Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Tiffany Harr, left, was elected to succeed Patty Hilbert, right, as the Eddy County clerk of court and county recorder. The two have worked together in the office since 2018.
Patty Hilbert, Eddy County's long serving recorder and clerk of court, will soon be calling it a career.
Ahead of this year's midterms, Hilbert decided not to run for reelection, choosing instead to let her term expire on Dec. 31 and to pass the baton to Tiffany Harr, her deputy of the past four years.
Hilbert will leave office as one of Eddy County's most experienced and respected public servants.
She was first appointed to the recorder/clerk of court position in June 2003, and she's been reelected ever since. Before that, she'd been a deputy in the same office since 2001, and was working there part time as early as 2000.
Over the years, Hilbert has done necessary and important work for the county, such as handling records, fines, bonds, performing marriage ceremonies and much more.
"The Recorder keeps the Land Records, ... takes in ballots and locks them up after any election, wills prior to probate, and burial permits for our county," explained Hilbert.
"The Clerk of Court is the keeper of the files," she added. "We have duties related to Court, such as Master Calendar sessions, hearings outside of our calendar, and jury trials."
It's a busy job, one that Hilbert says has changed quite a bit since she first started.
"Time went by so fast, and [there have been] so many updates and changes that were implemented to help serve my county," recalled Hilbert.
When asked what she'll miss the most once she retires, she added, "The people! I have had people in my office from all over the country and from foreign countries also."
Though she's retiring, Hilbert said that with Harr taking over on Jan. 1, she'll be leaving the county in good hands.
Like Hilbert, Harr too has a long history of public service and of serving the Eddy County community.
A native of Pettibone, N.D., Harr has been Chief of Police in Lincoln, N.D. and was a deputy sheriff and sergeant with the Eddy County Sheriff's Department.
"I worked for the North Dakota Child Support Unit in Devils Lake for four years before starting as the Eddy County Deputy Clerk and Recorder," recalled Harr, who was also a member of the Community Ambulance Service of New Rockford for over six years.
"I live in Sheyenne, so I am slowly getting involved with some civic groups there," she added.
Harr earned a law enforcement degree from Alexandria Technical College and a paralegal associate degree from Rasmussen University. She also attended NDSCS, where she attained a liberal arts degree.
Harr first became Hilbert's deputy in September 2018, and in the four years since has learned a lot about the two offices she'll soon inhabit.
"Patty has been showing me how to do both jobs for a little over four years," said Harr. "I am confident that I have received good training and will be able to handle both offices quite well."
Harr added that her experience in law enforcement and her paralegal degree has helped understand the clerk of court position, and that she's caught on "fairly quickly" in her role as deputy recorder thanks to Hilbert's tutelage.
Harr acknowledged just how crucial Hilbert has been to not only herself and to her training, but also to the county as a whole.
"Patty has a vast knowledge of the clerk of court and recorder positions," said Harr. "I am very grateful for all the time she's spent training me and working with me to prepare me for taking over in January. Patty has been a great supervisor and she will be missed, and I have her phone number so I will more than likely be using it."
Meanwhile, Hilbert said she's confident that Harr, with all of her experience and training, will be successful when she officially takes over come January.
"She has been my deputy for 4 years and hopefully will have a smooth transition," said Hilbert.
"She'll have help from other clerks in our unit," she added, "and the recorders will more than likely assign a mentor to her. She will be in good hands with the good people across the State of North Dakota."
In the meantime, Hilbert will be hard at work in the courthouse for a little while longer. But as she awaits a well-earned retirement, Hilbert expresses her gratitude for the support of the Eddy County community.
"I'd like to thank the people of Eddy County for electing and reelecting me over the years," she said. "It's been a pleasure to have served you!"
