For more than two decades, Marilyn Rowe has helped keep the City of Winchester moving along.

She’s taken and maintained the minutes for the city commission meetings. She’s answered requests for information from the public. She’s worked for four mayors and three city managers.

As of Dec. 31, Rowe will retire from the city.

“I love my job,” she said. “I really do.”

She said the impetus for her retirement is her elderly parents, who live in Ohio, need more and more attention.

“I was going to see them based on (city) meetings,” she said. “There’s things they need. I need the freedom to go when I need to.”

During the last Winchester Board of Commissioners meeting, the commissioners joked about denying her retirement request and refusing to discuss the matter, but they relented and offered their regrets.

Mayor Ed Burtner was the city manager when Rowe was hired as his administrative assistant in 1991.

“She started here doing the very difficult task of being the city manager’s secretary,” Burtner said. “If that didn’t ruin her, she stepped up and stepped in.”

After a couple years, Rowe became the city clerk and earned several accreditations and certifications along the way.

“Marilyn has a great deal of institutional knowledge about this city,” Burtner said. “Marilyn will certainly be missed. She’s given outstanding service to this city.”

Burtner said there is a plan for Rowe’s successor.

“No employee is really replaceable,” he said. “We’ll be able to put someone in that position with some institutional knowledge. Marilyn really does have a keen grasp on history and facts of the community.”

Rowe said she also plans to spend more time with her grandchildren and her soon-to-be two great-grandchildren.