Bio of Deanie May Fincher

How did you come to work at YP? My father was a forester and encouraged me to work in one of the National Parks for the summer. At first I thought he wanted me to work in one of the ranger towers, but I knew that would be TOO isolated. Then he told me that all of the parks had concessions so I got one of those books about Summer Jobs for College Students and wrote to several parks and heard from Yellowstone first.

What job position did you have at the Lodge?
I was a waitress at Old Faithful Lodge

Did you work in the park multiple summers?
No. I only worked in 1971. Since I quit in August of that summer, I knew they wouldn’t hire me again.

How many times did you go down the laundry chute at the Inn?! NONE. I don’t remember even knowing that there was one or hearing of anyone who did. I must have led a sheltered life that summer. Oh… the stories I have been hearing. Wish I could go back now.

Favorite YP memories? Hitchhiking with my roommate Pat Folland to different places – Jackson Hole, Bozeman Montana, the canyon area.

What have you been doing the last 30 years!? I graduated from the University of Georgia in 1975 with a degree in Middle School Education. Got my first teaching job in Ellijay, Georgia where I met my husband Bill, who was a probation officer at the time. After Bill finished law school, we got married and then he joined the FBI and we moved to Chicago for 3 years. At that time, we thought we were going to move around every 3 years and see the country, but the FBI decided to freeze transfers, and since we were FREEZING in Chicago, Bill quit and we moved back to Georgia – Canton , where Bill had grown up. I got a teaching job and Bill went to work for the DA’s office in Atlanta. We have been here ever since. Our son, Jacob was born in 1990 and is now in going into the 8^th grade. I left my teaching position 3 years ago to join the technology department in my county and I love it. Five years ago, Bill and I built a campground in Ellijay as a retirement opportunity and that keeps us busy on the weekends and during the summer.