Until you pause to think about it, it’s easy to overlook the convenience of electricity.

While much has happened since 1936, thinking back to a time when LaGrange County residents went without electricity truly wasn’t that long ago. Today, 85 years later, we’re honored to celebrate our anniversary with you.

To help commemorate the occasion, we asked a few longtime members to reflect on what’s changed in their lives because of LaGrange County REMC. Members also looked forward to what’s on the horizon soon with high-speed fiber-optic internet coming to the membership.

“One of the things I appreciate is that we rarely lose our power. If we do, it’s a very short period of time. I credit quite a bit of that to the tree crews. They’re always trimming trees so we don’t lose power. Living in a rural area and not having the power go out a lot is a pretty big deal. Looking ahead, getting broadband is going to be great for our area. I’m excited for the faster internet.” — David Judkins

“I remember when I was young and we didn’t have any electricity at all. I remember chores like carrying water to our house. Today, even electricity is needed to bring water to our houses. It’s been a wonderful change to our lives. Things are so much better now because you can do almost anything with electricity. There’s so much you couldn’t do before.” — Beverly Combs

“Our house was struck by lightning in 1985. The next morning, there were three men out here at 5 a.m. to look at our breaker panel. It did some damage, but it says a lot that the men came out to help that early in the morning. Since we were both born and raised without electricity, we appreciate flipping a switch for electric lights and not using a kerosene lamp. There’s plenty of things that go with electricity that we didn’t have when we were growing up.” — Jack and Elizabeth Oakley

“LaGrange County REMC is very dependable. I can’t imagine life without it. Plus, there’s a fellowship with all the members and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again soon. As a retired board member, the new building is wonderful for the office and supplies.Looking to the future, it’s hard to get any high-speed internet in a rural area. I’m very proud we’ll meet that need for our members.” — Blaine Gilliland

We’re proud, too, — not just of what we’ve accomplished over the past 85 years, but also of our team’s dedication, focus and planning for the future. We’re excited about the new internet infrastructure we’re building and the limitless possibilities it will bring to our area. Your continued support of LaGrange County REMC is what makes innovations like these possible. 

We look forward to many more decades of serving you!