She left retirement to help the county out of a bind, and this week they thanked her

After 21 years as Houston County’s State Court clerk, Sissi Gann was happily retired when the county called her for help.

Her successor was having health problems and missing work. Cases were piling up. Phone calls were going unanswered. She came out of retirement and served for another year until the Houston County Commission got the General Assembly to change the job from elected to appointed. The county hired a new clerk, whom Gann trained.

On Tuesday the commission showed their gratitude to Gann both for her long tenure as State Court clerk and her short tenure to help the county out of a bind. They showed a portrait of her that will hang in the State Court building.

“For 21 years we thought State Court clerk was an easy job, but when you left we found out how hard it was,” Commissioner Larry Thomson said.

Commission Chairman Tommy Stalnaker said she deserved the recognition just for her prior 21 years of service, but it was her effort to help the county last year that prompted the board to show its appreciation.

“We owe this lady more than anybody knows,” he said.

State Court Judge Jason Ashford and other court workers also spoke highly of her.

“This woman, she’s like some kind of machine,” Ashford said. “She can run forever and she can do it all.”

This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 4:24 PM with the headline "She left retirement to help the county out of a bind, and this week they thanked her."