Longtime JCPenney's worker retires to live Bluewater Lake life

After 30 years of work, Phyllis Saucedo is retiring from her job with JCPenney at the Rio West Mall in Gallup. Even though she is retiring, Saucedo said she is not going to be bored as she has just moved into a new house near Bluewater Lake and also has plans to renew her interest in photography. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Andrea Howard
Independent Staff

GALLUP — In 1975 Phyllis Saucedo stepped into a career that she would find coming to an end 30 years later at the age of 57.

A step into a JCPenney's department store in El Paso, Texas, was the beginning of this woman's career and now store #81 in Gallup is saying farewell to a "wonderful" woman.

After 30 years of dedication, Saucedo is trading the store walls of JCPenney's for the forest of Bluewater Lake.

It started on Oct. 7, 1975, while in Texas, when she was encouraged by her mother-in-law to apply to JCPenney's instead of Montegomery Wards.

As the mother of three children, Saucedo worked only part-time.

In 1980, she returned to Gallup and JCPenney's. She became a merchandise assistant.

In the beginning days of JCPenny's, everything was done by hand. There were no computers. Saucedo was able to see technology evolve and make her job easier.

Throughout the following 20 years, she became merchandise management trainee and merchandisee manager working her way to senior department manager.

Technology has also made it easier for Saucedo to climb in the ranks with JCPenneys. Saucedo and other employees traveled to the main office in Dallas, Texas in order to train, but computers have made training available locally.

In her years with JCPenney's Saucedo has enjoyed working in the childrens department, organizing merchandise and most of all being able to interact with customers.

She came across a women one day that was unpleasant and threw a pair of jeans at her and Saucedo just smiled and worked to assist the woman. Later the woman apologized. Saucedo said they are friends to this day.

Saucedo has trained hundreds maybe "thousands," and her generosity did not stop there.

When Miranda Bitsilly, a co-worker, was in need of a kidney, without hesitation, Saucedo tested to see if she was a donor match.

Although she wasn't Bitsilly said "She was a wonderful woman for even considering."

Robert Reynolds, store manager, said "this is a big change for the store and she will be missed."

Saucedo and her husband, Tom, have purchased a house in Bluewater and that is where Saucedo will hang up her dress clothes.

"You can't wear dress clothes to cut down trees," Saucedo said.

The house and surroundings will need maintance and Saucedo believes that this will keep her and her husband busy. She always knew she would retire in a beautiful place, where now she can take up photography, something that has always been her passion.

Saucedo has three children from her first marriage and shares four step-children with her second husband, Tom. She also has 14 grandchildren.