April 03, 2025
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Deb Landrus, longest-tenured county employee, retires after 45 years in Bureau County Clerk’s Office

‘I love the people I work with, and I love my job,’ she said

By Kevin Hieronymus
Deb Landrus, who is retiring after 45 years working in the Bureau County Clerk's office, gets a hug from her grand daughter, Chloe Landrus Thursday in the courthouse lobby, She is the longest tenured employer in courthouse history.

Deb Landrus, who is retiring after 45 years working in the Bureau County Clerk's office, gets a hug from her grand daughter, Chloe Landrus Thursday in the courthouse lobby, She is the longest tenured employee in courthouse history. (Kevin Hieronymus)

Deb Landrus started in the Bureau County Clerk’s Office on Aug. 15, 1977, hired by former Clerk Tom Velon.

On Friday, she walked out for the final time, retiring after 45 years as the longest-tenured county employee in courthouse history.

Per courthouse tradition, Sheriff Deputy Cris Spiegel rang the courthouse bell at the end of the day Thursday in front of a big crowd celebrating Landrus’ retirement.

Her husband, Mike, said, “It’s time to come home.”

Landrus, 67, said it doesn’t seem like it’s been 45 years. She lists several reasons for her longevity, including good hours and lots of holidays.

“And I love the people I work with and love my job,” she said.

Sheriff's Deputy Cris Spiegel rings the courthouse bell in honor of Deb Landrus (left), who is retiring after 45 years working in the Bureau County Clerk's office. She is the longest tenured employer in courthouse history.

Sheriff's Deputy Cris Spiegel rings the courthouse bell in honor of Deb Landrus (left), who is retiring after 45 years working in the Bureau County Clerk's office. She is the longest tenured employer in courthouse history. (Kevin Hieronymus)

Landrus, who has served as chief deputy since 1996, has had her hands in many areas in the clerk’s office. She has helped with voter registration, typed payroll checks before computers came around, served as the office bookkeeper and handled accounts payable and IMRF paperwork.

Her favorite part of her job is working with numbers and “all the girls I work with, and Matt [Eggers, current county clerk].”

The people she works with and have seen every day will be what she will miss the most, she said.

Eggers said Landrus will be greatly missed.

“Deb has been my right-hand person in the office. After she leaves, a lot of experience and knowledge will be leaving with her,” he said. “Her shoes will be big to fill, and she will be missed by everyone.”

Former Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus, who served from 1996 to 2018, said Landrus was the go-to person in her office with all the answers because of her many years of experience.

“She was dependable and committed to her job,” Hieronymus said.

Landrus has seen a lot of changes over the years in the clerk’s office, including three different telephone upgrades and going from doing everything manually to computers. She said office bookkeeping is challenging because of electronic payments.

She has big plans for retirement, including going to more St. Louis Cardinals games with Mike, spending time with the grandkids and traveling around the U.S.