A steady line of members formed late Friday morning outside United’s new Cleburne headquarters, where the smell of barbeque and the sound of friendly chatter filled the air. Inside, employees greeted members with smiles, iced tea and United swag, marking not only the first Member Appreciation Day at the reconstructed facility but a day of celebration across all seven United offices.

From Mansfield to Possum Kingdom and every office in between, members were welcomed with a complimentary barbeque lunch, United T-shirts and hats, and a chance to visit with the employees who power their homes and communities. 

By the end of the day, more than 930 members registered at Member Appreciation Day, setting an all-time record for the cooperative. With many bringing family or friends to join them for lunch, the total number of guests can easily be doubled.

At the reconstructed Cleburne office, which opened in September, the event felt especially meaningful—a fitting way to inaugurate the facility.

“The cooperative exists because of our members,” said United CEO Cameron Smallwood. “Member Appreciation Day is one of the most important things we do all year. It’s our opportunity to thank members face to face, hear their stories and show them how much we value the trust they place in us.”

The Cleburne event drew nearly 300 guests throughout the afternoon, many of them longtime co-op members.

David and Tina Clover of Joshua have been members since 2001. With three children and eight grandchildren, their home is often full, and this was the first year they were able to attend the event with their neighbors, Judy and Al Ahrons. 

“Our kids and grandkids visit us a lot, multiple times a week,” Tina said, adding that reliable power and internet are especially important when the whole family is together. 

For Doug and Janet Habenicht of Cleburne, the day began early. They were the first members to arrive. In their 80s, the couple has been with United since 2021.

“We’ve been so happy with our electric service,” Janet said. 

“Sometimes I’ll just sit out on the patio and look around. It makes me appreciate how good we’ve got it.”

She added that they feel fortunate in their current home, where multiple acres provide peace and quiet. 

Three generations from Joshua — grandmother Julie Dimock, daughter-in-law Kelsey and grandson Waylon — came together to the event. Julie said she has attended every appreciation day since the event began, but this year was the first time for Kelsey and seventh grader Waylon.

As a busy mom, Kelsey said she appreciates the convenience of bundling both services. “I really like that my power and internet are combined—one less thing to keep track of,” she said.

Across the service area, the atmosphere was much the same—full plates, full conversations and a shared sense of appreciation that reflects the cooperative spirit that United was built on.

GRANBURY
When it came to attendance, Granbury’s office crushed it.

More than 270 members registered at the Granbury event and more than 550 ate lunch as throngs of people entered the lobby for barbecue and fellowship. Space in both the Community Room and the parking lot were at a premium. Emergency envelopes were sourced for member voting and, by 2 p.m., not much food remained.

“I thought the day went very well,” said Kevin Keesee, vice president of human resources & safety. “There was a pretty good increase of about 100 more members registered this year as compared to last year.  I think we had tremendous participation, and the members were happy and seemed to enjoy the barbecue.”

For Fred and Jacquie Patrick and Denny and Terry DeBoom, the event served as a perfect excuse to get together. 

“We’re all friends who needed to catch up, and so, we combined that with a good meal,” Terry said. 

Residents of Rolling Creek Ranch, life’s twists and turns had prevented the four from their usual monthly visiting routine.

“This is a great place to fellowship,” Jacquie said. “We’ve been coming to this meal for, what? Is this four years now? I got the second to last parking space, not in here, but up the road a piece.” 

STEPHENVILLE
The line spilled into the lobby at times as members began arriving in droves after 11 a.m. In total, 205 members registered, making Stephenville the second-busiest office on Member Appreciation Day.

Gabi and Adolfo Soto said they have been United members for 10 years. Taking a break from work, the couple stopped by for lunch after reading about Member Appreciation Day on their electric bill. 

The couple owns J. S. Air Conditioning, an HVAC service and repair company in Stephenville. Gabi said they regularly tell their customers about United’s rebates, including the HVAC tune-up. 

“We do offer the United rebates to our customers, and they are always happy that we do,” she said. “They say, ‘Oh, we didn’t know about that.’”

Dan and Vickie Farris also stopped by the Stephenville office to grab lunch and talk. The couple came after hearing about the event from a friend during senior luncheon in Lone Camp. 

“She told us about it, and I went back and pulled (Texas Co-op Power) magazine out and took a picture of the story and sent it to her,” Vickie said. “She said ‘Yes, I’m going to Possum Kingdom though.’  And I said, ‘Well, we’ve got to go to Stephenville.’ ”

The couple from Missouri said they fell in love with the area after driving through decades ago and finding it familiar to the Ozark Mountains back home. The couple bought acreage in Santo and have been United members since 2013.

“Your service has been outstanding,” Dan said. “Certainly, sometimes things go down, but they don’t stay down for long.”