Taylor Sumerford was honored Thursday morning for four-plus decades of service to the State of Indiana and Shelby County.

The 1959 graduate of Purdue University is retiring after serving as Shelby County Surveyor for 25 years. He worked for the state for 20 years before that.

A surveyor is responsible for the field investigations of drains, and develops drainage studies and technical specifications for work performed on tile drains and open ditches, according to the county’s website.

“I enjoyed it. It’s a good job,” said Sumerford (photo, seated) while holding a plate with a slice of cake and a scoop of ice cream.

The retirement ceremony took place at the Shelby County Annex.

Sumerford has no grand plans for retirement. One thing he is sure of is he will not be sitting around getting older.

“I have plenty to do,” he said. “I will go out and work on the farm. … I am just going to be cleaning up and straightening up.”

The Shelby County Post is a digital newspaper producing news, sports, obituaries and more without a pay wall or subscription needed. Get the most recent Shelby County Post headlines delivered to your email by visiting shelbycountypost.com and click on the free daily email signup link at the top of the page.