EVANSTON — Starting in 1982 as a loan teller and escrow officer, Evanston’s Kelli Furniss worked her way up to executive vice president and chief deposit officer at First Bank of Wyoming before retiring after 43 years of dedicated service.

On Friday, Feb. 28, Furniss was honored with an open house retirement party at the bank. Guests could help themselves to sandwiches and other finger foods catered by Horizon High School’s culinary arts class.

“I was just going to slide out quietly, but a group of employees organized the big party,” Furniss said. “I knew it was going to be an open house but, when all of the bank officers and some of my friends came from out of town, I was completely surprised. That’s when I started crying. It was a wonderful surprise.”

First Bank of Wyoming regional manager Ben Bell said all the branches across the state sent cards and gifts to Furniss, which were loaded into a wagon that was on display. Bank employees decorated the area with balloons, and a large number “43” covered with photos of bank employees was also on display. Furniss was given a T-shirt with dates and all her job titles printed on it.

A sign on one table showed Furniss’ 43 years of employment at the bank broken down into 516 months; 2,236 weeks; 15,778 days; 378,672 hours; or 2,272,032 minutes.

Furniss was born in Pocatello, Idaho, and was raised in Ogden, Utah, where she went to high school and then attended Weber State College until she married. In 1981, she and her husband, Craig, moved to Evanston. Craig was working in the oilfields at that time but later managed his own business, Fixx-It, until his retirement in 2022.

Furniss started working at the bank in January of 1982, when it was called First National Bank and was owned by Albert Bradbury. She stayed with the bank through its several changes of ownership and names. In 1989, George McKinley bought the bank.

It was called First Bank of Evanston until McKinley purchased all of the branches in Wyoming and the bank is now called First Bank of Wyoming. Furniss served in many capacities at the bank and in 2019 was promoted to executive vice president and chief deposit officer where she has remained until her retirement.

While working for the bank, Furniss drove regularly to Weber State College to finish her degree in business administration and finance, which she earned in 1990.

Furniss said she and Craig plan to travel and just enjoy life.

“First, I just want to relax after spending 43 years getting up and going to work every day,” she told the Herald. “We bought a motorhome, and we love to camp. We will just travel, visit friends and relax.”