A self-made woman of character, vision...Billie Harty

By NOREEN HYSLOP

Managing Editor

The community lost somewhat of an icon on June 21st.

Billie Harty was likely the most successful businesswoman in Stoddard County -- perhaps beyond the county -- and her achievements came relatively unnoticed. That's how Billie liked it. She was an exceptionally private person who shunned accolades for her accomplishments or for her generosity.

Billie Jean Harty came from humble beginnings. She was born in Essex, but moved to Dexter as a young child, where she would spend the rest of her life. Her parents divorced during a time when divorce was not a popular option, and she was raised without a father figure. There was little money in the household. She and her two brothers learned early on that if they were to have any of life's luxuries, they would have to expend their own energy to attain them.

With an exceptional work ethic, Billie took on any available task as a young girl to earn her keep. She was personable and energetic, and worked with purpose and diligence.

Helping her along the way as a young woman and into her adulthood was a couple in town who owned a local business. They recognized great potential in Billie and made it their mission to groom the young woman in the areas they thought were of primary importance for a girl maturing in the 1940s - poise, etiquette and fashion. In the realm of fashion, Billie needed little direction. She had a flare for style, with a simple taste that was classically hers. Billie was a diminutive figure with impeccable taste, and she never left the house without looking perfectly "put together."

When she graduated from Dexter High School, she immediately went to work. Her dream, though, was to teach. She loved children, and children always seemed to be drawn to her side. A child met a friend when they met Billie Harty.

Eventually, she elected to return to school, working her way through Southeast Missouri State University. She earned her bachelor's degree in three years. When she had a goal, she went after it with a vengeance. After landing an elementary teaching position in Bernie, she decided to pursue her master's degree, achieving that goal within one year. With that degree, she served as school counselor until the time came when her husband, Norman, drew her into the family business, N.B. Harty Companies. Together, they would build the Harty empire, consisting of several entities including general contracting, blasting contracting, Seminole Ag Lime Quarry, nursing care facilities, and finally eight First Commercial Bank branches in southeast Missouri.

The work ethic she learned as a child served her well as an adult. Until just a few weeks before her death, she spent every weekday -- although in her 80s -- at her desk in the N. B. Harty offices on Catalpa Street. She never advanced with the world of technology, preferring to complete the tasks of record keeping with pen and paper.

A meticulous keeper of the books, Billie would not rest until records were accurate. Her husband attests that if someone owed his wife a dime, she would pursue it until she had that dime. But by the same token, if she were indebted for that ten cents, she wouldn't rest until it was paid.

Billie Harty was a die-hard Republican, and endorsed countless Republican candidates monetarily and with her verbal support. When she believed in a cause, it was her mission to do everything in her power to further it.

Norman Harty would learn over the years that his wife gave to numerous individuals and causes in which she believed. It was not something of which Billie ever spoke. She made her contributions to society in her usual fashion -- privately, sometimes anonymously, expecting nothing in return. She was content with having known she made a difference in someone's life, and staunchly believed that the gift of giving comes from the heart. And for Billie, it did.

For all her generosity, Billie was also known by friends, family, and business associates to be a strong-willed and determined woman -- a driven woman who demanded perfection in all areas of the workplace, and she attained it.

Although most of her adult life was devoted to business, she prided herself on family, and she took time to enjoy the simple pleasures -- music, watching the wildlife from her back porch and indulging in a good book. Billie Harty was a lifetime learner.

The slight figure with the demanding presence will be sorely missed in the Harty empire and in the Dexter community. "She was the wind beneath my wings," said her husband after her passing on Friday. "She was my protector."

She will be remembered for her spirit, her sharp wit, her very private nature, her determination, her spirituality, and her unassuming generosity.

For Billie Harty, life was a job well done.