LENNOX, S.D. (KELO) — You could call her the grocery gal. Barb Stewart has worked at the same grocery store in Lennox for more than four decades.

But now Barb is finally ready to retire — a decision she says wasn’t easy.

If you don’t know Barb Stewart,

“When I first started I didn’t have a clue what I was getting into,” Stewart said.

you don’t know beans about the Sunshine Foods grocery store in Lennox.

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Stewart has been the bright spot for Sunshine for decades.

“I just took a job to pay some bills, didn’t tend on staying 43 years,” Stewart said. “It just became a part of you, just got use to being in the grocery store, helping people, people appreciating you.”

Stewart says the owners and her fellow employees have always treated her like family.

And just like a grocery list, Stewart crossed off her accomplishments as she worked her way up the ranks.

“I started as a checker for about not even a week, then they put me in produce; made me the produce manager, then put me as assistant manager,” Barb said.

As you can tell, Stewart has milked this job for all its worth.

Todd Shuman is the manager here and says the real meat and potatoes of this story is Stewart’s dedication.

“You’d think she owns us, you know what I mean, she’s that dedicated as a person, it just don’t matter she loves Sunshine,” Shuman said.

So much, she’s only called in sick twice in 43 years.

“I didn’t ever want to be sick because I didn’t want to miss that puts a burden on everyone else, you know if you’re not there,” Stewart said.

Just because Barb is retiring, she says don’t dare put her on the shelf, because she’s planning on staying busy.

“I’m just going to enjoy life now, I’m going to go travel, I just want time for me now, I mean I’ll gladly come out and help them and I’ve told them that, you know if you run into a jam I’m just phone call away I’ve done that for 43 years, I don’t know how not to do it, you know,” Barb said.

Stewart’s husband of 51 years is planning a retirement party for her at the end of January, which will be her last official day of working at Sunshine.