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Helena Utility clerk Heidi Gates has lived all around the country.

Born in Colorado, Heidi moved to Clearwater, Florida when she was young. While in high school there, she met her husband, Lynn, on a blind date. The couple is still together 38 years later.

In the early years of their marriage, the Gates moved to Tennessee and fell in love with both the Appalachian Mountains and the Tennessee Volunteers.

After starting a family, the Gates continued to move around due to Lynn’s job. When Heidi’s father’s health began to decline a decade ago, the family relocated to Alabama to be closer to him and enjoyed living in the area.

“We plan on staying here,” Heidi said. “We love the area plus being at the tail end of the Appalachians definitely brings back memories of the Tennessee mountains.”

One of their children, Maegan, lives nearby in Alabaster with her husband, Josh, while their son, Blake, lives with his wife and two children in Orlando.

In the 11 years since their move, Lynn has started his own business and Heidi recently celebrated six years as a clerk with Helena Utilities Department.

According to Heidi, the best parts of her job are working daily with her office family and interacting with the community in Helena.

“I love meeting residents new to Helena, as well as chatting with the long-timers,” Heidi said. “It definitely makes my day when a customer comes to pay the bill at the drive-through and they greet me with a big smile.”

During her lunch breaks, Heidi occasionally walks to Joe Tucker Park.

“It’s wonderful to see kids playing and people fishing, just enjoying the day,” Heidi said.

“Helena is large enough to offer exciting local events year round, but still retains that small town feel with the locally owned shops and restaurants in Old Town. Definitely a hidden gem in Alabama!”

In her free time, Heidi crochets baby blankets and spends time with her husband and their “third child,” Delilah the pug.