Crawford County column: Gerber spends a career in banking

“Money: A small word used daily.” Phil Gerber has been advising customers for over 43 years on the subject of money and investments. He was born and raised in Wyandot County, a son of Wayne and Martha, and has two sisters Dalene “D” (Baldwin) and Sharon “Irvin.”

Phil grew up in Nevada and hit a ‘bump in the road’ June, July and August 1959 as a patient in Children’s Hospital Columbus. He was fortunate to survive and returned home late August and started first grade in September. The only thing he recalls there was meeting Flippo the Clown and Lucy from Lucy’s Toyshop during their visits.

Phil, a graduate of Wynford, went to Bowling Green State University. Before he could finish college, he had the opportunity for a job in 1972 at Farmer’s Citizen’s Bank. Fred Christman was just named president there and Jim Stemen talked Phil into staying at the bank.

He took on a new role in 1972, as husband, marrying Sandra Seckel, and they had two children, Wesley (Chris) and Andrea (Mike) Thomas. Andrea is following in her father’s footsteps in the banking business. The Gerbers have 4 grandchildren.

Phil’s banking career at Farmer’s Citizen’s totaled 24 years and then John Kennedy hired him at First Federal Bank in 1997. Phil has worked there 19 years, climbing the ladder to CEO of First Federal. Looking back on his 43-year banking career he said, “John Kennedy was a good guy to work for.”

The bank converted computer systems in 1985 and Phil was in charge of the transition. He remembers working 110 hours in one week until they hired additional people with computer knowledge to get it done. The machines would break down and needed to be ‘rebooted’ and that was a real process.

Fred Christman asked Phil to serve on the John Q. Shunk Foundation serving over 20 years now. The Foundation was set up to help students get to college and income generated all goes towards scholarships. They Board selects the candidates for the scholarship and about 90% finish college.

Phil also served as clerk/treasurer of Bucyrus Library distributing trust and endowment funds to purchase books and magazines. People leave money as a form of trust and endowment but only the interest can be used to buy books. Money saved because of efficiency were put in a capital fund to help pay for the library addition. He was also special Deputy Clerk for Crawford County Municipal Court in their program for trusteeship. People would have their wages garnished, they gave their paychecks to Phil, and he paid their bills, and then each creditor got a percentage, all checks were typed by hand, no computer.

To know a Kiwanian is to hear about “The Pit” and this story has the ‘real top dog of it.” For some 25 years, Phil has served as chairman of their Chicken Barbecue. He is “down in the pits” two of them, with grates on top, cooking about 200 halves per pit, to start with, of chicken in one day. They rotate them off until they are done and put in coolers to keep warm to sell later on in the day.

They cook with about 2,500 pounds of charcoal and it can be a very hot job. The wind can blow the heat away from the pit and sometimes they put tarps up to block it or use more charcoal to generate more heat. The barbecue is Kiwanis’ largest annual fund raiser.

All the proceeds go back to the community for various projects such as totes for kids, the soup kitchen and donations to various other groups seeking funding.

In October 1999 Phil Gerber, Tom Holtshouse, Randy Clady and Jim Baldy traveled to Ireland with the intention of backpacking and trail walking. Upon arrival there were no hiking trails in Ireland and so they drove from Dublin along the eastern coast, south and then north along the Western coast.

They stayed in cost efficient local “B & B” including an Irish breakfast of eggs, ham, tomatoes and juice. He was intrigued that local communities were dominated by local pubs. New Washington-size villages had at least 25 pubs or bars to choose from and all seemed busy. They went to Ireland and toured the Waterford Crystal Factory and watched the glass blowers in action.

Phil is looking at a few short years before retirement and reflects on the many boards he has served on, but now limits himself. He loves to read, enjoys all sports in general including OSU and the Browns.

If you are interested in genealogy or sharing a story email or write Crawford County Genealogy Society, 931 Marion Road, Bucyrus, OH 44820 Mary Fox email Littlefox factory@columbus.rr.com .