‘Amazing’ 90-year-old Dillard employee Melba Mebane who has never missed a day at work in 74 years reveals she quit because she didn’t want to stand in traffic

A beloved Dillard sales associate who retired after 74 years without sick leave has revealed that the rush hour eventually proved to be too much.

Melba Mebane, 90, was celebrated by the entire workforce at the Tyler, Texas outlet when she said goodbye to them with a farewell party in June.

She joined the store’s predecessor in 1949 as a 17-year-old elevator operator, and throughout her decades with the company, always made sure to arrive at 9:00 a.m. to secure a parking space.

But when her former 15-minute commute reached 30 minutes, she decided she had finally had enough.

“As soon as I walked through the door, I put my car keys on the table, looked at my son and said, ‘I’m done,'” she told CNBC.

Melba received a royal farewell from colleagues, family and friends at a farewell party in June following her 74 years at the department store

“I loved going to work every day,” she added.

“If you’re happy with what you’re doing, why not keep doing it?”

Melba’s son, Terry Mebane, has fond memories of his mother going to work every day because she loved what she did, adding that he was inspired by her work ethic.

He said he often hung out with his mother around the retail giant, noting that he “grew up in Dillard’s.”

Terry added: ‘She’s a grinder. The store was supposed to open at 10am and she wanted her parking space, so she got there between 9am and 9:15am.

She was the first to come in and had her counter ready. She did the preparatory work. She took only 30 minutes for lunch.

“She brought her lunch, went upstairs to have lunch in 25 minutes, and then she was back on the floor because she knew people often left[during]their lunch break to come to the mall to buy what they were going to buy, and she didn’t want to miss her chance.’

After moving to the menswear department, she made a name for herself at the cosmetics counter where she remained until retirement.

A plaque with Melba’s picture will forever hang in the store where she worked for so long

“There were those gift baskets that one of the girls just couldn’t sell,” she recalls.

“They asked me to try it, so I got out from behind the counter in the aisle and talked to people about the baskets.

‘I sold them all. So I was told I was staying there.’

She declined repeated promotional offers, telling the station, “No one likes management, because they have to make the tough decisions.

“I loved my friends at work and I wanted to keep them, so I focused on being the best salesperson I could be.”

At age 65, she was told she would have a job as long as she wanted it and management begged her to stay when she finally decided she was free.

“Can you imagine how many people she has coached, taught and trained to become more?” store manager James Saenz told Fox News Digital.

“It’s just amazing to think how many lives she touched,” he added.

‘She’s not just a saleswoman. She’s a mother. She accompanies you. She gives you advice about life. She is amazing.’

Melba advised others to “come to work” and “never think of it as a ‘salary.’

Dillard hosted a farewell party for Melba, where she received a “beyond excellence award.”

Melba finally has more time to spend with her family and grandchildren

Her career was still going strong in her late 80s when she celebrated her birthday with her grandchildren

After 74 years, the experienced shop assistant can finally put her feet on the ground

A plaque with her picture now hangs on the wall in the Tyler store.

“It’s here as long as Dillard’s is around,” Saenz said.

‘Beyond Excellence has exceeded expectations for its decades of service.

“Even (with) the changing times, from where she started to where we are today in the modern world, her values ​​and everything still stand.”