Labor Day is a holiday much transformed from the time of its first observance more than 100 years ago. An outgrowth of the powerful and growing labor movement of the 1880s, the day was set aside to celebrate the working men who made up the labor organizations of that era. Today, Labor Day transcends the realm of labor unions, embracing workers in all walks of life.

In the Natchez area, far fewer union jobs exist than in years past. The celebration of a day that has come to signal the end of summer has not diminished in importance, however.

As a salute to the diverse working force in the Natchez area, stories in today’s Business Section of The Democrat take a look at people who help in their individual ways to keep the wheels of the community oiled and moving smoothly.

A job that satisfies, rewards

Working away from his hometown for many years, Ken Hampton knows the blessings of being back again &045;&045; and holding a job he loves.

As a maintenance technician at Natchez Community Hospital, Hampton has to practice many skills. And that’s one of the things that make the job interesting to him.

&uot;We have to do plumbing, carpentry, painting and assist the electricians. We lay flooring and do all the preventive maintenance on our equipment,&uot; he said.

A jack of all trades? You bet, he said. &uot;We work on everything from small pumps and fans to steam boilers. Today, I did things from repairing a lock to changing the oil in a tractor.&uot;

For years, he worked in heavy construction, 16 of those years with International Paper. He moved around in that work. He came back to Natchez and worked for Titan Tire. When that company closed, he worked offshore.

&uot;This is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had,&uot; he said of his work at the hospital, where he has been for two and a half years. &uot;The working conditions are very clean. Everyone works well together. And we have plenty to do.&uot;

Hampton likes to know that in his way he is contributing to the quality of health care in the community, too.

&uot;We have to be familiar with health care standards that apply to patient care and with codes required by the joint commission reviews,&uot; he said.

&uot;There is a satisfaction in being able to keep things going, repairing something, installing something, knowing it will benefit health care down the road.&uot;

Yes, he enjoys his work. But he treasures his time away from work, as well, time spent with his wife, Linda, and with their three daughters and two grandchildren.

Can it be this many years?

Debra Thomas looked around the neat museum and gift shop at Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and recalled that day 28 years ago when she and two others opened the historic site for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

&uot;There was nothing here, just open space&uot; she said. &uot;We had boxes of merchandise in the auditorium that we began to unpack. We literally sat on the floor.&uot;

Thomas, manager of the sales shop at the Village, has worked under four site managers, including Jim Barnett, who came in 1981 and continues in that position as director of historic sites for Archives and History. &uot;I’ve loved all my directors. But you couldn’t find a better boss than Jim Barnett,&uot; she said.

Thomas watched as curators mounted exhibits and deliveries of furniture began to arrive. &uot;I was thinking the other day about the different places I’ve seen this counter in the room,&uot; she said.

From the beginning, her favorite part of the job has been to get to know the many Native Americans from whom she has purchased baskets to sell at the Village shop.

&uot;Recently, I’ve watched baskets go up in price because not as many young Native Americans are making baskets, and the materials are getting harder to find,&uot; she said.

Often, she is the one who first sees the visitors coming into the museum. How many has she greeted? Hundreds of thousands, for sure.

In 2003, more than 40,000 came to the site. &uot;Some will come through the exhibits and not read a word. Then they’ll come and ask me all the questions,&uot; she said. No matter, that is a part of the job. And from early days, she learned to give tours before the site employed historians.

&uot;I’ve enjoyed learning the history. And I still did a lot of pre-school programs even after the historians came,&uot; she said.

A business administration major, Thomas took the position at the Village a year after college graduation. When she married and had children, &uot;they were a part of this, too. The children loved to come. They grew up here. My bosses all knew my family.&uot;

She is ready to help in any way at the Village, and with her years of experience, she’s able. &uot;I’ll do anything that’s needed.&uot;

Lessons learned from his father

Working has been part of his routine for about as far back as he can remember, said Audley Case, head of appliance sales at Home Hardware in Natchez.

&uot;When I was 8 years old, I parked cars at the Feeder Service parking lot,&uot; he said, recalling the store his father, Rudy Case, operated for many years.

&uot;And by the time I was 13, I stood on an apple crate and checked groceries. And there were no scan bars in those days. Every number had to be put in manually,&uot; Audley Case said.

Now, after a career of more than 35 years in appliances, he still easily recalls some lessons learned from his father.

&uot;I learned that if I told the truth, I wouldn’t have to remember what I said,&uot; he said. &uot;I learned values, that money is not the most important thing and that happiness is something you have to work at. I learned to keep a name I can be proud of.&uot;

The good advice has paid off for Case, as he returned to his hometown after college and worked for a short time for his father and then was hired by the new Sears store that opened in the Tracetown Shopping Center.

&uot;I found my niche. And in Natchez I don’t think that many people can tell you about turquoise, coppertone, black, harvest goal and others,&uot; he said, reciting the fashion colors of appliances that have come and gone during the past three decades. &uot;Now, everything is white or stainless steel.&uot;

Case enjoys his work. And he likes to look back over the years at families he has helped. &uot;I’ve sold to the grandmother, mother, daughter, granddaughter, probably five generations, and my customers have followed me,&uot; he said.

From Sears, where he worked for 26 years, he joined Johnson Hardware, now Home Hardware, where he has been for 11 years.

&uot;I wouldn’t sell anything to someone I wouldn’t buy myself,&uot; he said. That is one bit of advice he has for someone starting out in sales. Another? &uot;Listen to the customer.&uot;

Helping the customer to make the right choice will bring the customer back for more, he said. &uot;It’s not about getting them to buy the most expensive thing but the one that will be right for them.&uot;

Something different every day

Challenges come in all sizes for artist Nancy Laird, owner of Sign Graphic in Natchez. From as small as a sticker to as large as a water tower, she and her three employees take every job one day at a time, relishing the variety.

Laird pulled a stack of papers from her desk and began thumbing through them, talking about the logos, signs, billboards, flags &045;&045; well, you name it and she has done it in letters and art work.

&uot;I love it,&uot; she said. &uot;I like creating something different, and I like the finished product.&uot;

Since opening the business 13 years ago, techniques have changed. &uot;The computer is wonderful,&uot; she said, describing the ways technology has made her work more exciting and, in some instances, more efficient.

&uot;I can run several programs at once. We like to get the jobs done on time,&uot; she said.

Becoming a graphics designer was not something she planned. After working for a short while in Colorado after graduation from college, she returned to find a job opening at a sign company. Art was not her major, &uot;but I had taken art and architecture classes in college,&uot; she said.

The graphics work suited her talents, she found. And she can not imagine doing anything else. The wife of Bruce Laird and the mother of two children, she takes what could be a high-pressure job and makes it seem effortless.

&uot;We don’t stress out over anything here,&uot; she said. &uot;If we want to take time to do something during the week, we’ll finish the job during the weekend.&uot;

Meeting deadlines is part of the excellent customer service she provides. She uses e-mail to communicate with customers and works on a design until the customer is satisfied with it.

As fine a tool as the computer can be, Laird enjoys the times when the job requires her to work by hand.

&uot;Just last week, I did something that was hand painted. I still like that challenge. And it’s fun,&uot; she said.

Helping the unemployed

Her position at the Employment Office of Mississippi in Natchez has given Diane Brooks daily opportunity to help people find jobs.

As unit supervisor of the Workforce Investment Network job center, she provides computers, Internet use, assistance with resume preparation and other services that help those out-of-work to get back in the job market or to retrain for a new job.

Further, the WIN program provides on-the-job training and incentives for employers in training and retraining their workers.

&uot;I remember when I went to look for my first job. It was very frustrating,&uot; said Brooks, who has been with the employment office for 28 years.

During most of her working years, she also has participated as a volunteer, working with Joint Action in Community Service to assist young people ready to enter the workforce after completing courses at Job Corps centers. She recently was honored as Volunteer of the Year for Mississippi by that community service organization.

&uot;The Job Corps is for young people 16 to 24 who are not in school. Some may need the GED or some, vocational training,&uot; Brooks said. &uot;Most of them need to grow and learn about themselves, learn skills for the workplace.&uot;

When they return home from training in one of the Job Corps centers, they often have job skills but lack the confidence to seek a job.

&uot;When they return, they have various needs. JACS is a safety net that catches them when they come back to the community,&uot; Brooks said.

A representative of Joint Action in Community Service contacts a volunteer when a young person is returning to the area. &uot;They send information to me, and I try to reach the person and tell them what I can do to help them,&uot; Brooks said.

Some simply need a pep talk to boost their confidence. &uot;This is their chance to start anew. For many students, it has been life changing,&uot; Brooks said.

She measures her success as a volunteer with the young people &uot;one person at a time,&uot; she said. &uot;I’ve had many who have come back to me who told me how something I said inspired them.&uot;

Brooks, who grew up in Red Lick and attended Jefferson County schools, is a graduate of Alcorn State University. She remembers someone in the Fayette state employment office taking a chance on her some 30 years ago and then recommending her for an opening at the Natchez office. Brooks likes to share that experience with young people she counsels, she said.