Local credit union’s first CEO loved Culver’s and it’s partnering with the restaurant to honor her legacy

IDAHO FALLS – Frontier Credit Union is partnering pinch Culver’s successful Idaho Falls and Ammon for nan 3rd yearly Arlene Walker Day connected July 8.

Walker, who passed distant successful 2021 astatine property 88, was nan in installments union’s first president and CEO. She served successful that capacity for 25 years from 1962 to 1987.

“Arlene was determined, charismatic and visionary. Much of nan in installments union’s maturation and occurrence is simply a nonstop consequence of her abilities and imagination of nan future,” according to the in installments union’s website.

Under her leadership, East Idaho Credit Union, arsenic it was known earlier nan sanction alteration past year, became nan state’s third-largest in installments union. Walker played a pivotal domiciled successful transforming it from a $62,000 institution to a $33 cardinal powerhouse, a news merchandise says.

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East Idaho Credit Union launched nan Arlene Walker Scholarship money successful her representation successful 2022. One intent of Arlene Walker Day is to raise costs for that scholarship. Those who make a $2 aid astatine either Culver’s location connected Monday will get a scoop of caller stiff custard. Patrons tin besides get a $1 discount connected Walker’s favourite paper point — nan pork loin sandwich.

“She was from nan midwest,” erstwhile EICU spokeswoman Bailey Foster told EastIdahoNews.com successful 2023. “It’s difficult to find (that benignant of sandwich) successful Idaho but they had 1 astatine Culver’s. Before she passed, she and her family would spell to Culver’s each nan time. She loved nan strawberry custard.”

An aged photograph of Arlene Walker provided by Bailey Foster.

Remembering Arlene Walker

Walker was calved successful Illinois connected July 8, 1932. It’s not clear really she ended up successful nan Gem State, but she was 3-years-old erstwhile East Idaho Credit Union first opened successful Idaho Falls.

It was 1935 and nan recently chartered financial institution initially opened nether nan sanction Idaho Falls U.S. Government Employees Federal Credit Union. There are conflicting reports astir wherever it was primitively located, but Walker’s daughter, Julie Adams, remembers stepping up immoderate stairs arsenic a small woman to get to it.

East Idaho resident Doug Stone says his father, Howard, worked pinch Walker’s husband, Merrill, astatine a station office, which shared a building pinch nan in installments union. The in installments union’s first indebtedness was made to “a chap sick successful bed,” nan website says.

Walker was 30 erstwhile she first started moving location successful 1962. It was only unfastened 3 days a week astatine nan time, according to Adams, and it was her hubby who suggested she apply.

“My dada worked for nan station agency and he came location and said they were trying to find personification to activity there,” says Adams. “She applied and sewage nan job.”

Walker was nan sole worker astatine nan time, and quickly became its first president. Adams says having a female successful that domiciled was different because it was a man’s world.

Despite increasing nan institution to see 8 branches during her tenure, Adams says Walker faced aggregate workplace challenges because of her gender.

“The committee of board were each men, and they wouldn’t springiness her a raise because she would’ve made much than my dad,” Adams explains. “During her retirement, she’d opportunity (in hindsight), ‘I worked truthful difficult astatine nan in installments national and nary 1 will ever understand really difficult that was to beryllium a female successful that environment.'”

But sloppy of what it was for illustration successful nan workplace, Adams describes Walker arsenic a “fun mom” who loved to “get successful nan car and spell places” arsenic often arsenic she could. Adams has fond memories of staying astatine her grandparent’s location successful Illinois for 2 weeks while her mom was location for further training.

Going retired for pork loin sandwiches during their sojourn is different 1 of Adams’ treasured memories.

Mailing slope statements was a communal family activity that included getting crystal pick afterwards.

“She made everything she had to do fun,” Adams says of Walker.

Walker was 55 erstwhile she retired successful 1987. Though she was ne'er progressive successful nan institution aft that, Adams says she followed nan in installments union’s advancement nan remainder of her life, and she remained devoted to nan thought of it.

“We ne'er had slope accounts,” Adams says. “We still don’t. ‘Bank’ was a four-letter connection astatine our house. She was very dedicated to nan in installments national conception — that it was owned by nan members. We each grew up pinch that philosophy, and I still judge it.”

Today, Frontier Credit Union is nan fastest-growing in installments national successful Idaho, according to its Chief Marketing Officer Steven Foster. Its newest location successful Driggs opened past twelvemonth and location are now 11 branches crossed nan state.

Celebrating Walker’s legacy

In nan past 3 decades of life, Adams says her mom enjoyed spending clip pinch her family. She often hosted structure parties astatine her home, wherever nan grandkids would travel and play, and she was heavy progressive successful her grandkids’ extracurricular activities.

“Her spot was nan gathering spot for our family. That’s wherever everybody wanted to spell … and she was ever truthful happy erstwhile everyone was there,” Adams recalls.

Before Culver’s opened successful Idaho Falls, Adams says they’d often spell to nan Salt Lake location and bring location a pork loin sandwich for Walker.

“When they sewage a Culver’s successful Idaho Falls, that was for illustration nan champion point that happened,” she says.

A caller photograph of Arlene Walker. | Courtesy Bailey Foster

Walker’s master accomplishments person been an inspiration to her grandchildren, Adams says, and immoderate of them are reasoning of pursuing a profession successful nan banking industry.

What Adams misses astir about her mom is her grin and really happy she was. She’s grateful to nan Frontier Credit Union unit for remembering her mother successful this way.

“It’s a cool acquisition to person nan in installments national grant her for illustration that aft this galore years. We wish she’d person been here,” Adams says.

“We are thrilled to partner pinch Culver’s to observe Arlene Walker Day and raise costs for nan Arlene Walker Scholarship Fund,” Frontier Foundation President Alicia Jones says successful a news release. “The Arlene Walker Scholarship Fund has been dedicated to empowering students to prosecute their world dreams. Through initiatives for illustration this, we purpose to grant Arlene Walker’s legacy.”