Photo by Mike Lamb Gerald Terhark shows off his 50 years of service plaque after receiving it from Tyler Lumber Company Manager Lonnie Lambertus Wednesday during the annual directors meeting.

TYLER — It was February of 1968 when Gerald Terhark received a call from a friend about a job opening at Tyler Lumber Company.

“He said the job opening was in Tyler and they were looking for a man,” Terhark said. “So I came up to the manager. I talked to him on a Saturday, I believe, and on Monday I was working. I have been here ever since.”

Terhark now has 50 years of service with Tyler Lumber Company. On Wednesday, the co-op company honored him with a plaque presentation after its annual directors meeting. Manager Lonnie Lambertus made the presentation to Terhark and his family — his wife, Beth Ann; son, Jamie; and daughter Jennifer.

“In today’s world, there’s not a lot of people that stay with an employer for more than five or 10 years,” Lambertus told directors. “This says something about Jerry on how much of a dedicated employee he continues to be.”

Terhark thanked Lambertus, the directors and his family.

“I have dealt with a lot of employees over the years. I enjoyed all of them and we worked as a team,” Terhark said.

The presentation was special for Lambertus as well. Terhark, who served as manager for 24 years starting in 1985, hired Lambertus in 1990. Lambertus has 28 years with Tyler Lumber and took over as manager when Terhark returned to the yard in 2009.

“He started out in the yard, I started out in the yard. We have a lot of similiarities,” Lambertus said.

Terhark recalled his yard days when he first started as “pretty tough.”

“We didn’t have the equipment like we do now. It was a lot of hand work, hand labor. As each year went by, it just kept getting easier and easier with all the stuff that came through. But it’s been great,” he said.

Terhark admitted some of the changes were not easy for him.

“The biggest and fastest change, I guess, is the computers,” he said. “When they moved in — it isn’t my world. And it was moving a little faster than I really wanted it to be. That’s when I decided I would retire (from manager) and stay down here (yard).”

Terhark said the transition from boss to yard worker was easy for him.

“I did a lot of it (yard) when I was manager. I did a lot of helping — load up. I helped with the people load up. I made some deliveries. And that’s fine. Absolutely enjoy it,” he said.

Terhark also said he never once thought about looking for a different job.

“From the day I started, I enjoyed it and it seemed as each day went by, it just evolved and keep right a going one day after another,” he said.

Terhark has no present plans on retiring.

“As long as my health is good, I’ll keep going,” he said. “I don’t feel like sitting at home. I enjoy being here. I’ll be here until they throw me out or, like I said, my health takes over. As long as it goes good, I’m going to try keep working.”