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By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
HART — After a nearly 30-year career in Oceana County government, Amy Anderson will retire at the end of the year as the Oceana County clerk.
Anderson has worked as the county clerk for the last five years.
She originally began her career in the treasurer’s office part-time, and quickly moved her way up to full-time work in the clerk’s office.
She became chief deputy clerk 10 years ago under now retired Oceana County Clerk Becky Griffin.
Chief deputy clerk Melanie Coon is seeking election to Anderson’s soon-to-be vacated post, and is presently running unopposed in the Aug. 6 primary election. “Melanie is going to do a great job. I have all the confidence in the world for her.” Anderson’s term ends Dec. 31, 2024, and the new clerk will take over Jan. 1, 2025.
When asked what she will miss the most about her job, Anderson answered, “the people.”
An Oceana County native, Anderson, 59, graduated from Shelby High School in 1982. She and her husband Wayne, who has lived in Oceana County most of his life, have been married for 40 years. They’re planning an Alaskan cruise in September for her 60th birthday celebration.
The couple has two children, Kayla Dennert and Bryan Anderson, and their oldest child Emily Eitniear passed away in September of 2022. They have seven grandchildren: Blake Eitniear, Kaleb Anderson, Weston Eitniear, Emmett Eitniear, Aiden Dennert, Dominic Anderson and Clara Dennert. Anderson plans to spend more time with grandchildren during retirement. “I love my grandkids.”
She has observed many changes in the clerk’s office over the years, but recent changes to elections with the passage of Proposal 22-2 have been most significant. Early voting has had a big impact on her office.
County clerk employees work long hours into the wee hours of night on election days. Normally, they are in the office until 2 a.m. tallying votes.
“Years ago when we were hand calculating, we were here until 6:30 in the morning. Luckily, we have electronic machines now, which are accurate. We just had a recount for Pentwater school, and it came out perfect. It came out exactly as it was reported.”
Besides elections, the county clerk office is the clerk to the board of commissioners and all its committees. “We are clerk to the canvass board and the jury board and we are a member of the election commission and the plat board. We have all of the vital records here — births, deaths and marriages. Our records go back to 1867.” The clerk’s office handles all circuit court filings.
The busy office handles these many duties with a staff of three full-time employees and one part-time worker. Kristina Linley is the vital records and accounts receivable clerk, and Arlene LaDoux Is deputy clerk. “I have really good staff members.”
“Melanie knows this office inside and out,” she said of Coon, who has worked in the clerk’s office for about 20 years.
The clerk’s office averages about 120 marriage licenses per year, and the amount has increased in recent years due to the Electric Forest Festival, she said. “It’s quite the revenue generator for us. Usually they’re both from out of state, which is an extra fee. It’s a destination place for weddings,” she said of the massive music festival that takes place annually in Rothbury.
COVID-19 was a huge challenge for the busy office when the Oceana County Courthouse was closed to the public for several months. “We were meeting people at the door and processing vital record requests, because they couldn’t come in the building.”
“I have loved working here for the past 27 years. It’s like an extended family. I couldn’t ask for more than that.”
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