Cashier retires after 50 years

PERKINS TWP. — Deborah Blakely was 15 years old when she started working as a cashier at the Sandusky-area Kroger in 1972. "It started as a summer job," Blakely said. "And I never left." In February, Blakely retired from her longtime job at Kroger, having served as a cashier at both the former and current Kroger locations on Perkins Avenue after 50 years of employment. Blakely recently spoke about how she got her start at Kroger and her decades-long tenure there. After graduating from Perkins High School, she began to work full-time. She recalled that, back then, there were just four registers. Blakely began her career at the old Kroger at 508 Perkins Ave. Early on, she moved around stores a little bit, but she always ended up right back at the Perkins Avenue store. "This is where I'm supposed to be," she said. Throughout her years working, she saw many businesses come and go, all while Kroger kept going. "It was like a full circle," she said. When the Kroger Marketplace was built at 226 E. Perkins Ave. in 2016, Blakely relocated to the new grocery store. She said that she has fast hands, which helped her keep the line moving. She also liked to talk to customers, who she said would tell her anything. "She was also a favorite among several customers," Michelle Rohrbacher, Blakely's former co-worker, said. "They would always come in and go to her self-checkouts just to see her and chitchat with her." As technology grew, Blakely worked more and more with the self-checkout. She said that the technology of self-checkout was shaky at first but grew over time to manageable and easy-to-use. As a self-described "night owl," Blakely worked from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. when the store was open for 24 hours. She worked in this position for 40 years. She also spent some time working as a substitute teacher at local schools for a time all while maintaining her employment at Kroger. Around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the store reverted back to standard 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. hours. She then switched to working early morning shifts. "She came in early every day to help get the front end organized and ready for the day," Rohrbacher said. "She was our self-checkout superstar." While working at the register, Blakely's goal was to make sure people had an enjoyable experience. "I really tried to make people feel welcome," she said. After more than 50 years in the business, she finally decided it was time to call it quits. "Fifty years is a long time to work in your life," Blakely said. "It's time." After working her whole life, Blakely isn't entirely certain of what she will do in retirement. "It's like a whole new world to me," she said. A lighthouse enthusiast, she hopes to get in some travel in order to see ones she hasn't checked off her bucket list quite yet. Blakely, a local resident, still shops at Kroger and she spends several hours at the store when she does. "I miss the people," she said.