DMV employee retires after two decades

Everyone who's visited the Minden Department of Motor Vehicles office over the years for everything from obtaining first driver's permits to registering new vehicles may remember Holly Walthall.

She's the clerk in the third window from the left.

It's ironic that Walthall's car "died" on her final day of work. She watched as her inoperable vehicle was towed to a repair shop Wednesday, her last day before she retired from the DMV after 20 years.

Walthall, a Gardnerville resident, said she started at the DMV in her early 30s.

"I had one son whose grown now, he's 25. I feel like I can now retire," said Walthall, who was a single mom who managed to buy a house all on her own.

"It wasn't easy," she said.

Her son Gabriel Ashbaugh received his first driver's license from the Minden office.

"And every one of his friends did too," said Walthall.

Plus, Walthall said she has virtually met all the people who have moved to Carson Valley from another state.

"I've met every one of them in one way or another," said Walthall. "Every one of them tells us how wonderful we are compared to the DMVs from where they came from - how friendly we are and how competent we are."

Walthall has seen a lot of changes to the Valley and the DMV during the two decades she's been there. She began working in the county assessor's office in the old court house, now the Douglas County Administration Building, in Minden.

"I was there for about seven to eight years," said Walthall. "The DMV was run through (the assessor's office) back then."

Occasionally Walthall would fill in for the one employee at the South Lake Tahoe DMV, when she was sick.

"Back then I had to work up at the Lake," said Walthall. "I had to type on a typewriter."

Since Walthall began working for the Minden DMV, they went from two employees to seven, and used to wait on five or six people an hour, which has increased to about 25 an hour now.

Walthall said she processes registrations and written tests, but doesn't give driving tests.

"I wouldn't be here anymore if I did that," she laughed.

Walthall said her co-workers have become so much more than just people she works with.

"I work with the best people," said Walthall. "We're not only fellow employees, but we're all friends too."

She referred to co-worker Pete Olson, in the fourth window from the left, as her "best friend." She trained Olson when he first started at the DMV six and a half years ago.

"We'll miss her big time," said Olson.

Some of Walthall's friends, both co-workers and customers, gave her a surprise party at Red's Old 395 Grill a couple of weeks ago.

Walthall said she really appreciates her customers too.

"I have the best customers in the world," she said.