Sue Bafus will end 43-year Endicott stint

A familiar face is leaving the Endicott City Hall in December.

Sue Bafus, who first started working for the city in the fall of 1971, said she’s seen many changes in the small town over the years.

Bafus said she began collecting water bills, then worked as the city treasurer and when the position was combined with the city clerk, took on the combined position.

“I’m just tired of working,” she said Tuesday morning in city hall.

With two grandsons in Spokane who are very active in sports, Bafus said she wants to watch them play.

“I miss going to their activities,” she said.

Bafus said after working on and off for the city, she finally was appointed as clerk.

“They figured I would be here for a while since Edgar farmed,” she said. The couple lived in Endicott while Edgar Bafus farmed. Mr. Bafus died more than 20 years ago.

“I’ve gone through many mayors and city councilmen,” she said. “They were all good to work with because they cared about the community.”

The bookkeeping portion of her position also has changed.

“Almost everything is done online, even our quarterly reports,” she said, adding that most of the changes are because of state and federal regulations.

She also has seen changes in the town.

“There are no businesses left and all the old families who used to live here have passed away,” she said.

Although the actual population numbers haven’t changed much, from 380 to 300 last year, very few young families move into town, which means fewer children in the elementary school.

“There’s older people who live here and there’s nothing to bring the kids back here,” she said.

While not every day may be pleasant, overall Bafus said she’s liked her time in city hall.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of people and this job has really acquainted me with people in town.”

“I’ll miss seeing the people,” she admitted.

The city clerk position has been advertised for several weeks and Bafus said that they hope to hire someone by July.

“It will take us a while to train the new person,” she said.

A 1960 Colfax High School graduate, she plans to continue to live in Endicott.

“I hope to stay home once in a while,” she said. “I just want to do what I want to do. I want to see my children and grandchildren more often.”

She is the treasurer of the Endicott Community Club and her church. The community club organizes the Fourth of July celebration and also is planning a flea market in May. She also keeps up with church activities and hopes to attend her church circle monthly after retirement.

Besides her daughter’s family in Spokane, she also has a son and daughter-in-law in Las Vegas. When the snow starts flying here, she hopes to go to warmer temperatures there.