Railroad man hangs up his hat: Palestine's Glenn retires after 37 years on the job

PALESTINE, Jul 09, 2009 (Palestine Herald-Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- MOPC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- It's a tradition in the Glenn family to work for and retire from the railroad, and Palestine native Dan Glenn is following in those footsteps with his retirement after 37 years with Missouri Pacific and Union Pacific railroads in Palestine.

Glenn, who retired July 2, began his career with the railroad in his hometown at the Missouri Pacific's freight claim office in January 1973 after graduating from Sam Houston University with a Bachelors in Business Administration in 1971. He worked as a claims investigator before being promoted to a claims adjuster in 1994.

"What I will miss most about the job are the people," Glenn said.

His job involved talking to and negotiating freight claim settlements in 23 states from California to Chicago and down to New Orleans.

"I like to handle the negotiations by phone rather than e-mail. I think more can be accomplished with the human touch. Sometimes we have three or four parties on a conference call and we can settle things faster that way."

He received numerous Customer Satisfaction Awards over the span of his career.

"The job was rewarding and challenging at the same time," Glenn said. "I had the opportunity to resolve issues with customers and ultimately helped the railroad."

In his recent years with UP, Glenn was on a committee that secured the return of UP Caboose 24525 for display at the Palestine Convention & Visitors Bureau in honor of Palestine railroad employees.

Glenn also worked with Congressman Pete Sessions, along with several other railroad employees, to help pass the Railroad Retirement Act of 2001.

Glenn and his wife, Connie, will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in August. They both have railroad kinfolk. Glenn's brother, Randy, is an engineer for Union Pacific in Palestine and has been with the railroad for 38 years. Both of Glenn's grandfathers lived, worked and retired from the railroad in Palestine. His paternal grandfather, also named Daniel Glenn, was a steam engine pump foreman with both International Great-Northern (I-GN) and Missouri Pacific railroads.

Glenn's maternal grandfather, Leon Adams, was a conductor for I-GN and MoPac railroads in Palestine as well, and later became terminal superintendent in Houston.

Connie's family also has railroad roots in Palestine. Her great-grandfather, Arthur Clayborn came to Palestine as a conductor with the I-GN Railroad in the late 1800s when the railroad came through the family farm in Illinois and split the land in two. Clayborn's father and brothers also went to work for the railroad at that time, but settled in Trinity.

I-GN Railroad merged with Missouri Pacific (Mo-Pac) Railroad in the 1950s after many years of negotiating reorganization plan. Mo-Pac was eventually bought out by Union Pacific Railroad around 1983.

"The railroad has been in my family history for a long time," Glenn said.

The couple married in 1974. She received her BA degree from C.W. Post College in New York in 1972. She retired from the Texas Workforce Commission in Palestine in 2007 after 30 years as an employment interviewer and career coach with that agency.

The Glenns have one daughter, Angela, and two grandsons, Kaden, 4, and Kingston, 20 months old, who live in Lubbock. Their daughter graduated with a BBA from Texas Tech in 2001 and owns her own business, King Realty, where she is a licensed broker and realtor. Her husband, Reyes Jimenez, is director of information technology with Physican's Network Systems in Lubbock.

Glenn, who also is president of the board of directors for Walston Springs Water Supply Corp. in Palestine plans to stay busy and active after retirement. His interests include spending time with his family and grandsons, skiing, traveling, working on projects and visiting with his many friends.

"I'm looking forward to spending more time with my grandchildren. We plan to live here in Palestine permanently," Glenn said.

Already in the works are trips to Galveston, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.

"The railroad has provided a good living for me and my family, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to work there. Even though I'm retiring from the railroad, I will still need my daily dose of people and telephone calls," Glenn said. "I love people and talking to them and will never give that up."

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