Published: June 25, 2008 05:03 pm      

Graham: Experience is an edge on resumé

WAURIKA — It has turned out to be one of those “happy marriages” that Linda Graham said was totally unexpected when the relationship begin.

No, not the 32 years Graham has spent with her husband Rocky, it’s the 32-year “marriage” she’s had with Jefferson County government. That’s the relationship Graham stumbled into in 1976, and it’s the “marriage” the life-long county resident hopes voters will allow her to continue.

It’s a “marriage” Graham didn’t dream would turn into a career when she answered a help wanted ad.

“In 1976, I had just gotten married, and (former County Clerk) Savelle Overstreet had an opening in her office,” she said, when asked about the starting point a journey that led to being Jefferson County court clerk for the past 24 years.

“I didn’t know anything about the job, but I worked for Savelle for three years and she caught me a lot. Then, in February 1979, I moved upstairs and became deputy court clerk for Edna Palmer, because the salary structure in the court clerk’s office was different than the county clerk’s office.”

Graham spent five years as Palmer’s right hand, before taking the next step in moving from hired employee to elected officials. Graham won the 1984 election to replace Palmer as court clerk and followed up with five straight terms in which she retained the position by running unopposed in the Democratic primary and general election.

Things are different this time around. For the first time since that initial election in 1984, Graham has an opponent. Carolyn Watkins has also filed as Democratic candidate for the court clerk position, and they’ll meet in the primary on July 29.

Discussing her background in a job that never grows dull, Graham said, “Being court clerk is interesting work. After all these years, I still get asked to file for some things I’ve never been asked to handle before. There’s always something new.

“As court clerk, I collect funds for 27 different agencies, and basically, I’m the keeper of the county’s records.”

Those records can include collecting fine payments for felony and misdemeanor criminal and traffic offenses, doing probate work associated with deaths, filing divorce rulings and rulings on civic cases that involve judgments.

“I’ve work with adoption and juvenile cases, and I’m involved in the process of creating a jury during a jury term. I request that a jury be drawn by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and then I draw the juries to seat them. I also swear in the jury.”

Although the court bailiff is the official record-keeper during a trial, Graham said she or a staff member from the court clerk’s office “attend hearings with the judge, and one of my clerks will keep records during a trial if there’s no bailiff.”

In addition, Graham creates the budget for her department and also is responsible for payment of claims on the department.

“We work with the public all the time, and the staff and I try to be as gracious as we can, try to make people feel as comfortable as possible,” she noted, before adding, “There’s a lot involved in the job, and I do think that experience is on my side.”

Born in Waurika, Linda and Rocky Graham still live in Addington, where she was raised. The couple have two grown sons, Jacob and James Lee, and Linda said as that pair grew older she was able to be involved in several civic and community activities. However, that changed 12 years ago, when son John was born.

“I had John when I was 40,” she said. “Between raising him and the job, I’ve had to learn to say ‘no’ and not be involved in as many outside activities as I used to be.”