When Zeke Clay was 16, doctors said he’d never walk again. They encouraged his parents to sign him up for disability when he got older.
Clay set out to prove them wrong, and he succeeded.
Bessemer City held a retirement party for Clay last week, celebrating his 47 years on the job.
To Clay, being a hard worker and getting the job done was the only way to live.
“It made me feel good to go to the store and know I earned something and wasn’t taking from someone else,” he said. “I don’t feel society owes me anything. I owe it to society to contribute.”
Job offer
Clay remembers knowing he had a disease that landed him in the hospital as a child, but he doesn’t exactly recall the name.
At a young age, he spent nearly two years straight in a hospital — having surgeries and recovering from them.
He’s had hip, back and shoulder surgery.
Despite the doctors’ prognosis, he learned to walk again. Then he mastered driving.
In October 1967, he was offered a job.
“They came by and asked me if I wanted to work, and I said yes,” Clay said.
Main mechanic
Clay started with Bessemer City in the sanitation department. He rode on the back of the truck and scooped up trash cans.
He worked his way up to truck driver and was promoted to mechanic in the public works department in 1989.
Clay knew some about fixing cars and trucks. His father dabbled in the field and his brothers were mechanics.
Stepping into a new position just takes time and effort, according to Clay.
“Stick with it, and get used to it,” he said.
Technological advances
Clay has worked for numerous people during his decades with Bessemer City.
He praises his bosses and co-workers, calling them some of the finest people he’s known.
The faces around him have changed, but not as much as technology, Clay said.
Just the way cars operate has advanced greatly during Clay’s 25 years under the hood.
“It used to be you’d take a screwdriver or a pair of pliers. It was fairly simple. Now, if you don’t have a computer, you’re lost,” he said.
After retirement
Clay recently started Immeasurable Faith Ministries with a friend.
Clay’s faith in God is strong, and he wants to help others nourish their relationship with the Lord. That’s where he intends to focus his efforts after retirement.
He also wants to focus on physical health.
“I know I can’t just go home and sit down. My body will probably go into shock after going every day for so long,” he said.
You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and www.Twitter.com/GazetteDiane.
/pic9772196.png)
