LONGTIME HOSPITAL DIETARY department employee Emma Brackens, right, gets help opening presents from department manager Ruby Gatson at a retirement reception. Ms. Brackens worked a total of 40 years for Fairfield Memorial Hospital and East Texas Medical Center. Almost a lifetime of employment at the Fairfield hospital came to a close last week with the retirement of dietary employee Emma Brackens.

The hospital cook started work at Fairfield Memorial Hospital and continued at East Texas Medical Center, a career that encompassed 40 years.

"Part of the joy of working at ETMC is enjoying the best food in the county," ETMC administrator Raz Cook says.

A reception for Ms. Brackens was held Thursday at the hospital, an affair she reluctantly attended.

Dietary department manager Ruby Gatson acted as informal emcee for the retirement celebration and presented the honoree with a plaque from the department, and a gift.

"When Emma and I started working together, she thought I was the craziest thing ever," Mrs. Gatson says. "I have enjoyed working with you. We have had some good times and some bad times, but we have always remained friends."

Mrs. Gatson has worked in the dietary department for 25 years.

Ms. Brackens, 68, went to work at Fairfield Memorial Hospital and was there for four years before taking a leave of absence when her daughter, Pam, was born.

The cook was welcomed back to her job and spent the next 26 years as an employee of FMH, then the next 10 as an employee of ETMC when it took over operations of the hospital.

She recalls that the landed the job when a niece quit the dietary department and she was hired to take her place.

For most of her career, Ms. Brackens has been responsible for cooking breakfast and lunch for patients and hospital staff.

She is one of six dietary department employees, plus a registered dietitian.

"You are not replaceable to me, but someone will have to come in and try," Mrs. Gatson says.

The gift she received from her dietary department coworkers was a commercial grade blender, partially in hopes that she would come back to visit and bring a cake.

"Thank you for everything you've done," Ms. Brackens says. "I might come back one day."

The honoree is a Fairfield native and member of True Vine Doxa Church.

She says she has no definite plans for retirement.