News and Tribune's Brenda Dorman marks 50 years
Nov. 6—JEFFERSONVILLE — It was 50 years ago Sunday that Brenda Oberlies, a 1973 graduate of Jeffersonville High School, walked through the door of the Jeffersonville Evening News to begin her full-time work life.
If you phone what is now the News and Tribune, which serves Clark and Floyd counties today, you're likely to hear a voice answer the phone with "News and Tribune. This is Brenda. How may I help you."
Yes, that's Brenda after five decades of serving not just the newspapers of this area, but also the people.
Lest you think she's only been answering the phone all that time, you're wrong.
"She doesn't bear the title 'publisher' or 'editor,' but I'm pretty sure Brenda runs the newspaper," said Susan Duncan, a former colleague. "When I joined the staff as editor in 2016, it was clear Brenda was the go-to person for any question I might have — and I had a lot of them. Her patience and kindness are hallmark qualities she extends not just to co-workers, but also to folks on the phone and those who stop by the office in Jeffersonville."
One afternoon last week as Brenda, now Brenda Dorman, reflected on the last few years, she explained that she worked part-time during her junior and senior years of high school at a local eye doctor's office.
She couldn't accept a full-time job anywhere until she was 18, which occurred on Oct. 30, 1973. She had been watching the Help Wanted Ads in the Evening News when she saw an ad for an opening at the newspaper.
She went to the Evening News to apply, was interviewed twice and began work less than a week later for Owen Voight, then the owner of the Evening News.
One of her duties each day from the beginning was making sure the obituaries that appeared in the newspaper were processed correctly for each day's edition of what was then an afternoon paper published in hot type — well before the digital age and funeral homes submitted obituaries.
"Fifty years is a long time to work anywhere," said Duncan, "let alone in the ever-evolving environment of a newspaper. Brenda has weathered technological changes and duty shifts with a grace few could muster. I admire her heartfelt commitment to getting the job done."
Brenda recalls typing all of the obits on a manual typewriter, making sure they were correct and making sure the typesetter had the time to process them.
Preparing the obituary of a loved one is a sometimes-painful task for many people and Brenda has through the years mastered how to support and guide someone as they put into words a lifetime for someone close.
Even today, in a time when obituaries are prepared by funeral homes and have become a totally digital process, there are many days when she spends time on the phone helping someone thousands of miles away who has just lost a close relative, and even though not living in the area, wants that obituary in the News and Tribune.
"I've had the pleasure of working with Brenda since 2008. In a changing media world, Brenda has been a consistent force. She knows the community, she's reliable, hard-working and professional. During her 50 years in the business, Brenda has seen a lot of changes, and she's met them with an open mind and a great attitude," said Daniel Suddeath, now the News and Tribune editor.
Brenda has been setting a record. A 2017 story in Forbes magazine reported the average tenure for employees by industry is this country. The longest tenured in Media/Publishing were at 16.9 years, which occupied third place among all industries. Next was Information Technology at 16.8 years in the fourth spot and Telecommunications at 16.5 in fifth spot. They were beaten out only by Government at 18.6 in first and Aerospace at 17.3 in second.
Brenda's life has had its share of challenges too.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery on Nov. 11, 2010.
What followed was a year of chemotherapy. Every three weeks on Thursday. Then it was back to the doctor's office the next week for blood work. The third week was free of treatment and doctor visits but the cycle started again the next week.
Throughout it all, Brenda continued work, taking off the day of chemotherapy and back at work every other day. Her last treatment was Dec. 23, 2011.
Brenda is a lifelong resident of the area and knows its businesses and its residents. She routinely fields the questions from service organizations, clubs, annual events, libraries, and a myriad of other groups with questions about how to tell their stories in the paper.
She and her brother, Larry Oberlies and his wife Debbie of Lexington, helped to care for her parents, the late Henry and Alyne Oberlies of Utica, throughout their lives. For eight years she was married and from that marriage she has one son, Aaron, now a teacher at Jeffersonville High School. Brenda has never left Utica and Aaron purchased a home and returned there to live.
Former editor Duncan did recall one time when she saw Brenda express exasperation with her day, a rare occurrence in the News and Tribune office.
"Like anyone, Brenda is entitled to her moments," Duncan said. "I remember one morning she showed up a bit flustered a few minutes later than usual. By way of explanation, as if one were needed, Brenda said, 'I got behind a car crawling along Utica Pike. You'd think they'd never seen a barge before!'"
Perhaps Brenda's contributions were best summarized by Donna Barrett, now president and CEO of CNHI newspapers, who once worked for the News and Tribune:
"Brenda represents the very best of our company. Her dedication to this newspaper and its readers is inspiring and her positive energy is contagious. We are fortunate to have her on our team."
