm to begin working
with Bob. Because the farm now
needed to support three families, Bob,
supported by FF&M Brownsdale’s
predecessor, purchased more land
and expanded his operation. Shortly
thereafter, the Ag crisis of 1980 began,
plunging the industry into a deep
recession. Working with his bankers
at the time – Dale Madison and Don
Peterson, both eventually FF&M
bank presidents – Bob and his family
survived and prospered, even in the
face of this huge adversity.
So, when I think of the challenges faced
by the Ag industry now, I think of Bob,
who succeeded because of hard work
and a supportive community banker.
If Bob can do that, this generation of
farmers, working with their FF&M
teams, can do the same thing.
In addition to the challenges faced by
our customers, FF&M faces challenges
to our “high service” business model.
We deliver great customer service,
individually tailored through teams
of dedicated professionals. Our
customers come into our branches
because the tellers, lenders and other
customer service professionals know
their names, their families and the
details of their businesses.
However, many have commented
that the consumer of the future may
not want a high service level bank.
Dale Roemmich, president of First
Farmers & Merchants National Bank,
Pipestone, attended a seminar recently
put on by the Federal Home Loan Bank
Board. The presenter mentioned that
71% of all millennials would rather
go to the dentist than spend time with
their banker; 42% want to do all of
their banking business on their smart
phone. Thus, the argument goes, the
consumer in the future does not need
the high service offered by community
banks. This consumer wants to take
out his smart phone and conduct all
of his banking business with a few
clicks. Obviously, while we are very
proud of our technology, our best
assets are the individuals who provide
service, directly and indirectly, to our
customers.
However, I think we will, once again,
prove that the experts are incorrect. In
Stewartville, I visited with one of our
customers who is the manager of the
local grocery store. His store is part of a
chain based primarily in communities
in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and the
Dakotas. I asked him how he competed
against Walmart. He told me that he
doesn’t. He features products such as
fresh meat and produce which are not
offered in Walmart. Further, and more
importantly, he has John, who greets
all customers as they walk into the
store. He has Bill, who stands by the
cash register and offers to carry the
groceries to the customer’s waiting
car. Walmart doesn’t have fresh meat,
fresh produce, or John or Bill.
The store manager told me that he
worries a little bit about the millennials.
They like their technology. However,
his observation was that as soon as the
millennials get off the couch in mom’s
basement, get a job, get married and
start having babies, they will become
like every other generation. Their lives
will become too complicated to fit
within the confines of a smart phone.
Then they will want the customer
service offered by FF&M team
members like Dale Larson, Dave
Feddersen, Luke Cooreman, Steve
Murley, Ryan Wynia and all of their
colleagues.
FF&M has been blessed with great
teams over the years. I am committed
to ensuring that continues so that
we will have a banking service
unmatched in the industry. We are
unique and I believe that more than
enough customers will choose our
great service over the glitz offered by
the mega banks.
Thanks for all you do. I hope all of the
readers of Hooray! and your families
had a wonderful Christmas and that
all of us have the opportunity for a
prosperous New Year.
Brian P. Short
Brian’s collection of Christmas
ties that he wears on the Christmas
Cookie Tour
3
 Customer Service Week / Updates
BUILDING
TRUST
CUSTOMER
SERVICE
WEEK 2017
CSW Co-Chair Linda Erickson
(CSR, FF&M Pipestone) is always
a wonderful resource when it comes
to Customer Service Week messages.
In 2017, she took the theme of
BUILDING TRUST and ran with it
in her daily emails. I would like to
highlight her Monday email in this
issue of Hooray!.
Monday – BE HONEST
Location. Lighting. Literally
everything and the kitchen sink.
It’s the first house you’ve ever had
built. You’re excited, but nervous.
You are part of every decision that
is made, down to faucet handles and
door knobs. But after those decisions
are made, you turn over the execution
of your building – your home – to the
contractor. You trust that he and
his team will do everything they can
to build you a structure where you feel
comfortable, protected, and safe.
Building a foundation of trust with
our customers and co-workers is a
lot like preparing to build a house for
the first time. One of the first steps in
preparing to construct the house of
your dreams is to hire a contractor.
When the researching is done and the
decision is made, you’ve based your
decision on what we are focused on
today – trust and honesty. You
trust that they will be honest with
pricing and time frames. You trust
that they will arrive on time and
reliably continue to make progress.
You trust that they will use good
4
judgment, based on knowledge and
experiences, to provide you with the
home that you envisioned. The same
can be said in our offices. Our daily
experiences with each other – the
work that we do, our follow-through,
our execution – all show our team that
we can be trustED. Honesty
in the process is the first essential
cornerstone of trusting each other
as a team.
Once the cornerstone of Honesty
is established, our team can build up
from that foundation of trust.
Honor your promises; trust
requires that people believe you are
dependable.
Submitted by: Pat Gegner,
Credit Manager, Admiral Merchants,
and CSW Co-Chair
First Farmers & Merchants
Austin
Update
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM
THE AUSTIN BRANCH!
Standing, L to R: Jordan Olson,
Bonnie Kilpatrick, Maria Navarro,
Kasey Petznick, Brittney Johnson,
Cindy Jensen, Faye Haugen and
Connie Sprung. Seated, L to R:
Carter Bailey, Steven Murley
The Austin Branch showed its holiday
spirit by raising support for Rachel’s
Hope, a local organization that
provides services to pregnant women
and early childhood support to
mothers. The largest need is diapers,
and FF&M filled a large box located
in the lobby with this much needed
supply.
Bonnie Kilpatrick, Carter Bailey
(behind Maria’s Santa headband!),
Maria Navarro, Connie Sprung,
Kasey Petznick, Faye Haugen,
Brittney Johnson, Patty Tewes and
Cindy Jensen
On October 12, 2017, the First
Farmers & Merchants ladies attended
“Ladies Night Out.” The theme was
“Favorite Team Jersey.” Ladies Night
Out is a social fundraiser for women
in business with a portion of the
proceeds dedicated to a Riverland
Community College scholarship for
non-traditional female students.
Back row, L to R: Cindy Jensen,
Maria Navarro, Brittney Johnson,
Kasey Petznick, Bonnie Kilpatrick
and Faye Haugen. Front row, L to R:
Sherrie Carlson, Patty Tewes Jordan
Olson and Connie Sprung
A potential new customer (Spanish-
speaking) wanted to open new
accounts with us. The transaction
(continued on page 5)

austin UPDATE
(continued from page 4)
quickly became quite complex and
Teller Maria Navarro stepped in to
assist fellow Teller Carter Bailey
with interpreting back and forth
to the customer. Without Maria’s
assistance, we would have had a very
difficult time delivering a high level
of professionalism throughout the
transaction.
Fantastic job, Maria! Thank you for
your service.
Maria Navarro receiving an
Unsung Service Award from
President Doug Nuckolls
Keep up the spirit of service; you never
know when your “Quiet Act” will
be recognized as the next “Unsung
Service Award!”
Submitted by: Sherrie Carlson,
Customer Service Representative
First Farmers & Merchants
Brownsdale
Update
December 12 brought smiles, laughter
and good cheer to our lobby as we
hosted our Christmas Open House.
Along with hot apple cider and coffee,
there were three different kinds of
sandwiches, chips and cookies. I think
we are being known for our lunch
on that day because at times it was
standing room only. We were giving
up our desk chairs so our visitors could
sit and be comfortable.
Brownsdale Holiday Open House
Pictured at the Advisory Board
Christmas party held on December 5
are Brian Short and Dean Paschke.
Dean, one of the original members
of the Brownsdale Advisory Board,
retired from the board at the end of
December. Thanks very much, Dean,
for your service and support of the
bank over the years – it has been very
much appreciated.
Brian Short and Dean Paschke
Old Man Winter has a firm grip on
Minnesota right now. I hope everyone
has a winter kit in the car along with a
cell phone charger, blanket and shovel.
I have never needed the use of any of
those items yet, but it only takes one
time to get stuck, or drive off the road
in a whiteout. My brother sent me a
Updates
picture of a robin looking for worms
in South Carolina and said they are
getting ready to fly up here, if only it
was April…..
Best wishes for 2018 to everyone!
Submitted by: Sherrie Carlson,
CSR/Teller
First Farmers &
Merchants Banks –
Community Assets
Often, when describing the First
Farmers & Merchants Banks,
we refer to them as “community
banks,” to contrast them with
big banks which often provide
comparable services. We seldom
spend a lot of time describing in
detail the differences between
community banks and all other
banks. However, the lead story in
the Friday, June 30, 2017 edition
of the Austin Daily Herald brought
the role of the community bank to
the forefront.
That article, appearing under the
headline “Brownsdale Assisted
Living Facility Speeds Ahead,”
talks about the plans by a local
developer to convert the abandoned
Brownsdale School into an
assisted living facility. Developer
Diedra Burke has been working
on a plan for months to convert
the abandoned school into much
needed assisted living facilities
in Brownsdale. The population
of Brownsdale, like a lot of small
communities in Minnesota, is
aging, and there are no assisted
living facilities available to
residents of that community. If the
need arises, residents are forced
to move to another city, often far
(continued on page 6)
5
Updates
First Farmers &
Merchants Banks –
Community Assets
(continued from page 5)
from family and friends.
However, Don Peterson, former
FF&M Brownsdale president,
began working with Ms. Burke
and her group and brought their
financing plan to the attention of
the bank. Working closely with
current FF&M Brownsdale’s
president Doug Nuckolls,
Don and Ms. Burke and the
developer’s team pulled together
a financing plan which should
allow the assisted living facility
to become a reality. This project
would never have gotten off
the ground but for Ms. Burke’s
skill and dedication, the strong
financial support from Mower
County, the City of Brownsdale
and the Hayfield Community
Schools, and First Farmers &
Merchants Bank. Because of
strong developer support, strong
community support, and the
financial support of First Farmers
& Merchants Bank, a much
needed facility will soon open in
Brownsdale.
That’s the difference a community
bank makes.
Photo taken by Brian Short on
December 12, 2017
6
First Farmers & Merchants
Cannon Falls
Update
BUILDING TRUST
As always, Customer Service Week
was a lot of fun this year! Everyone
is always excited for it, and it gives us
time to celebrate each other and what
we all contribute to the team to make
our branch successful. The customers
have fun, too, as they come in and
see the goofy things we have up (or
are wearing). BUILDING TRUST is
certainly a keystone for success, but
a positive attitude and teamwork are
also a part of that. Most of our snacks
for the week were served in a Tonka
Toy dump truck or hard hats. Kelsey
Otte (Credit Analyst) had the closest
guess for the Legos in a Jar; and Kris
Bodette (CSR) and Kris Jacobsen
(HR) won the tool belt contest. The
team also celebrated the 30th birthday
of FF&M with cake.
Kelsey Otte
Kris Bodette and Kris Jacobsen
Sandy Hanson (Teller), Lisa
Miller (Teller on a Stick), Shelly
Zimmerman (Mortgage Lender),
Luke Cooreman (President), Kris
Bodette (CSR), Deanna Hochmuth
(Consumer Lender), Kelsey Otte
(Credit Analyst), Laura Qualey
(Marketing), Greg Wulf (CEO/
President), Brenda Jackson
(Consumer Lender)
Flu Shot Clinic
Mortgage Lender Shelly
Zimmerman’s daughter, Stephanie
Althoff (former FF&M Teller),
became a traveling Flu Shot Clinic
back in November. Stephanie is
a Pharmacist for Econo Foods in
Northfield and is allowed to go off-site
if a company wants to offer the service
(free of charge) for their employees.
We were able to complete all of the
forms necessary ahead of time so she
could bill our insurance. She stopped
at the main branch and also made a
stop down at the Operations Center.
The Family Fare team was able to go
to the pharmacy within the grocery
store and receive theirs. A healthy
team is a happy team.
Shelly Zimmerman
and Stephanie Althoff
(continued on page 7)

CANNON FALLS UPDATE
(continued from page 6)
Halloween
For some reason, we didn’t have
many people dress up for Halloween
this year, but we can always count
on Sandy Hanson (Teller) to come
through with a great costume.
Sandy Hanson
FF&M Sponsors VB team
Former FF&M employee Korie
Jackson (daughter of Consumer
Lender Brenda Jackson) asked if
FF&M would sponsor her volleyball
team this season and we said YES!
Here’s a photo of the gals in their team
T-shirts.
Open House—CF
For the first time in the history of the
Cookie Tour, Cannon Falls was first
this year! It was a day of visiting with
customers, lots of cookies provided
by the Urland Lutheran Church ladies,
and nibbling on meat and cheese trays.
It’s always a fun event for our team
and a great kick-off to the holiday
season. FF&M and its Advisory Board
chose the Good Samaritan Fund as
the recipient of their 2017 donation.
Pastor Carol Sinykin accepted the
$1,000 donation on behalf of the
organization.
Advisory Board Donation 2017
Pictured L-R are: Joe Coyle (Advisory
Board), Pastor Carol Sinykin, Brian
Short, President/CEO of 215 Holding
Co., Greg Wulf (CEO/President CF),
Dick Dalton (Advisory Board) and
Dr. Mike Pedersen (Advisory Board)
Ruthie’s Kitchen
For the second year in a row, customer
Ruth Edstrom and her husband Merle
set up a little market before the
holidays to sell her goodies. Ruthie’s
Kitchen can be found at local festivals
and farmers markets throughout the
summer and fall. Our employees
purchased cookies, candies, jellies,
jams and popcorn, and Merle even
does metal work for the garden. Ruthie
is very appreciative of the opportunity
to sell some of her goodies, and
WE’RE very happy to provide her the
opportunity. YUM!
Ruthie’s Kitchen
Updates
Movin’ on Up (the hill)
In December, four members of the
Cannon Falls Operations Center
made their way up the hill to take up
residence at the main branch. With the
official formation of Shared Services,
it was time for the four members of the
CF Charter who were sharing space
with the Loan Processors downtown
to move into the main branch lower
level. There has already been a little
bit of confusion as people walk into
the wrong office, go into what used
to be the ‘file room’ only to find two
friendly faces and NO file cabinets,
or go into an office to use the scanner
only to find two more friendly faces
staring at you with NO scanner to
be found. It’s nice to have everyone
together under one roof and everyone
is embracing the change well.
We’re happy to have these lovely
ladies working with us in the same
building.
Pictured L-R are:
Mary Mann (Bookkeeping),
Deb Norstad (outgoing COO),
Cathy Anderson (Bookkeeping),
Debra Gesme (Bookkeeping) and
Janice Schurtz (New COO)
Luke Cooreman, Greg Wulf
and John Wegmann
(continued on page 8)
7
Updates
CANNON FALLS UPDATE
(continued from page 7)
Greg Wulf
Building a Better Banking
Experience
As file cabinets, desks and credenzas
were being moved around at the main
branch, our Family Fare location began
its long overdue remodel. The Family
Fare branch was completely gutted.
The Family Fare team had a positive
outlook on the project, knowing that
it will be worth it in the long run. The
only day they were closed was for
Christmas Day; otherwise, they were
operating with only one terminal.
Customers were respectful and
patient, but everyone will be happy
when it is finished. What a great way
to start 2018 with a fresh look to start
the year! Kris Bodette (CSR) and
Brenda Deutsch (CSR/Teller) had
a sense of humor and even got their
Short Companies hard hats out again
from CSW. Kris even got her CSW
tool belt out with her pink tools to see
if the construction guys needed any
help (they gracefully declined). We
thank the FF&M Family Fare team on
being troopers and keeping a positive
attitude through the inconvenience,
noise and mess. It will be worth it
when it’s done.
8
Kris Bodette and Brenda Deutsch
Kris Bodette with construction crew
New Employee
Janice Schurtz
With Deb Norstad’s pending
retirement, we are pleased to welcome
Janice Schurtz as FF&M Cannon
Falls’ Chief Operations Officer.
Janice has 28 years of community
banking experience, including 14
years as Operations Officer. After
attending Augsburg College with an
accounting major, Janice started her
banking career in New Richmond,
Wisconsin, where she was born and
raised, moved on to Northfield, and
is currently in Brainerd. She has been
looking to return to the area to get
closer to family and friends. Janice
enjoys sewing, biking, gardening and
learning new skills. Welcome, Janice!
We’re happy to have you as part of the
Cannon Falls team!
Submitted by: Laura Qualey,
Director of Marketing
First Farmers & Merchants
Fairmont
Update
Happy holidays! This fall has come
and gone quickly, with reports of
good harvest yields. The Highway
15 road project has been completed,
which had caused some detours here
and there throughout the summer and
fall, so is nice to have done.
After 21 years of service, Teller Jan
Nelson retired on November 2. We
thanked her with a retirement dinner
on November 1. She plans to spend
time with her grandchildren, family
and friends; we will miss her and wish
her well!
President Andy Noll celebrated his
25-year employment anniversary by
treating us throughout the day with
goodies and lunch on November
6. Congratulations, and thank you,
Andy, for your years of service!
Tellers Ona Springer and Becky
Holland both had their 15-year
anniversaries during 2017 as well.
Thank you both!
(continued on page 9)

FAIRMONT Update
(continued from page 8)
We held our Holiday Open House
on December 11. The weather
cooperated and we had a very good
crowd throughout the day.
On December 22, we had an ugly
sweater day for all who cared to
participate. It was very colorful around
here that day!
Back to Front: Lina Wiebe, Ona
Springer, Sara Becker-Sokoloski,
Robin Scheff and Becky Holland
The FF&M Fairmont branch made
the Photo Press “25 Years Ago This
Week” news in its December 27
edition: “The Fairmont Ambassadors
held a ribbon cutting at the new First
Farmers & Merchants Bank. Don
and Shirley Coombes were the first
customers to make a transaction at the
new bank.” The Photo Press is a free
weekly area newspaper that publishes
“Nothing but good news!”
We hope you all enjoyed a very special
holiday season with your loved ones.
Submitted by: Joan Meyer,
Personal Banking Officer
First Farmers & Merchants
Goodhue
Update
This time of year has my two favorite
seasons…fall and Christmas! I don’t
extend that to include all of winter, just
ChristmasA. It can also be the busiest
time of year and we often let that get
in the way of actually enjoying it and
letting it be our favorite.
This fall/Christmas season has been
no different. Once again, our branch
clerked the Goodhue Area Historical
Society Auction. The auction brought
in close to $9,000. This money helps
keep the Historical Society running
throughout the year. I think it is fitting
to say “A good time was had by all!”
The bank magically appeared
decorated overnight the Monday after
Thanksgiving so we were ready to
participate in our Goodhue Christmas
Around Town the first weekend of
December. We served all sorts of
goodies, hot apple cider and coffee at
the bank, and the bank donated coffee
and hot cider to all the guests at the
big craft sale at the Lions Building. All
month long we had the Toys for Tots
box in our lobby being filled with so
many wonderful toys. Our customers
were so generous in donating this
year, the Marines had to come back
a second time to pick up everything!
And that is on top of filling up our
Emily Schmit and Katie Brinkman
Updates
Goodhue School Winter Clothing
Drive box three times in the month!
The month rounded out nicely (along
with our bellies!) with the Holiday
Cookie Open House, our Goodhue
branch Christmas get together at the
local bar and grill, and caroling the
last week before Christmas by the
Goodhue School 5th graders!
We can’t let the year end without
celebrating a few memorable events!
Corrine Stehr, Head Teller, not
only passed her 30 year mark with
the bank, she celebrated a birthday
in December! Paul Althoff, Branch
President, marked his 20th year with
the bank, and celebrated a birthday in
December also.
Corrine Stehr and Paul Althoff
And last, but definitely not least, our
very own Calvin Ryan, Ag Lender,
was nominated and WON the Short
Companies quarterly Eagle Award in
the third quarter!! Calvin has been
a great asset to our branch and is
definitely deserving of this honor!
It may have been a very busy season,
but looking back, I don’t believe we
let that get in the way of enjoying
itA.
Submitted by: Lara Ramthun,
Customer Service Representative
9
Updates
First Farmers & Merchants
Grand Meadow
Update
With the holiday season behind us
and the New Year under way, the
staff at First Farmers & Merchants in
Grand Meadow looks back on a busy,
busy fourth quarter and is eager to
move forward into 2018. In addition
to all the normal tasks and activities, a
number of holiday events took place.
The Grand Meadow branch once again
hosted the Grand Meadow Lion’s
annual sharing tree. The Lion’s Club
places tags all over the Christmas tree
which include the Christmas wishes of
local “in need” children and families.
Members of the community are then
welcome to stop in, select tags from
the tree, and return with wrapped
packages which are delivered to the
named children and families before
Christmas. As usual, all the tags
were filled and mountains of presents
welcomed Lion’s Club volunteers.
The staff has been collecting money
from Blue Jean Fridays the entire
year. The staff met during the month
of December to discuss what the
collected funds should be used for.
They decided to split the money and
contribute to several very worthy
causes: the Grand Meadow Lion’s
Club to use as seed money to initiate
Michelle Van Tries, Tabitha
Hoffman, Kathy Nagel,
2 Grand Meadow School
personnel, Kayla Stockdale,
Kayla Felton, Nancy Scrabeck
10
their Community Flag program, and
the Grand Meadow School to utilize
to enhance the school library and to
the school social worker to help needy
children in the community throughout
the year. Congratulations, ladies, and
thanks for your contributions. The
picture (left bottom) shows the Grand
Meadow staff presenting a check to
Shawn Vogt Sween, Mark Carman,
the librarian and the social worker at
the Grand Meadow School. Brad Skifter, Lynn Peterson,
Randy Queensland,
The bank’s annual Holiday Open Sue Dougan, Dave Feddersen,
House was held in Grand Meadow on Brian Short
Wednesday, December 13. As usual,
the bank was filled with customers After nearly 20 years
and friends who attended to enjoy of consistent dedication
food provided by The Diner in Grand and service to First
Meadow and sweet desserts provided Farmers & Merchants
by Rachel Decker in Stewartville. and the Grand Meadow
215 Holding Co. President and CEO community, we
Brian Short was also in attendance congratulate Teller
to greet and visit with many of the Nancy Scrabeck on
Nancy a very well-deserved
attendees.
Scrabeck retirement. The bank
held an open house on
Thursday, December 28 to celebrate
the event. I believe it’s safe to say that
Nancy kept extremely busy all day
conversing with customers and friends.
Although retired as of December 31,
Grand Meadow 2017, Nancy has agreed to stay with
Holiday Open House the bank as an “on call” employee.
Thanks again, Nancy, for all you have
done!
Congratulations to
Pamela Wilson, VP/
Chief Operations
Officer, for winning
the bank quarterly
Customer Service MVP
Award and also being a
nominee for the Short
Nancy Scrabeck and Dayna Stier Pam Companies quarterly
Our Advisory Board Christmas Wilson Eagle Award for the
party was also held the evening of fourth quarter of 2017.
December 13. Attendees enjoyed Great job, Pam, thanks for all your
great conversation and an excellent contributions!
meal at 5 West in Rochester, MN. A
special thanks to Stephanie Lawson, Happy New Year!
Consumer/Mortgage Lender, who
was instrumental in planning and Submitted by: Dave Feddersen,
organizing the event. President

First Farmers & Merchants
Le Sueur
Update
In October, the bank hosted a two-day
Cybersecurity awareness presentation
breakfast/lunch for our enhanced
eCorp customers. Laura Qualey,
Director of Marketing, Mary Kriesel,
Training Officer, Tim Nissen, Vice
President-Information Systems, and
Katie Overby, Relationship Banker,
presented information on small
business scams and Cybersecurity
tips. We received great feedback from
our customers.
We also participated in the 8th Annual
Linked in Pink event at Ridgeview
Medical Center. This event brings
Breast Cancer Awareness to our
community. Special thanks to Kristen
Nepper, Teller, and Terry Mattson,
VP/AG & Commercial Loan Officer,
for handing out pink carnations to the
attendees.
Halloween brought trick-or-treaters
this year to the bank while celebrating
Le Sueur’s Trick-or-Treat on Main.
The main entrance was decorated for
the occasion and we passed out candy
and holiday pencils and pads of paper
for our gluten-free kids. More than 80
kids were in attendance.
Terry Mattson
In November, Le Sueur-Henderson
students along with local businesses
and FF&M Bank employees donated
funds to support our local troops
overseas. As a result, seven care
packages were sent to troops stationed
all over the world.
We participated in the Annual Holiday
Lights Parade on December 1. A John
Deere tractor was decorated with
lights and was driven by Tom Obele,
Vice President/Mortgage Operations
Manager. Glow sticks were passed
out to the onlookers. It was a beautiful
night which ended with fireworks that
could be seen from our bank parking
lot.
Holiday Lights Parade
Once again this year FF&M was a
drop-off site for Santa Anonymous.
About 200 toys were collected and
$177.00 in cash was raised in our
location for the event.
Our Holiday Open House was held
December 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m. Staff members took turns filling
trays and visiting with customers
as well as making all of the cookies
and treats for the day. We also held
Heidi Obele, Allan Muehlhausen
(Advisory Board member),
Kathy Short and Kristan Pfarr at
Advisory Board Christmas party
Updates
the Chamber of Commerce “Coffee
Break” that same morning. It was a
day filled with holiday cheer.
Operations
Officer Sheryl
Meyer retired
in December
after 47 years
of service at
FF&M Le
Sueur. Sheryl,
Sheryl Meyer
we wish you the
very best in your retirement!
We wish everyone Peace, Joy and
Love this Holiday Season!
Submitted by: Chris Berndt,
Customer Service Representative
First Farmers & Merchants
Luverne
Update
The bank participated in two fall
community events. Lisa Ehlers (Loan
Assistant), Jill Buss (Teller), Jo Buss
(Teller), Paulette Richters (Teller),
Sandy Clark (Teller), Ryan Wynia
(VP/Branch Manager), and Jared
Schroeder (Data Center Security
Analyst) put together a scarecrow for
the Vet’s Home Scarecrow display. It
was a tribute to all our retirees this past
year. The bank also gave out candy on
Halloween as a part of Trunk or Treat
in downtown Luverne. Jill Buss and
Lisa Ehlers gave out over 850 pieces
of candy!
Lisa Ehlers and
Jill Buss
(continued on
page 12)
11
Updates
LUVERNE Update
(continued from page 11)
We also had a combined employee
Christmas Party with Luverne and
Pipestone which involved a Game
Show night of Bingo, Family Feud,
Heads Up, Snap Chat, and dice. We
had some great hosts for the event!
FF&M was honored to be named the
Outstanding Corporation/Business that
has created a culture of philanthropy
within their organization from the
Luverne Area Community Foundation
in November. A commitment to
philanthropy is demonstrated by:
1) financial support of one or more
nonprofit organizations, 2) leadership
involvement, and 3) volunteer
participation and commitment of its
workforce in establishing a role model
for other businesses in our community.
This award does not recognize a single
individual representing a corporation
or business, but rather the work of the
entire corporation or business. The
bank and its staff were recognized at a
dinner on November 20.
Dale Roemmich, Ryan Wynia,
Emily Crabtree (LACF), Mike
Engesser and Brian Short
12
The employees of the bank and
Data Center donated to the Jackson
VanMaanen family who has an ill
8 year old son with pancreatitis.
Employees did this instead of
participating in a gift exchange
amongst the employees. It was
determined we would rather give than
receive and allow for others in need
to benefit from what we normally
would have spent on a gift for one
another.
The bank sponsored The 12 Days of
Pizza with the Luverne Pizza Ranch
to help 13 families in need during the
holiday school break. Some kids do
not look forward to the holiday break
because they would be missing the
hot school lunch they can depend on
each day. The sponsorship covered
13 families to get 12 meals over the
Pictured L to R, back row:
Ryan Wynia (FF&M VP/Branch
Manager), LaDonna VanAartsen
(FF&M Operations Officer), Lisa
Dinger (Child Guide), and Stacy
Schepel (School Social Worker).
L to R, front row: Stacy Gillette
(Elementary Principal), Lila
Bauer (Pizza Ranch Owner), and
Amy Cook (School Counselor)
12 days of Christmas break.
Best wishes to Gayle Stegemann
(Loan Assistant) on her retirement
from the bank after 41 years. She is
looking forward to moving and getting
settled into her new home and plans to
spend time with family including six
grandchildren (number seven is on the
way) and not setting an alarm clock!
Gayle’s comment regarding the best
part of working here was ‘the people
– such a family friendly place.’
We welcome Michele
Wessels, our newest
employee who started
in December as a Loan
Assistant. Michele and
her husband Scott have
four children: Calvin,
Michele Christian, Bailey, and
Wessels Cameron. Michele
enjoys spending time
with her family and playing in poker
tournaments; she recently placed 1st
in the last Grand Falls Tournament she
played in.
Merry Christmas from the
Ugly Sweater Crew!
Pictured L to R, back row: Gayle
Stegemann (Loan Assistant),
Michelle Jansma (Teller), Ryan
Wynia (VP/Branch Manager),
Jill Buss (Teller), Maryln
VanGrootheest (CSR), Michele
Wessels (Loan Assistant) and
Mary Christensen (Data Center).
L to R, front row: Mike DeBates
(Credit Analyst) and Lois Leuthold
(Loan Officer)
Submitted by: Tara Zewiske,
Regional Auditor

First Farmers & Merchants
Pipestone
Update
Customer Service Week in the
Pipestone Office was highlighted
by showcasing the extraordinary
creative minds of our staff! The Tool
Belt competition was won by Mardi
Enerson, Teller (Best in Show),
Nancy Bones, Assistant Network
Administrator (Best Use of Theme),
and Pam Kuyper, Information
Systems Assistant (Best CSW Spirit).
Along with the belts, daily treats,
prizes and CSW festivities, the staff
competed in a Lego Challenge. The
goal was based around our CSW
theme, BUILDING TRUST. The
departments worked in teams to build
a structure from random (…very
random…) bags of Lego pieces. The
staff went beyond all expectations,
with each team not only building
amazing structures, but each included
a very detailed story. Judges were
recruited and they listened to each
team tell the story of their creation.
There was Sharkatraz (a maximum
security prison), a Bank (complete
with desks, guards, and sharks),
the Venice Canal (which boasted a
gas station, snack shack, and a man
searching for his missing duck), and
the Grand Prize Winner, the Tales of
the Terrific Tellers and their Treasure
Ship. It was an embodiment of what
the week revolved around, teamwork
and achieving a common goal
together.
“Terrific Tellers”
Kristin Mulder, Mardi Enerson,
Beth Angrimson and Brittani Olson
Mardi Enerson, Nancy Bones and
Pam Kuyper
Downtown businesses once again
hosted a fun and safe Halloween
evening for the community. FF&M
participated in this year’s Trunk or
Treat event, with Mardi Enerson
and Amy Tinklenberg, Customer
Service Representative, greeting the
little ghouls and goblins with treats
and a decked out trunk complete with
an authentic pirate and first mate!
Mardi Enerson
and Amy Tinklenberg
The Bank hosted a tour for the Head
Start School Program on November 7.
The group consisted of 13 youngsters
and was guided through the entire
bank, visiting and learning about
the various departments. One of
the highlights for the children was
watching the coin machine magically
count some change and the Tellers
providing a demonstration of how a
stack of one dollar bills is the same
as a crisp, single hundred dollar
bill. They each received a gift at the
conclusion of the tour which included
Updates
FF&M pencils and State Coin Sets.
Beth Angrimson, Teller, arranged for
this event as a board member for the
Head Start parent council, as well as
the proud mother of her twins, Haylee
and Audrey!
Staff includes Mindy Johnson,
Beth Angrimson and Linda
Erickson, along with children
and Head Start staff
Luke Black,
Loan Officer,
joined the
Pipestone office
as a lender in
October. Luke
and his wife
Shelby were
married last
S e p t e m b er
Luke Black
and live on an
acreage outside of Luverne. Along
with his job as a banker and hers as
a nurse in Sioux Falls, they enjoy
traveling to stock shows around
the country showing their cattle.
Welcome, Luke!
The Christmas season at First Farmers
& Merchants was celebrated with a
staff Christmas party on December
13, the annual Open House on
December 18, and the joint Advisory
Board Christmas party. The staff
party featured a home-cooked full
breakfast by Nancy Bones and
Darlene Gonnerman, Vice President
& Senior Technology Officer, and a
gift exchange coordinated by Mindy
Johnson, Loan Assistant. The Open
House featured entertainment by
(continued on page 14)
13
 Updates
PIPESTONE Update
(continued from page 13)
local pianist, Holly VandenBerg,
and the Noah’s Ark Preschool, and
was coordinated by a committee of
Tammy Ogdahl, Vice President and
COO, Becky Redenius, Card Services
Assistant, and Cindy Koenders,
Card Services & Fraud Prevention
Specialist. Staff added a personal
touch to the event by decorating
Christmas stockings, with the open
house attendees voting on their
favorite. The winning stocking was
decorated by Mindy Johnson. That
evening, Pipestone hosted the annual
Advisory Board party as a thank you
for the time and commitment that
Luverne and Pipestone members
continue to provide to the bank.
Staff Christmas Gift Exchange
First Farmers & Merchants
Red Wing
Update
BUILDING TRUST
Customer Service Week in Red
Wing was a great time for our team!
Krystyna Bremer, Teller and Loan
Support, was our captain again this
year! She did an awesome job of
coordinating events for the week as
the rest of us were busy creating our
tool belts. We enjoyed the positivity
and enthusiasm that CSW brings to
the forefront of our activities. Thank
you, Krystyna, for another great
week!
14
example of a true, community lender.”
Thank you, Vicki, for your years of
outstanding service.
Advisory Board Christmas
Party, front row, L to R: Denise
Severtson, Lou Perli, Verne Long,
Barb Loosbrock, Brian Short, Tom
Brockberg. Back row, L to R: Jerry
Popma, Rod Sievert, Bill Johnson,
Rick Carstensen, Marty Wallin,
Ben Vander Kooi, Jr., Dale
Roemmich, Ryan Wynia
Vicki Quist, Vice President, retired
from First Farmers & Merchants
National Bank at the end of 2017.
Her extraordinary 44-year career
was celebrated with an evening staff
dinner on November 27 and an event Brian Short, Vicki Quist
for the public during our Christmas and Dale Roemmich
Open House on December 18. As
Dale Roemmich, President and
CEO, stated many times as her last Submitted by: Linda Erickson,
day of employment arrived, “There is Customer Service Representative
no replacing Vicki Quist, she is the
treaters from coming out. The local
Y sponsored this event and noted that
this had to be the largest Trunk or
Treat in its history.
CSW Tool Belts
Vice President Lynette Smerud
and Mortgage Loan Officer
Debbie Knowlton represented the
bank at the Annual Chamber of
What do you get on a Saturday Commerce Business Expo which
afternoon the weekend before was held at the historic St. James
Halloween when 30+ vendors open Hotel on October 24.
their trunks of their vehicles, with
candy galore, and thousands of kids
show up? CHAOS and CRAZINESS
– in a good kind of way! On Saturday,
October 28, Colleen Phillips, Head
Teller, represented His Kids Child
Care at the annual Trunk or Treat
here in Red Wing at Bay Point Park.
The weather was so cold that day but Debbie Knowlton and Lynette Smerud
that did not deter the little trick or
(continued on page 15)

RED WING Update
(continued from page 14)
Mortgage Lenders Debbie Knowlton
and Jessica Lindholm hosted a
Realtor Luncheon on November 10
at the Pottery Museum. They had a
great turnout and continue to build
strong relationships within this
exciting industry. Lonny from Credit
Plus discussed credit basics and
Nora Hanson talked about different
mortgage products.
Business Relationship Banker Amy
Engnes was part of a team including
Marketing Director Laura Qualey,
Information Systems Asst. Ashley
Jones and Relationship Banker Katie
Overby from Cannon Falls. Together
they presented a seminar about Cyber
Awareness for our enhanced e-Corp
customers. This was also held at
the Red Wing Pottery Museum on
November 14.
Our Holiday Open House was held on
December 14. It was a cold day filled
with hot apple cider, coffee and lots of
goodies! Our customers really enjoy
this event and we had a great turnout
this year! Another highlight that
morning was these two cuties stuffing
all the toys into the Toys for Tots box.
So many generous donations this
year! Thank you, everyone!
Toys for Tots
Submitted by: Lisa MacRae,
Customer Service Representative,
and Colleen Phillips, Head Teller
P.S. Note from President
Brett Elford:
Unfortunately for Red Wing, this
is Lisa’s last Hooray! write-up for
our branch. Lisa has accepted a
CSR position in White Rock, which
fortunately means she remains part
of the FF&M team and is definitely a
gain for the White Rock office! Lisa
is a past Eagle Award winner and
has played a huge role in the success
and growth of the Red Wing office.
She was a rock star as a Chamber of
Commerce Ambassador and she did an
awesome job of representing FF&M
in the Red Wing community. Lisa will
always be a part of our “family” here
in Red Wing and we wish her the best
in White Rock!
Lisa MacRae
First Farmers & Merchants
Shared Services
Update
Customer Service Week 2017
Cannon Falls Operations put on their
hard hats to celebrate Customer Service
Week! Mary Kriesel, Training Officer,
and Jane Duffy, Loan Processor, were
Updates
co-chairs this year. The team received
daily emails, activities, handouts and
snacks, all in support of the BUILDING
TRUST theme. On Friday, we had a
‘Build Your Own Burger’ lunch and
voted for our favorite tool belt. The
winning tool belt belonged to Chief
Operations Officer Debra Norstad.
Congratulations! Thank you to the
entire CF Operations team for a great
Customer Service Week!
Back row L-R: Carly Anderson,
Deb Gesme, Deb Norstad, Carrie
Johnson, Mary Mann, Cathy
Anderson, Anne Leverton, Mary
Kriesel, Jane Duffy. Front row L-R:
Bri Davis, Tiffany Helgren, Amy
Furlong, Ashley Jones, Mary Benson
Holiday Cheer!
Cannon Falls Operations wore their
ugly (festive) sweaters for a Secret
Santa gift exchange and Christmas
potluck. A lot of holiday treats were
enjoyed all month!
Back row L-R: Deb Gesme,
Mary Benson, Tiffany Helgren,
Ashley Jones, Amy Furlong,
Carrie Johnson. Front row L-R:
Mary Mann, Bri Davis, Jane Duffy,
Mary Kriesel, Anne Leverton
(continued on page 16)
15
 Updates
SHARED SERVICES
Update
(continued from page 15)
Birth Announcements
Vice President/Senior Technology
Officer Darlene Gonnerman and her
husband, Ray, are proud to announce
the arrival of their sixth grandchild.
Harvey James was born to Jessica
and Kyle Nebelsick in JBLM, WA
(Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near
Tacoma) on September 17, 2017.
Harvey weighed 9 lbs. 14 oz. and was
22 inches long.
Twin daughters Sydnie Jo and
Sadie Kay were born to Lauren and
Landon Gacke on December 17,
2017. Sydnie Jo weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz.
and Sadie Kay weighed 5 lbs. Proud
grandparents are Todd and Mary
Christensen (Information Systems
Assistant Luverne) and Vince and
Peg Gacke (CSR Luverne).
Gacke twins
Submitted by: Mary Kriesel,
Training Officer
16
First Farmers & Merchants
Stewartville
Update
As we finished with the hustle and
bustle of the holiday season and
prepared to enter 2018, the fourth
quarter of 2017 was busy for the
staff at First Farmers & Merchants
in Stewartville. In addition to all the
usual activities and events, a number
of holiday events took place.
The Stewartville staff was once again
host for the Christmas Anonymous
program for the community of
Stewartville. This program provides
Christmas gifts to local “in need”
children and families. Members of
the community are then welcome
to donate throughout November
and December before the items are
collected and distributed by volunteers.
This year, the staff at Stewartville
decided to donate the money collected
throughout the year as part of its Blue
Jean Friday program to the Christmas
Anonymous program. Not only did
they donate the money to a very
worthy cause, Stephanie Lawson,
Consumer/Mortgage Lender, Kayla
Stockdale, CSR, and Anna Serrano,
Teller/CSR, donated an evening to
shop for various toys, clothing items
and household supplies. Thank you to
the entire Stewartville staff!
Anna Serrano, Stephanie Lawson
and Kayla Stockdale
The bank’s annual Holiday Open
House was held in Stewartville on
Wednesday, December 13. The early
morning weather forecast didn’t
cooperate; however, by late morning,
the bank enjoyed a consistent stream
of customers and friends who
attended to enjoy food provided by
The Diner in Grand Meadow and
sweet desserts proved by Rachel
Decker in Stewartville. 215 Holding
Co. President and CEO Brian Short
was also in attendance to greet and
visit with many of the attendees.
Stewartville Holiday Open House
Our Advisory Board Christmas
party was also held the evening of
December 13. Attendees enjoyed
great conversation and an excellent
meal at 5 West in Rochester, MN. A
special thanks to Stephanie Lawson,
who was instrumental in planning and
organizing the event.
Dave Feddersen, Tom Myhre, Jr.,
Lynne Benedict, Clair Mrotek,
Brian Short (not pictured: Chris
Stafford, Matt Flynn)
Assistant Vice President Brooke
Meaike and her husband Jesse
welcomed a new addition to their
(continued on page 17)

STEWARTVILLE Update
(continued from page 16)
family. Holden Robert Meaike was
born on October 12. Mom and son
are doing very well. Congratulations,
Brooke and Jesse, what a handsome
little guy!
Brooke Meaike with baby Holden
Congratulations to Pamela Wilson,
VP/Chief Operations Officer, for
winning the bank quarterly Customer
Service MVP Award as well as being
a nominee for the Short Companies
quarterly Eagle Award for the fourth
quarter of 2017! Great job, Pam,
thanks for all your contributions!
Pam Wilson
We hope everyone enjoyed a safe and
happy New Year!
Submitted by: Dave Feddersen,
President
Updates
First Farmers & Merchants
White Rock
Update
BUILDING TRUST in White Rock!
We kicked off Customer Service
Week with breakfast on Monday
morning. Everyone handed in their
decorated tool belts but President
Paul Drackley and Ag Lender Calvin
Ryan took it a step further and dressed
up as Al and Tim from the TV sitcom
Home Improvement. Tuesday we
relaxed our weary muscles with chair
massages, Wednesday we enjoyed
some BUILDING TRUST themed
cookies, Thursday we fueled up with For Halloween, Calvin Ryan and
chili, and Friday we ended the week family dressed up as characters
with a “Build your own Burger” and from 101 Dalmatians. Teller Carna
“Build your own Sundae.” Visagie’s daughter Kenzie stopped
at the bank to visit us dressed up as a
bat. Such cute costumes!
CSW tool belts
Calvin Ryan and family
Kenzie
Visagie
Calvin Ryan
and Paul Drackley (continued on page 18)
17
 Updates
WHITE ROCK Update
(continued from page 17)
CSR Babe Nelson and Carna Visagie
helped to pack meals at the Feed my
Starving Children event in Cannon
Falls on November 18.
We had our annual Holiday Open
House on December 1 from 10am-
4pm. We had quite a few customers
stop in to say hi and enjoy some
holiday cookies and apple cider.
We were a Toys for Tots donation site
again this year and collected toys from
both employees and customers.
In the little community of White Rock
some bank customers and neighbors
get together for a Vikings game and
potluck. There were about 50 people
including our bank president Paul
Drackley. Go Vikes!
Vikings potluck
Unbelievable finish by
the Vikings against
the Saints! Skol!
Starting January 2, CSR Lisa MacRae
from the Red Wing office (see photo
on page 15) will be joining our White
Rock staff. She will be taking over my
spot as CSR when I go on maternity
leave.
18
I almost forgot… we got a new
Automated Teller Machine. You know
White Rock, we have to do it the old-
fashioned way.
ATM, White Rock style
As we wrap up 2017, cheers to a
new year and another chance to get it
right!
And remember…
When it snows, you have two choices:
shovel or make snow angels.
Submitted by: Emily Iverson,
Customer Service Representative
Admiral
Merchants
Update
Admiral had lots of fun at the office
this holiday season. To celebrate
Halloween, the office hosted the 4th
annual costume contest for employees.
We decided on a themed contest this
year, with 18 employees participating
in the “Battle of the Decades” (and
a few with great costumes outside of
the theme as well). Both the 70s and
80s were represented with some great
costumes, and the team voted on the
top winners. Everyone in the office
enjoyed a delicious pizza lunch, and
we’re all looking forward to next
year’s Halloween festivities!
Admiral’s annual November food
drive was a huge success once again.
The food was donated to “The Shelf
of Hope” at Gethsemane Episcopal
Church, located just a few blocks from
our office. The staff at the food shelf
always appreciates our donations, as
their shelves are often sparse right after
the Thanksgiving holiday. Pat Gegner
and the Credit and Collections team
did another great job encouraging
employees to participate, and they
send a big Thank You to those who
donated! We look forward to another
successful donation next year.
In addition to collecting food, the
Admiral office was lucky enough to
receive a few catered lunches courtesy
of some of our drivers. Barend
DeWit and his wife, Lorraine, host
a holiday lunch for the Admiral team
in Minneapolis each year, and the
entire staff looks forward to it. As
they live in British Columbia and
(continued on page 19)

ADMIRAL MERCHANTS
Update
(continued from page 18)
cannot attend, they had a wonderful
taco spread catered for us. Driver
Marty Gallant also provided the
Minneapolis office with a pizza lunch
to spread the holiday cheer. We are
all very appreciative of these meals,
and it makes our holiday season in the
office that much more fun!
Our agents Tammy, Fred, and Lucas
Haase out of Georgia, as well as Olga
from their office, were nice enough
to provide some treats for the office
during the holiday season as well.
Brian Short and Marty Gallant
Hopefully our Fitbits are getting
some extra activity with all this
wonderful food we have enjoyed!
A wonderful spread of donuts and
cookies was provided, and the
employees thoroughly enjoyed them.
Thanks again to all those who were
thoughtful enough to gift us with
yummy treats this year!
Submitted by: Claire Gregory,
Receptionist
St. Paul
Flight Center
Update
The number one ranked University of
Minnesota women’s volleyball team
received a great surprise during an
Updates
extended stay at the St. Paul Flight
Center due to mechanical issues with
their chartered aircraft. Rap icon
Pitbull flew into the St. Paul Flight
Center to perform a concert at the
Xcel Energy Center. Never a dull
moment here at the Flight Center,
and you never know what worlds may
collide on any given day….
St. Paul Flight Center was Host for
Annual Aerostar Convention
The Piper Aerostar was produced
from 1967 to 1984. It was originally
designed and produced by Ted Smith
Aircraft and built in Van Nuys,
California. Over the years, there were
several ownership changes, including
the company being taken over by
the Piper Aircraft Corporation in
1978. Piper continued to build two
variants (600A and 601B) and then
re-introduced the 601P and 602P.
After discontinuing production of
the non-pressurized models, Piper
moved production to Vero Beach. The
Aerostar was last built there in 1984.
In 1991, the Aerostar type certificate
and manufacturing documentation
were sold to Jim Christy and Steve
Speer, who had been part of the Ted
Smith Aerostar operation, and now
operate Aerostar Aircraft Corporation
in Hayden Lake, Idaho, providing
maintenance and support of the
aircraft and new R&D of its family of
aircraft. Conceived with a jet-powered
design structure by Ted Smith from the
very beginning, the Aerostar Aircraft
Corporation continued its R&D and
finally completed Ted Smith’s dream
to convert the design into a twin fan-
jet aircraft, with 6-seat (including
1 pilot) and its version of the 8-seat
stretched variant.
There are over 500 surviving Aerostars
in the United States still being actively
flown as the Aerostar still enjoys a cult
following. When first produced, the
(continued on page 20)
19
 Updates/Wellness

ST. PAUL FLIGHT

CENTER UPDATE
(continued from page 19)

Aerostar held the distinction of being

the fastest production twin engine
piston aircraft ever built.
Every year, Aerostar enthusiasts
convene to discuss relevant issues to
keeping the surviving fleet in good
repair and discuss ways to preserve
the aircraft for the future. This year
the host city was St. Paul and the St.
Paul Flight Center was asked to take
care of the over 20 visiting Aerostars
over the first weekend in October. St.
Dave Lessard and
Paul Flight Center jumped at the chance to be Scott Gall
the host Fixed Base Operator for this year’s
gathering. St. Paul Flight Center had
a great time meeting these
This year the hot discussion item was the passionate aviators who fly
potential of a new turbo-diesel power plant to this storied fleet of aircraft. It
replace the aging and expensive piston engines is our hope we are able to do it
in the Aerostar. Should the diesel engines be again sometime soon.
approved for use in the Aerostar, this would
ensure the fleet to be flying for many years to Submitted by: Dave Lessard,
come. Manager

Yes! Your Fitbit will earn you time
and money in 2018
In 2008, we rolled out a wellness
program to all companies inspired by
Brian Short’s incredible run streak
with a challenge to Run with Brian.
Since then we have crossed the finish
line in many 5Ks, completed healthy
challenges each month, and walked
or ran a mile every day. To minimize
spreadsheets and manual tracking,
the last two years we transitioned
to wearing a fitness tracker. While a
Fitbit may not always track different
exercises equally fairly, overall,
wearing a fitness tracker makes it
easier to know where you are at every
day in steps and exercise, plus shows
you so much more.
If you are tired of wearing your
Fitbit, here is one doctor’s reasoning
for wearing one.
1. Motivation: Many trackers come
with an associated website application that
tracks your activity level, time, calories
burned and number of hours of sleep.
This feedback may be either positively or
negatively motivating. How you interpret
the feedback will affect your future actions
and behaviors.
2. Accuracy: Not all trackers are as
accurate as you might want them to be. The
point is to compare the general feedback
from yesterday to today and recognize if
you are falling short, meeting or exceeding
your goals.
3. Accountability: You probably know
someone who uses a wearable fitness
tracker, making this a good platform for
accountability. According to the U.S.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM),
accountability may result in improved
performance.
4. Heart Rate: During moderate
and vigorous activity you may want
to track your heart rate. How high
your heart rate rises during perceived
vigorous or moderate activity and how
quickly it decreases during rest periods
is a measure of your fitness level.
5. Sleep Monitoring: Quality sleep
is one of the important pillars in your
overall health. Once you’ve worn your
fitness tracker to bed for several nights,
the device may be able to review your
data and even make recommendations
about when the best time to go to bed
would be for your sleep patterns.
6. Behavior Changes: Some
wearers find they have improved
amounts of physical activity while
wearing their fitness tracker. Other
behavioral changes that are possible
with feedback from your fitness tracker
are improved sleep patterns and eating
habits when you interpret the feedback
positively.
Thanks for your continued participation

Results of 2017 Wellness Program in the company wellness program.

Wishing you a happy and healthy
2018.
We had 130 employees participate in the company wellness program in 2017
with great success. Forty-seven employees achieved 100% with having 300,000 Submitted by: Augusta Kirk,
or more steps all 12 months.
HR Director
As an organization, we are paying out $8,210 and adding 151.5 extra days off.

20

ANNIVERSARIES
ADMIRAL MERCHANTS
Matt Bunnell 21 years
Mary Alfano 16 years
Shawn Morrison 10 years
Kim Guzman 9 years
Dishon Smoot 4 years
Tony Reker 1 year
FF&M CANNON FALLS
Mary Mann 28 years
Debra Norstad 25 years
Greg Wulf 14 years
Madison Rapp 5 years
Laura Qualey 3 years
Kelsey Otte 3 years
FF&M FAIRMONT
Andy Noll 25 years
Becky Holland 15 years
Ona Springer 15 years
FF&M GOODHUE
Corrine Stehr 30 years
Paul Althoff 20 years
FF&M PIPESTONE
Mike Hansen 30 years
FF&M RED WING
Brett Elford 14 years
Colleen Phillips 14 years
Lisa MacRae 10 years
Melissa Jaenke 10 years
FF&M SHARED SERVICES
Tiffany Helgren 29 years
Deb Graber 24 years
Nancy Bones 19 years
Cindy Koenders 19 years
Anne Leverton 14 years
Missy Newell 11 years
Ashley Jones 7 years
Tim Nissen 6 years
Becky Redenius 6 years
Mary Benson 3 years
Carrie Johnson 2 years
Bri Davis 2 years
Carly Anderson 1 year
Jane Duffy 1 year
LEAMINGTON CO.
Kenneth Lehner 3 years
NEW EMPLOYEES
FF&M CANNON FALLS
Janice Schurtz Chief Operations
Officer Nancy in Minneapolis.
FF&M LUVERNE
Michele Wessels Loan Assistant
FF&M PIPESTONE
Luke Black Loan Officer
BABY ANNOUNCEMENTS
FF&M LUVERNE/SHARED
SERVICES
Peg Gacke and Mary Christensen
proudly announce the birth of baby
girl twins on December 17. Sydnie
Jo was 6 lbs. 2 oz. and Sadie Kay
was 5 lbs. Congratulations to Peg and
Vince and Mary and Todd.
FF&M SHARED SERVICES
Darlene Gonnerman and her
husband, Ray, are proud to announce
the arrival of their sixth grandchild.
Harvey James was born to Jessica
and Kyle Nebelsick in JBLM, WA
(Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near
Tacoma) on September 17, 2017.
Harvey weighed 9 lbs. 14 oz. and
was 22 inches long.
FF&M STEWARTVILLE
Brooke and Jesse Meaike proudly
announce the birth of their son,
Holden Robert Meaike, on October
12, 2017.
News
LEAMINGTON CO.
Nancy Novack has a new
granddaughter. Arya Quinn Scott
was born on October 1, 2017, to Dan
and Nancy’s daughter, Margarita,
who lives in Tampa, Florida. Dan and
Nancy got to meet Arya when they
drove to Tampa over Thanksgiving.
This is their sixth grandchild. The
other five – all girls! – and their
mother, Tegualda, live with Dan and
Luverne strives to be “Nutcracker
Capital of the Midwest”
Local historian Betty Mann
donated her personal collection of
approximately 2,500 nutcrackers to
the Rock County Historical Society,
and they are now on permanent display
at the new History Center in Luverne.
Building off this, most businesses
in town, including First Farmers &
Merchants, displayed a nutcracker
during the holidays, many of which
were designed by a local business,
Quality Printing. The town has really
embraced the nutcracker theme, and
the hope is that this will contribute to
making Luverne and Rock County a
destination for tourists.
21
 Eagle Awards
Eagle Awards
Admiral Merchants
Rhonda Anderson
Settlements Specialist
Submitted by: Admiral Team
Rhonda Anderson
The Admiral Team is very pleased to
announce that Rhonda Anderson,
Settlements Specialist, is our 4th
Quarter Eagle Award recipient.
Since she started at Admiral in
2014, Rhonda has always shown
a willingness to learn and help out
whenever and wherever possible. She
is always happy to come in early or
stay late to help cover the Settlements
Department when someone is on PTO,
as well as help the Permits Department
when they needed a little extra help on
the weekend. Each driver who works
with Rhonda comes away knowing
that they received the best possible
customer service and that she will
always take the extra step to keep them
running and on the road while still
staying up to date on their payments.
Rhonda is a great asset to Admiral
and her friendliness and good attitude
help to make the workday more fun.
Congratulations, Rhonda!
22
FF&M Shared Services
Darlene Gonnerman
VP/Senior Technology Officer
Submitted by: Steven Murley
SVP/Commercial & Ag Lending
Officer, FF&M Austin
Darlene Gonnerman
I nominated Darlene Gonnerman for
an Eagle Award based on the superb
customer service and follow-through
she provided for a new customer of
FF&M Austin. I put a ticket into IT-
programming on December 1, 2017,
for a new customer who found out
that his QuickBooks (cloud based)
wasn’t compatible with our system.
The whole emphasis was to have all
the business of this new customer.
We wouldn’t get his business if we
couldn’t get this software figured
out. After review with Darlene, she
had to send a ticket into Intuit as
well to get some answers. She wasn’t
very hopeful for a positive response,
so my hopes were fading and I was
wondering what I needed to do to save
this new customer, who had brought
all his loans to us. I kept in contact
with the customer until Darlene got
an update. To make a long story short,
with ticketing updates, Darlene got
a positive response, with an Intuit
meeting scheduled for December 14,
2017. Darlene worked it out with
Fiserv and by December 21 got the
positive news that within seven days
we should have a synched system
with no cost to the new customer.
On December 28, 2017, Darlene got
notification that QuickBooks Online is
active for numerous FF&M branches
and our new customer is very happy!
Thanks, Darlene, for your diligence
in solving this problem and saving
this new customer relationship.
FF&M Pipestone
Amy Tinklenberg
Customer Service Representative
Submitted by: Rhonda Smith
Personal Banker/Assistant Cashier,
Linda Erickson, Customer Service
Representative, and Tammy Ogdahl,
Chief Operations Officer
Amy Tinklenberg has a number of
Amy Tinklenberg
responsibilities at First Farmers in
Pipestone. She is the smiling face that
greets each customer as they walk in
the door. She answers the phone, she
is a customer service rep, and true
team player.
At the beginning of the year, Amy
was given the responsibility of
accounts payable for the charter.
(continued on page 23)

EAGLE AWARDS
(continued from page 22)
Amy has excelled in this area. Not
only does she complete this task
efficiently and accurately, she has
created an organizational system that
makes researching any payment or
invoice extremely quick and easy.
She processes payments in a timely
manner for both locations while
juggling her many other duties.
Amy excels at delivering an
exceptional customer experience. She
is efficient, friendly and customizes
the experience to ensure each
customer is matched to the appropriate
product based on their specific needs.
If a customer contacts Amy with a
question or concern, she will go the
extra mile to provide a resolution.
Amy works diligently to ensure that
the customer, as well as the bank,
is satisfied with the outcome. She
is a good listener, which allows for
individualized service and customer
satisfaction. Amy’s customers
walk away knowing that they have
developed a personal relationship
with their bank. This is a testament to
the exceptional customer experience
Amy provides every day.
Congratulations, Amy!
FF&M Red Wing
Colleen Phillips,
Head Teller
Submitted by: Lynette Smerud,
VP/Customer Service Manager,
Debbie Knowlton, Mortgage Officer,
and Lisa MacRae, Customer Service
Representative
We are excited to nominate Head
Teller Colleen Phillips! There are
so many wonderful reasons why
Colleen is our Eagle this quarter at
the Red Wing branch. First of all,
we’d like to highlight her positive,
cheerful attitude. Colleen is True
Eagle Awards
Blue! She is referred to by many of
teller line functions made a big impact
her customers as “Smiley.” Many
customers wait in line for Colleen’s
on us that day. She took time and had
patience for our many questions on
help or just to say hello to her. It is
tellering procedures and she made
noticed when she is out of the bank
sure that we were all in balance at the
on vacation and the customers are
end of the day! A stressful day ended
bummed to have missed her. This is
on such a positive note because of
because she greets everyone with her
Colleen’s positive attitude and smiling
big smile and positive attitude. She
personality.
She is a flexible employee and has
recently taken on the extra duty of
processing the return mail. She and her
teller team have taken ownership of
the daunting task and really knocked
it out of the park! We couldn’t do it
without you, Colleen! Thank you for
bringing sunshine to the branch each
and every day!
Colleen Phillips
Executive
calls the customers by name and even
knows their dog’s name, too! Colleen
goes above and beyond to truly make
Offices
Update
an authentic connection with her
customers, co-workers and her teller
team.
We periodically write about our friend
Her customer service and problem Harold Gifford. Harold was one of
solving skills came in handy on the the pilots who made the unscheduled
Saturday before Christmas this year “Miracle Cornfield Landing” on
when we were confronted with a non- January 18, 1960, in the DC-3 carrying
customer who was trying to cash a the Minneapolis Lakers basketball
stolen, fraudulent check for $500. The team, owned by Brian’s dad, Bob
crook didn’t get away with anything Short. All 23 aboard the plane were
and left the bank. In the meantime, safe after the plane landed in an Iowa
Lynette Smerud, Debbie Knowlton cornfield during a snowstorm. The
and Lisa MacRae were calling the Fall 2010 issue of Hooray! has a fuller
business customer whose check was
stolen, getting video footage from the
security cameras, and talking with the
police. Colleen was able to handle
the incoming customers, answer the
telephone, and keep everyone cool,
calm and collected during a stressful
situation. We can’t thank her enough
for the way she just naturally showed
leadership and teamwork that day to
keep everything running smoothly. The Gifford Family at their home
Her confidence and knowledge of the in Mankato circa 1941
(continued on page 24)
23
 Hooray!
SHORT COMPANIES
215 South 11th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 332-4732
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Executive Offices, continued
account of this landing. At the August
12, 2011 Annual Short Companies
Managers Meeting, held at Target
Field, we had the opportunity to hear
the story of the “Miracle Cornfield
Landing” directly from Harold, who
kindly served as our guest speaker for
the meeting.
Last summer, Harold and his sister,
June Schoen, received some long-
awaited, good news about their
brother, Quentin. Radioman 2nd
Class Quentin Gifford was 22 years
old when his ship, the USS Oklahoma,
capsized after being struck by torpedoes
at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
The U.S. Navy – since February 1942
– had listed Gifford as “lost in action.”
Gathered human remains from the
attack site in the Pacific Ocean were
brought to a Navy laboratory in 1941,
but staff were able to identify relatively
few of the dead seamen. Unidentified
24
Quentin Gifford
remains were buried in a gravesite in
Hawaii.
In 2015, a process began to exhume
sailors so their DNA could be analyzed.
Three of Quentin’s siblings, Harold,
June, and Earl, who has since died,
contributed their DNA for analysis in
2016, and Quentin’s remains were
able to be identified.
Through the decades, family members
hoped Quentin’s death had happened
quickly. “I had this hope his body had
been completely destroyed – that he
had not been obliged to suffer,” Harold
said. He now believes Quentin’s death
was fairly quick after viewing details
about his brother’s remains, provided
by the military.
Harold and June are planning a service
for May 12, 2018, at Fort Snelling
Memorial Chapel, with burial at Fort
Snelling National Cemetery. The
military service will include a 21-gun
salute and an honor guard. Harold and
June are grateful to be able to honor
Quentin with a ceremony and to have
him buried in Minnesota.
Submitted by: Nancy Novack,
Executive Assistant