Pontotoc Electric Meter Route Coordinator and Collector Billy Jack Stewart can’t imagine working anywhere else. Since age 19, Stewart has followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Leo Parker and great-grandfather Morris Tranum, who both worked for Pontotoc Electric Power Association. Tranum is remembered for helping bring the power lines from Pontotoc into Bruce in 1936.
Stewart’s grandfather Leo Parker worked temporarily for Pontotoc Electric’s Bruce District Office in the 1950s as part of the cleanup efforts following an ice and snow storm. (Former Pontotoc Electric Bruce District Manager Benford Doler hired several local men in the town to assist with power restoration and removal of debris. At the time, the utility had only a small crew, which would have delayed completion of the work.)
Parker made quite an impression and was hired full-time with Pontotoc Electric shortly after the storm. He eventually retired with Pontotoc Electric at age 65 but worked part-time reading meters and completing various other assignments for approximately 10 more years.
Stewart said he got his own start with Pontotoc Electric as a summer worker. “One day they were changing out a pole just up the road from my house, so I went over and told Smokey Barefield (retired former Bruce District Manager) I would like to work for Pontotoc Electric that summer…and I’m still here.”
After a couple of years, Stewart went full-time at the Pontotoc Office as a meter reader. Later, when the company needed someone to drive a tractor for the in-house right-of-way department, Stewart moved into that role followed by a move into the line crew.
Stewart returned to the Bruce District Office in 1996 as part of their line crew, remaining in that role until the retirement of then Meter Route Coordinator Matelon Ferguson in 2002. Stewart said he was a little concerned about taking over Ferguson’s role – especially reading the power route, the manual meter reading and calculation of power bills for businesses and large industrial accounts. “I only got to train on the power route once or twice before I was doing it on my own. That was quite a challenge. If I messed up a reading, that could be a big problem. I didn’t want to cause any problems for our customers. Matelon was good to answer questions if I called him, so I was able to catch on fast.”
If he had a favorite role at Pontotoc Electric, Stewart said it would have to be working on the line crew. The camaraderie, he said, is genuine. “We all look out for each other. A perfect day on the line crew is one where everyone goes home safe. Line work can be rough. I have seen situations where someone is at work that morning and they don’t go home that evening. We work hard to keep each other safe.”
His current job affords him the opportunity to meet a lot of people, and he’s really enjoying it all, even the field collections he makes every week. “I try to treat people right. A lot of times, they’re already down. You don’t need to bulldoze over them.”
He said no matter what his role at the company, he’s worked with some great people and misses those who have retired or passed away, including the late Gordon Cook. Stewart said Cook always had something interesting to say and could always be counted on to lighten things up when the days were long and late-night trouble calls were frequent.
Stewart is a proud father to son John Prentiss, 17, who plays baseball for the Bruce Trojans and daughter Jordan, 13, who enjoys cheerleading, band, and weightlifting. Stewart said his kids keep him pretty busy. “I’m always attending their activities. It’s a lot of fun to watch them.”
He makes sure there’s time in the schedule for some of his own hobbies. “I love hunting and fishing. I hunt deer, duck, squirrel, and anything else you can name. I’ve been to Cairo, Illinois to hunt pheasants.” Stewart said the birds are mounted on his walls, along with various other creatures he’s collected over the years.
Being part of the team at Pontotoc Electric is an integral part of Billy Jack Stewart’s life. “This company has been good to me. And the fact that I’m a third generation working for Pontotoc Electric…I have history here and I love it.”
And what would his grandfather and great-grandfather have to say about the many advances, both in machinery and technology, in this company that was so much a part of all their lives? “They would just be amazed.”