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Broadwater County Clerk of Court Retires After 41 Years
Author: MT 43 News Staff Reporter

Broadwater County Clerk of Court Retires after 41 years

MT 43 News Staff Reporter

A civil servant is charged with upholding the laws and regulations of a county without bias or prejudice. He or she typically serves from one elected government to another. Valerie Hornsveld has met those requirements for 41 years in Broadwater County’s Clerk of Court office. Twenty-two of those years were as Clerk of Court. Her term will end on December 31st of this year.

Valerie began her career in July of 1983. “My son JR was six months old. I was looking for a part-time job and this one came open. Judy Doggett was the Clerk of Court at the time. It fit perfectly for our lives at the time,” she said.

Challenges for Valerie came up over the years. She said personnel changes were hardest since she made close relationships with judges for example but, when they left, those bonds were no longer there. “We promised to keep in touch, but usually it never happened,” she explained.

Her biggest joy was winning the election for the position in 2002. She ran against four other people in the primary and won a spot to move up to the general election where she ran against Barbara Shipman. “I was thrilled to win the election because I realized the voters had confidence in me so that reassured me I could do the job,” she said.

Valerie’s spirit of service to Broadwater County comes easily: her grandfather, Abe Fandrich, served Townsend Schools as a janitor for most of his career. The school football field is named after Fandrich. Her parents, Betty and Ray Horne drove the school buses for 40 years.

She and her husband Roy plan to travel to Texas to visit family after she retires, “and just hang out,” she said at her birthday party at the Betsy on Saturday. They have seven grandchildren.

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PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks, MT43News Photographer
Image 1 Caption: County Clerk of Court Valerie Hornsveld helps a couple apply for a marriage license. Nancy Marks, MT43News Photographer
Image 2 Caption: Valerie celebrated her birthday with her family including back row: JR Middlemas, Robert Middlemas; second row: Val and Ray Hornsveld, Susan Middlemas, Charity Krebs, Tracey Middlemas, Kyle Spaulding and grandchildren James, Hogan and Harrison. Nancy Marks, MT43News Photographer