CHICORA — When Pam Kiser was a Butler County intern in 1977, she had no idea she had already found her future employer.

Nearly 40 years later, Kiser, 56, of Bradys Bend Township is retiring this week from her post as administrative assistant to District Judge Lewis Stoughton.

She originally started her tenure in the then-register of wills/recorder of deeds row office as an intern, then employee after graduating from Butler High School in 1978.

Clair Halstead held the office, which later split into separate offices. Kiser said she started working there by chance.

“They hired me just to make copies,” she said.

Six years later, she transferred to the Chicora district judge office. Ruth Miller, a former secretary, won the seat.

“It was very old school back then,” Kiser said. “It was very formal.”

She said Miller’s secretarial background shone through.

“She double-checked everything,” Kiser said. “She taught me a lot.”

In the late 1980s, Joe O’Donnell became district judge.

“Joe was an awesome judge to work for,” Kiser said. “Everybody loved him.”

She said Stoughton also is popular. Kiser praised him for being fair to his staff.

“I’ll definitely miss him,” she said.

Stoughton said the feeling is mutual.

“It’s not going to be the same at the Chicora district court without Pam,” he said. “Pam was everything I could ever ask for in an office manager.”

Kiser will continue working on a part-time basis as a clerk for county emergency services, which is in Butler Township.

“I’m not ready to be home all the time,” she said.

She said she will miss her short commute time.

“I have to get used to it,” Kiser said, referring to soon having to pass the district judge office on Main Street en route to work.

“I will probably just automatically pull in.”

During Kiser’s tenure, she has seen technology take hold. Computers were not used in the late 1970s.

“I handwrote and typed everything,” she said.

Kiser still uses a typewriter for some smaller jobs.

She also has seen the office’s workload increase over the years.

When Kiser transferred to the office, she was one of two workers. There are now four.

“The workload has increased,” Kiser said. “We’ve gotten bigger, busier.”

She attributed the extra caseloads in the late 1990s to the office’s acquisition of Center Township to its jurisdiction.

Over the years, Kiser has seen the gamut of people stop in for hearings and complain about citations.

“Sometimes, they’re upset,” she said. “For the most part, I never felt threatened.”

However, there were times the staff asked for state police to come as a precaution.

Kiser lives in Bradys Bend with her husband, Tim, who works for the Armstrong School District. They have five children and two grandchildren.

“Hopefully, we’ll get to spend more time with family,” she said.