[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13171]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO DOUGLAS COUNTY REGISTER OF DEEDS, SUE NEUSTIFTER, UPON HER 
                               RETIREMENT

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                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 16, 2002

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated 
public servant upon the occasion of her retirement. Sue Neustifter, the 
elected Register of Deeds of Douglas County, Kansas, which is located 
in the Third Congressional District, retired at the end of last month 
after holding that office since her first election in 1972, and after 
having worked for Douglas County for 43 years.
  Sue Neustifter was elected to the Douglas County Courthouse in 1972, 
as one of the group of Democratic candidates whose election in Douglas 
County in that year marked the real beginning of two-party politics in 
the home of Lawrence and the University of Kansas. She joined the 
Register of Deeds office on June 1, 1959, just a few days after 
graduating from Eudora High School. With the exception of one six month 
period when she left the office to campaign for the position of 
Register, Sue served in the office continuously until July 1st of this 
year. Elected thirty years ago, she was re-elected her last seven times 
on the ballot without any formal opposition.
  As an active member of the Kansas Register of Deeds Association, Sue 
has served as President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of 
that group; she also has been a part of many Lawrence community 
organizations, such as Soroptimist International of Lawrence, Lawrence 
Business Women, the local legal secretaries' group, and the Lions' 
Club, where she was awarded ``Lion of the Year'' in 2001. She also 
received a 40-year award from the Kansas Association of Counties.
  Now that Sue has handed the keys of the Register's office over to Kay 
Pesnell, so that she can spend more time with her daughter, Sandra, 
son-in-law, Terry, and three grandchildren--Paige, Kalia and Tyler--it 
is fitting, Mr. Speaker, to include in today's Record a recent article 
from the Lawrence Journal-World that reviews the tenure and 
accomplishments of this dedicated and deservedly popular Kansas public 
servant. On behalf of the citizens of Douglas County, I wish her all 
the best upon her much deserved retirement and ask unanimous consent to 
reprint the article below.

            [From the Lawrence Journal-World, June 4, 2002]

         Register of Deeds Leaves Legacy of Growth, Efficiency

                            (By Mark Fagan)

       Sue Neustifter is closing the book on a 43-year career at 
     the hub of Douglas County's development industry.
       Make that the disk drive.
       ``We've gone from typewritten to photostat to microfilm to 
     scanning now,'' said Neustifter, who has overseen the 
     recording of thousands of land transfers as the country's 
     register of deeds. ``It's easier now, but the work has 
     tripled.''
       Neustifter, in her ninth term as the country's elected 
     register of deeds, said Monday that she would retire 
     effective July 1. She will leave behind an office that 
     generated an unprecedented $2.46 million in revenues last 
     year for the county, bolstered by a record year for taxes on 
     new and refinanced mortgages throughout the growing 
     community.
       And the tally is poised to grow even stronger.
       Beginning the day Neustifter leaves office, mortgage-
     registration fees will go up by $2 per page, as mandated by 
     the Kansas Legislature. The extra money will be used to 
     upgrade technology in her office, which already has started 
     transferring hundreds of rolls of microfilm onto dozens of 
     compact discs for posterity.
       For an office that records pages at breakneck speed--1,000 
     pages last Friday alone--Neustifter's efficiency and 
     proclivity will be missed, said Craig Weinaug, county 
     administrator.
       The information kept in Neustifter's office forms the basis 
     of virtually every land transfer in the county, and is relied 
     upon by Realtors, title companies and property owners alike.
       Last year Neustifter and her seven employees faxed, 
     photocopied and pulled enough documents--at $1, 50 cents and 
     25 cents a pop, respectively--for customers to add $20,930 to 
     the county's budget.
       ``I've never heard one peep of complaint about anything out 
     of your office,'' Commissioner Charles Jones said, after 
     joining a standing ovation to applaud her work. ``And you're 
     the cast cow.''
       Neustifter joined the register of deeds office June 1, 
     1959, just days after graduating from Eudora High School. She 
     started as a clerk, and worked her way up before quitting in 
     1972--for six months--only so that she could run for the top 
     job.
       A Democrat, she won that race and every one since, 
     including the last seven without any formal opposition. 
     Neustifter intends to recommend that Kay Pesnell, who has 
     worked for her for the past 12 years, be appointed by the 
     county's Democratic Central Committee to serve out the 
     remaining two years of Neustifter's term.
       Her 30 years in office marks one of the longest tenures of 
     any elected official in Kansas--a testimony to her 
     competence, work ethic and community involvement,'' said 
     Carrie Moore, chair of the county's Democratic Party.
       The party's central committee is scheduled to meet June 17 
     to appoint a new register of deeds.
       A few weeks later, Neustifter, 63, intends to be on the 
     road to Michigan to visit her daughter and three 
     grandchildren.
       ``I'm ready to retire,'' she said.

       

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