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Community, family ties celebrated at Merchants Bank’s 125th birthday

By Sue Sitter - | Jul 30, 2022

Sue Sitter/PCT Descendants of Merchants Bank Founder W.D. McClintock pose for a family photo. From back left are Wiz Wyatt, husband of Jane McClintock Wyatt; Mary Wyatt Lee, Christina McClintock, David McClintock, Matthew McClintock, Toni McClintock, John Kelly, Jim McClintock and Catherine Poole. In the front row from left are Susan Wyatt, Jessie Wyatt, Jane McClintock Wyatt, Clare McClintock, Jessie McClintock Kelly, Miriam Poole and Anne McClintock. Kneeling from left are Katherine McClintock, Julia McClintock and John Meeker.

Several descendants of W.D. McClintock joined members of the Rugby community to celebrate 125 years of community banking at Merchants Bank July 20.

McClintock founded Merchants Bank’s first location in Rugby Aug. 4, 1897, together with John A. Davis and Henry Erickson.

Nearly 125 years to the day after the birth of the bank, Jane McClintock Wyatt, W.D. McClintock’s great-granddaughter, spoke at the bank’s birthday celebration, which doubled in many ways as a family reunion.

Wyatt, who serves as chair of Merchants Bank’s board of directors, spoke to attendees, who enjoyed a lunch of burgers and turkey sandwiches served by bank employees.

“Did you know our original capital was $5,000? That was it,” McClintock told the crowd. “And they had deposits of just a little bit more than $3,900. Needless to say, both the capital requirements and size of the bank have grown considerably.”

Years after the bank’s establishment, W.D. McClintock took over operations after buying out his partners.

W.D.’s son, George D. Sr., later took over bank operations before turning over his duties to his son, George D. Jr.

Son Michael McClintock headed the bank when George Jr. retired. When Michael died in 2013, his sister, Jane McClintock Wyatt took the post.

The bank established branches in Upham, Towner, Granville and Mapleton, and Fairview, Montana. Merchants Bank’s newest branch is in Mapleton.

“It’s a wonderful legacy,” Wyatt said of the bank’s place in the family and the communities it serves.

“We’re one of the last true community banks,” Wyatt said. “We’ve grown a lot. We’re not as big as others, but we have the time, the ability and the desire to establish long-term relationships.

“I just spoke to a gentleman who told me his family started a relationship with Merchants Bank in 1908,” Wyatt added. “I said, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s over 100 years! The relationships’ almost as old as we are!

“He’s had a relationship, his children have had a relationship and his grandchildren have a relationship,” Wyatt added. “How do you not treasure that?”

Wyatt’s sister, Jessie McClintock Kelly, who attended along with sister Anne McClintock and numerous McClintock descendants, said the long-term relationships established at Merchants Bank are “something we’re really proud of. Just thinking about it and the great team and how the family has stayed connected – it’s really wonderful.”

“But, let’s be candid,” Wyatt added. “It’s our employees who have made everything possible. It’s a wonderful point of heritage for us.”

Wyatt noted Merchants Bank has seen depressions, recessions and booms in its lifetime, “But our bank employees have carried us through.”

Anne McClintock, also a Merchants Bank board member, agreed. “It’s not us, it’s them,” McClintock said of Merchants Bank’s employees. We’re the happy beneficiaries.”

“And our job is to take very good care of those who take care of the bank,” Wyatt said.

Along with Wyatt, Cody Melgaard, Merchants Bank Rugby president and Patricia Paul, chief operations officer for Merchants Bank, Rugby, delivered remarks to the crowd celebrating the special day.

Katelyn Weider, representative for Senator Kevin Cramer, also delivered a message of congratulations.

Other special guests included North Dakota State Representative Jon Nelson and Rugby Mayor Frank LaRocque.

Melgaard welcomed Heart of America Medical Center CEO Erik Christenson to the celebration. He and Wyatt presented Christenson with a check toward a capital campaign fund to raise money to build a new hospital.

“Thank you for service to the Rugby community and surrounding area,” Melgaard said, handing a large cardboard check to Christenson. “We’d like to give the Build 2024 project $150,000.”

Christenson applauded and thanked Melgaard and Wyatt.

“If you look at the mission of Heart of America, it’s to advance the well being of our community through patient-centered and compassionate care,” Christenson said to the crowd.

“Heart of America is part of the community. It’s owned by the community. It’s your hospital and our mission here is to make this community a better community,” Christenson, a 22-year Rugby resident said.

“I raised my children here and it’s a community I want to see continue to thrive,” Christenson added. “It’s because of partnerships like this with Merchants Bank being willing and able to share this kind of gift that makes this project possible.

“I just want to say thank you to Merchants Bank for all that you’ve done here and all you do for the community,” Christenson said. “And thank you for being a strong partner with Heart of America as we continue to build and make Rugby a better place for all of us to live.”