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Pam Smithpeter Begley, Arvest Bank
I don’t just work in this bank. I grew up in it.
My mom worked in this very building when it was still First National. I was just a kid when she helped move everything over from the old downtown location. I spent my summers here as a teenager, working part-time while she was doing CDs and IRAs. I always said I didn’t want to go into banking, but I guess the path was already there, I just had to follow it.
I grew up in Lebanon, but I went to school in Stoutland. My dad was a teacher there, so from kindergarten through senior year, he drove me every single day. Looking back now, those years shaped so much of who I became.
After high school, I didn’t go to college. My dad, who had all his degrees and was incredibly intellectual, never pushed me to go. So I went to work, first at what was then United Savings and Loan, and later, back here. My mom and I worked together for years. When she retired, I stepped into her shoes, doing the same job she had done for decades. For a long time, I was “Lena’s daughter.” It wasn’t until she left that I really had my own name at the bank.
This building feels like home. When I came back ten years ago, I could still feel everyone who’d ever worked here. I’ve sat in almost every corner over the years, watched downtown shift and grow. When we took down our old time and temperature sign, people were furious. That’s how much the small things mattered.
I married my high school sweetheart, Kerry. We started dating in 8th grade and have been together ever since. I still remember going into Norman’s Jewelry & Bridal Shop in high school to sell yearbook ads and seeing a wedding dress in the window. A year later, it was still there. I tried it on, and it fit perfectly, no alterations. I put it on layaway and made payments until our wedding. It felt meant to be. Honestly, a lot of my life has felt that way.
Three kids and a lot of life later, I still feel incredibly blessed. My daughter is a nurse in Springfield. My son Jordan is a lineman here in Lebanon. And my youngest, Lance, is a deputy for Laclede County. They’re all close by. That’s a blessing I don’t take for granted.
Not everything has been easy. I lost my father in my twenties. It was July 4th weekend, a packed Friday at the bank. He called me that morning. That day changed everything. My mom and I came back to work together soon after. When my daughter was born the next year, Mom was always at my house. I think helping raise my kids helped fill the space Dad left behind.
I’ve tried to give back where I can. I’ve served on the Housing Authority Board, the Laclede Industries Board, and been a member of Kiwanis for years. I helped start their Singo nights and was part of the team that launched Dancing with the Stars here in town. I’ve worked on project graduations, after-proms, school reunions – and I’ve played Bunco once a month with the same core group of women for over 20 years.
People probably think I’m new when they see me behind the counter, helping with a home equity loan, changing an address, or opening an account. But I’ve been here most of my life. This corner of downtown is part of who I am. I’ve seen Lebanon change, and I’ve changed with it. But one thing that’s always stayed the same is how special it feels to be part of a place where you know your neighbors, where you can call someone when you need help, and where people still show up for one another.
I’ve been blessed with a simple life, but I know how rare that is. I love this community. I love this bank. And I love being part of people’s stories, even if it’s just helping them make a deposit or get a loan. It’s never just a transaction to me. It’s connection. And that’s what keeps me here.
Pam Smithpeter Begley, Arvest Bank
