T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Agent Deb Ewoldt, center, poses for a photo with Shomo-Madsen Insurance Owners Steve Madsen, left, and Bobby Shomo, right, at the MACC on Friday night after she was honored for surpassing 55 years in the insurance industry.

Shomo-Madsen Insurance’s annual employee party had a special twist on Friday night as Company President Bobby Shomo honored one of his longest tenured agents for 55 total years in the field after a dinner at the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center (MACC).

While he was sure to point out more than once that she has no plans of retiring — and he hopes to celebrate 65 years with her a decade from now — Shomo had nothing but praise for Deb (Goecke) Ewoldt, a native of Lamoille who originally planned to head off to nursing school when she graduated from West Marshall High School in 1968.

“I think she enjoys coming to work every day. She enjoys the customers, and I know the customers enjoy her,” Shomo said.

He added that she has been a great mentor to younger agents working their way into the business and “has forgotten more about insurance” than Shomo himself will ever know. After starting out in 1968, Ewoldt got her personal and commercial licenses in 1974 and worked for a few different agencies — including the precursor to Shomo-Madsen, Koehler Insurance Inc. — before Bobby and Kendall Shomo purchased it in 2005.

“Sometimes you don’t get the chance to say thank you, and we wanted to take this chance just to tell Deb how much she means to us. She’s a pretty special gal,” Bobby Shomo said. “All you youngins out there in the industry, this is somebody you want to work with.”

As Ewoldt stepped up to the podium to accept the recognition, the praise was mutual as she thanked her bosses and coworkers for making her job so enjoyable.

“Any of you that have your agent’s license and want to be full-time producers, Bobby and Steve (Madsen) have the best environment to be able to be successful,” she said.

The event featured a meal catered by Smokin’ G’s BBQ, and afterward, employees headed to Oliver Beene and Wayward Social to keep the fun going.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.