Change of venue: Two longtime New Madrid County court employees retire

NEW MADRID - Those four little words she uttered were ones some New Madrid County citizens anticipated while others dreaded. "You've got jury duty," Virginia King, told countless residents through the years.

On Jan. 1, that duty fell to someone else in the New Madrid County Circuit Clerk's office. After more than 30 years, King is almost bidding the office goodbye -- although retired, until April she is staying on board helping prepare court records for microfilming.

King, who resides just outside Morehouse, actually began working at the New Madrid County Courthouse on March 1, 1979. She was first hired for a temporary post in the County Clerk's office.

When the operation of the Circuit Clerk's office moved to the state, she recalled, she applied for a job with then Circuit Clerk Van Sharp and was hired in October of that year.

"Van was a good teacher, you could not have asked for any circuit clerk more informed than he was," said King. "He always shared his knowledge with us."

Over the years, King said she has filled nearly duty in the Circuit Clerk's office, which is responsible for the administration of the New Madrid County Circuit Court and the safekeeping of its court's records. She began with indexing court cases, then learned about filing civil and criminal cases and tackled issues dealing with child support.

"Everybody did what needed to be done," King said.

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