Woman sitting in at table with a birthday cake in her hands

75th Anniversary

Celebrating 75 Years of Ubay Community! 

Embark on a journey of joy and nostalgia as we commemorate seven and a half decades of togetherness, resilience, and shared experiences. Join us in a series that unveils the heartwarming stories from our members and staff, weaving a tapestry of memories that reflect the essence of Ubay's vibrant community.
“Growing up in Crump, there were two bars, a barber shop, and one little grocery store. I first met my husband, Robert, at the Crump Fox Club. If you're not local, you won’t know what it is, but it was just a group of young people who would hang out during the summer. We were there, I told him to sit down next to me, and he did.

Today, we’ve been married for 63 years. Marriage takes a lot of hard work. It's not easy. Sometimes it’s a struggle, and a give and take. It’s easy to give up, but you don't, because if something is worth having, it's worth fighting for.

We built a home on his parents’ farm in Linwood, and if you can survive building a home together, you can survive anything. My husband worked at GM, and every day after work, he would work on the house. After we got married, I didn't work outside the home, so during the day I would go to the lumberyard and get supplies. My dad helped us, and we also had a lot of family who helped us finish it up. We lived in the garage until the basement was done, and then moved into the basement until the house was done the following year. We're still living in it, except when we go to Florida for the winter.

I think it was 1957 when my husband joined the credit union, back when I think the only people who were members were GM employees. One of the things that’s kept us here all this time is the service. People are very friendly. If I call and I have a question, even if I'm in Florida, they are always Johnny-on-the-spot about it. A lot of times, those calls were about me adjusting to the computer and banking online. I would call and say, ‘Can you help me walk me through this?’ and they would.

Over the years, I've gotten to know quite a few of the people here. I like that about living in a small community—you get to know people—and that’s something I love about Ubay.”
– Diane Filcek, United Bay Community Credit Union Member
“I always said I wouldn’t be the person to marry their high school sweetheart…and then I did! My husband is one of the reasons we switched to United Bay Community Credit Union. When he started a business, they made it so easy and helped us with everything.

When we were with a bigger bank, it was just one bad experience after another. For example, we had canceled our contract with a phone service provider, and they weren’t supposed to take any more money out of our account. But they did—about two grand, AND my credit card was denied! But when I spoke with the bank to get things fixed, they were not very nice and wouldn’t help me.

There is a United Bay Community Credit Union branch in Pinconning that we had heard good things about, so we switched. That’s when my husband opened his business, Phlash Welding and Fabrication. He makes metal art and does welding, so he gets to be creative and goes to a lot of craft shows. We took out a business loan through United Bay, and Jamie in Pinconning was awesome! She is amazing and now we do all of our loans there. Even with a debt-to-income ratio that is a little high due to my student loans, we have never been turned down because they know us, and we have built a great relationship with them.

I refer so many people here because I have had such a great experience. I tell everyone to come to United Bay because they really do take care of you.”
— Ashley Goick, United Bay Community Credit Union member
“My mother and father ran a credit union out of the basement of our house for Defoe Shipbuilding Company. They built destroyers for the Navy. People would come to the house, sit in the kitchen, and have a cup of coffee and a cigarette while they waited. There were these little pads of paper that if I stamped the credit union's name on them, I got a quarter. They ran the credit union out of the basement until they could afford to purchase a little small manufactured home they put on the shipyard.
I started out here in 1978, and in January, retired after 44 years. I started out as a part-time teller and have worked in the loan department, the collection department, in accounting, and then ended up in mortgages.
I loved mortgages the most, because it was about making people's dreams of owning a home come true. Or if they had an issue with their home, like they need a new furnace, roof, siding, windows, I could help them find a way to get that done.
I remember there was a couple in their late 50s from the Kalamazoo area and they wanted to purchase their first home. They had been trying for several years to purchase something, and weren't able to. They were so sweet to work with, and the kind of members that if you asked for this i to be dotted, it was dotted.
Out of anyone I worked with, they were the most thrilled to get into a home.
There are all kinds of stories I could tell. United Bay Community Credit Union has always been a very good place to work. We’re there for our members. I like the ethics of a credit union, so members don't have to worry about being used to make a profit so the big person upstairs can get their million-dollar bonus. I appreciate that more than anything, it's always for the people. They always find a way to give people a break or do something to help give them a start.”
– Jill Patterson, United Bay Community Credit Union returning retiree
“I found this job on Indeed. I was working at Staples and looking for something that would be better for my future. I found United Bay Community Credit Union, applied, and Michelle called me and said I had an interview if I was interested. She also said that there were three or four other people interviewing for the position, and because I didn’t have any experience in the banking industry, I thought, ‘Oh, there's no way I'm getting this.’
When I came in for the interview, my first impression was that it was BIG. I'm from West Branch and the credit unions around there are all just little, one-story, small buildings with teller stations. I pulled up to the building and was like, ‘This place is huge!’ and I remember internally freaking out because I was like, ‘How am I going to do this?’
But the whole interview process was very comfortable. Michelle and Jessica were both extremely nice, made me feel very welcomed, and explained everything to me, and that made me want the job even more. The next day, they called me back and offered me the position. I took it immediately and put in my two weeks at Staples, and I was really excited to start doing better for myself.
It will be two years in February, and I really like the people that I work with. Everybody that works here is so kind. You can walk up to anybody, even if you’re new, and have a conversation and instantly, it’s like you talk to them regularly.
Being able to help our members is really nice, too. Seeing the joy on their faces when they come in to talk to us is great. I like knowing them by name, learning their story, and what they do. I just love that!”
– Kayla Davis, member service specialist, United Bay Community Credit Union

“My dad was into cars: racing, doing demolition, figure eight, etc., and we would work on cars together. I started at a very young age. We lived on a farm, and we got by fixing what we had. We had to scrounge up equipment, make do, weld it up, grind it, fix it, and put it back together. I think that was the draw of buying a car. I wanted to fix it, tear it apart, see how it’s made, put it back together and clean it up. That was fascinating to me.  I bought my first wreck, fixed it up and drove it for many years with only drive and no reverse, because I didn’t have money for a transmission.

I've been in the industry all my life going from working in a body shop, to being a body shop manager, to teaching at the Bay-Arenac ISD’s Career Center for the last 22 years. I was able to teach my trade to students. I loved that job, and it was probably one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had because you could see the kids progress from when they first arrived to where they were at the end of the year.

But it got to the point where, because of my age and my health, I couldn’t do what I was supposed to do on the floor with students anymore. It's very physical work, and I could tell my time was coming because I was getting more tired. So, I knew it was my time to go.

I found United Bay Community Credit Union when we had my first child in 1986. We went to buy a trailer to live in. Prior to that, I had filed for bankruptcy because I didn't have health insurance and some hospital bills piled up along with a school loan, so when I went to apply for a loan for the trailer, everybody turned me down. They said they couldn’t take a risk on me.

But then I came here.

They said, ‘Well, because you filed for bankruptcy, we have to put you in front of the board, and you’ll need to convince the board that it’s safe to give you a loan.’

So, I came in to meet with the board. As I’m sitting there, the door opens, and three guys come in. The third guy looks at me and says, ‘Hey, how are you doing, Leonard?’

And I said, ‘Hi, Tom!’

I just got done with Tom's car at the body shop I was working at. He got hit in the rear end and I fixed it, repaired it, wrote the estimate, and delivered it. He was happy with my work, and though I didn’t know it at the time, that's how I got to know one of the board members.

 I told him why I was there, so he says, ‘Well, I know where you work, and I know you're working hard there, so you're good. I went through the interview with the board, and they approved the loan.

 – Leonard Fauble, UBCCU member

�� 75 Years of Ubay Joy! �� Join our exclusive series featuring stories from members and staff. Let's celebrate the heart of the Ubay community! ��
“We had an IRA that was coming due, so I started calling around for the best rate, and that’s when I reached Sherry at the United Bay Community Credit Union branch in Pinconning. We live in Bay City, but she was just my kind of person: the good old customer service I was looking for. She was warm and accommodating and just my kind of gal. She was old school. When you get to be my age, you love that! We talked for a bit, and I hung up the phone without scheduling anything because I was going to talk to Randy first. But then I called her right back and said, ‘We're coming in, you're the girl and the one I want to work with.’
She answered all my questions and met my needs. I had a particular rate that I wanted, and she was able to accommodate that. I told her that Pinconning wasn’t that far, but she said that she would come to Bay City to train somebody to open these kinds of accounts. She did, and the Euclid office set up our account.
After that, I was at the nail place in the mall with my sister because she wanted to get her nails done. I didn’t, so I sat in the lobby. A woman walked in, and she sat down next to me. I always visit with people because that's the way I am, and she was like that, too. I told her I used to work at a bank, and she told me she works at a credit union. I asked her which one and she told me it was United Bay Community Credit Union. So, I told her all about Sherry, how she took care of us, how sweet she was, and that I couldn't have asked for better service.
So, I asked her, ‘What do you do at the credit?’
And she said, ‘I'm the CEO.’
The CEO! It was Diane Abbonizio, and she was just as nice as Sherry.
You don't hear a lot of complaints about credit unions. Banks are quite big, and they're getting bigger, and that makes it difficult for them to service their people locally when their main office is in New York or somewhere else.
So, for me, UBAY is about the people, and the kind of people who give that old school kind of customer service.”
– Kathy and Randy Perkins, United Bay Community Credit Union members
“When a member calls into the credit union, I’m one of the people who answers the phone. We want our members to be happy and we want to solve their problems, so we do the best we can to help members directly without transferring the call or putting them on hold.
I've been at the credit union for 31 years. I applied for a job because I was a member, and I always liked the people who worked here. I started out as a teller, then worked in the call center, and then in the loan department. When I had a chance to come back to the call center, it was a tough decision because in the loan department, you’re making people really happy by approving their loans. But in the call center, I enjoy the challenge that comes with working with a variety of problems. Sometimes it’s easy stuff and sometimes it’s hard stuff—every call is different, and you have to know each area of the credit union to get people the answers they need. It's not always easy, but it's very rewarding when you help someone. Even if it's just one person a day who I can make happy by solving their problem, that’s rewarding to me.
The credit union has changed a lot over the years, and that's going to happen anywhere. But there's always been this core environment of closeness with my coworkers. Everybody works well together, and the credit union has treated us well and continues to show that they care about us.
You develop relationships with the members too. A member will say something like, ‘I remember coming to the drive thru back when you were pregnant, how are your kids?’ And I can’t believe they remember that! I’ll ask about their family, and we get to know each other. They appreciate it, I appreciate it, and it makes coming to work easy!”
–Kim Ewald, UBCCU Contact Center Specialist

“The whole idea behind starting a Business Services department was to provide small, local businesses with the resources they need to be successful.

When I first work with a business, it's important for me to be a person who listens. After I set them up with an account, it’s important to get to know them, find out what their journey is, and work to understand what they want to do. We want them to be able to paint their own picture but have the guidance they need to be successful. Running a business can be A LOT, and many times, businesses don't realize all the different ways we can help. For example, if a business is looking to accept debit and credit cards, we might be able to provide them with free equipment or a customized rate to get them started.

 

Working with local businesses has been amazing, and it’s incredibly rewarding when you get to see a business excelling. Take Gilly of Gilly’s Bistro or Greg from That Guy's Barbecue, for example. When you see them do well, knowing you are part of the process feels incredible.

Before this position, I was the biggest introvert possible. I was scared to talk to people, and when I saw big crowds, I felt like I needed to have someone there to hold my hand and help me through it all. But coming into this role, working with people, watching businesses grow and become successful, and knowing I’m a part of that journey with them, gave me the biggest confidence boost. I never really expected it.

 

The Bay City business community is collaborative, and people are open to helping each other out. You see restaurant owners eating at each other's spots. You’d think that it'd be the opposite with your competitors, but everyone wants you to thrive. I've never felt that anywhere. It's almost addicting, seeing everyone helping each other out, and you want to be part of that movement. It has just been awesome, and is definitely rewarding, for sure.

 

My favorite thing about working here is they give you a voice. No matter what your role is, no matter what your department is – everyone wants to hear what you have to say. Management has been very supportive, and if you come in with an idea, they say, ‘Let's hear it. ’ I've never had that in other places, and now that I do, I feel supported in whatever I do.

 

Working here is rewarding, for sure.”

 

– Tino Deleon, business account specialist, United Bay Community Credit Union

“We opened our account with United Bay Community Credit Union in 1960. They had started a Christmas club where they would take a certain amount out of your paycheck and set it aside so you can buy Christmas gifts later. At the time, we had just started having kids, and that’s what got us interested, so we joined.

 

We didn't have too many loans; we watched our P's and Qs,and didn’t like borrowing money. We built our own house, too. Every payday, we would use some of the money to buy some materials and set them aside. Eventually, we had enough material to start building, and with help from our friends, we got it done. We've had some tough times, but we got through it. We didn't do it separately, we did it together.”

 

—Anzy & Raymond Mielke, United Bay Community Credit Union members

Before she passed, my sister kept telling me that after I recovered from my surgery and beat the odds, I should get a dog. So, one morning, I was looking on the internet and saw someone was selling an Australian Shepherd puppy. I didn’t even know what an Australian Shepherd was—I just knew that we were looking for a puppy.

So, we met up with them, and I will tell you that as soon as they put that dog in my arms, I knew they weren’t getting her back. But puppies are expensive, so we stopped at the credit union to get everything we needed.

I have a friend who said, ‘The right dog will come to you,’ and that’s what happened with our Shelly. A week or two later, while I was looking at a picture, we took the day we first got her, I noticed the date: February 22nd.

My mom’s birthday.

We became United Bay Community Credit Union members as soon as we graduated from high school. Our dad was a member of United Bay and always said, ‘Get to know the people at the credit union and they will become your best friends.’ And he was right. The customer service is wonderful. As soon as we walk through the doors, we are greeted by our first names, and we’ve never had a bad experience.

After we bought everything, we needed for Shelly, I took her right back into the credit union and took pictures of her at United Bay to remember the day. The girls loved her, and they wanted the pictures, too!

United Bay goes above and beyond, in a way you can’t find anywhere else.”
–Marilynne and Michael Warden, United Bay Community Credit Union members

My name is Mary Kay. But when my grandkids' friends turn 18, I say ‘‘you can call me MK’ and they feel very proud.

 

I was born in Bay City, and I've lived in Standish almost all my life—a city girl who married a country boy. My late husband, Norm, joined United Bay Community Credit Union in 1968, and I became a member when we got married in 1970. I was blessed to stay home with our kids while he worked, until our youngest was in kindergarten.

 

He passed away in 2010 and it was a shock. Not only was there the pain of losing my husband, financially there was so much to go through, and it was overwhelming having so many decisions to make.

But I remember sitting with Sherry at the Credit Union, and she said, ‘You got this.’ She’s a very special lady. I listened to her and her suggestions, but I never felt pressured. (It wouldn’t have mattered—I’m old school, and if I don’t want to do something, I don’t!) But I never felt like she was trying to make me do something, and I always had the final say. She was just awesome.

 

My kids have accounts here, too. Everyone is so friendly. I always enjoy going inside: I’ll comment on the decorating and how clean it is and they treat me like a queen.

 

– Mary Kay Mielke, UBAYCCU Member

 

P.S. I’m 76…but I’m not bored! Look at my sweatshirt—I'm a sports lady! Growing up, my dad loved baseball and that rubbed off on me. I keep my own stats for all the games I go to. Like for my grandkids, I have stat sheets for all their games in envelopes and they go in a big tote.

When my husband and I got married, my family didn’t go hunting or fishing or anything like that, but he did. And now I do! I got the biggest buck two years ago. We have a hunting camp: my son and daughter-in-law and the grandkids and we have a lot of fun. They were just so proud of me.

It was a 13-pointer. They say you can’t count the little ones…but I did!

“After my children became old enough, I wanted to get back to full-time work, and that’s when I found out about a job at United Bay Community Credit Union. It was a part-time job, but I really wanted to work at the credit union, so I worked two part-time jobs for a year. When I was hired full time, I was relieved, both for the work and because I wouldn’t have to put so many miles on my ‘71 Nova anymore. It had such a bad motor that I was putting oil in it about as often as I put gas in!

This is my 32nd year United Bay Community Credit Union. I love my job, but I love it more knowing that the members love me. I have a file full of thank you’s and letters from members, and it makes me feel good.

 

This credit union cares about people. I help people with their finances, and the best way to do that is to listen. Have a conversation, really listen to what they're saying, and if it’s appropriate, offer advice. It’s important to respect people, and in turn, they have respect for you.

 

I worked with a young gentleman, maybe in his late 20s, who had just lost his mom. He didn’t have a job, just had a baby, and during the pregnancy, his significant other experienced some serious complications.

 

He came into the office overwhelmed: he didn’t have an account, didn’t know what to do with the money he received from his mom’s life insurance, and was totally lost.

So I opened him an account and we worked through what to do: we made sure he had money set aside for rent, necessary purchases like a car, and money invested so he wouldn’t spend it all right away.


Then we talked about finding a job. He told me what he liked to do, and I told him that a place down the road was looking for an employee. He went there…and got a job!

 

He walked in, lost and overwhelmed, but when he walked out, he was just so happy..”

 

—Sherry Lightner, United Bay Community Credit Union

“From the day we started with United Bay Community Credit Union, everything has been right. I think we joined the first week they opened a branch in Mattawan in 2004, and we just absolutely love the people. We met Ben and Carrie—my one-year-old had such a crush on her!—and Bridgette, and they were so great.

We had lived in our old house for 30 years, and we always wanted to live in a farmhouse. We knew going through Bridgette that everything was going to be perfect, because she is just perfection.

We probably looked at 30 different houses, and during the process, anytime we had a question, Bridgette was on it—she never let us hang. Things were always explained to us in ways we could understand them. She’s awesome, gave us a great rate, and she even came to our signing and helped me through my little breakdown of leaving our old home.

Since then, we have taken out a lot of loans through United Bay: four car loans, a consolidation loan, and a couple of personal loans as well. It has always been the same experience: everything is explained, everything is right. I walk in and I know everything is going to be taken care of.

Besides that, when we go into UBAYCCU, it’s like going to someone’s home. We know all of the clerks by name. They know our whole family, and we even bring our dogs in there sometimes. It’s more than a credit union, it’s a home.”

–Christine and Gerrit Schouwburg, United Bay Community Credit Union members

“I grew up all over the United States because my dad was in the natural gas industry: wherever he was needed, that’s where we went. Eventually, I got a job working at a bank in Spokane, Washington, and worked there for 12 years.  But I had been wanting to move back to Michigan. It’s where my family is from—and after 2020, we all realized how important it was to be close to each other. My dad had moved back to Coleman after he retired, and that’s where our family farm has been for four generations.

I had been wanting to move back, but coming from a big city like Spokane to the tiny town of Coleman, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of employment. But then one day, my family called and said that a new credit union was opening in Coleman: United Bay Community Credit Union had announced they were opening a branch there. I contacted them, and got a job.

I’ve been with the credit union for over a year, and this has been exactly what I needed. I needed to come home and to feel like I was in a place where I belong. Coleman had lost their financial institution before United Bay came in to save the day, so we’re part of a community who’s excited to have us here.

Building relationships has always been my focus, and I get to do that here. We make sure that every member has an amazing experience when they walk in our door: they’re greeted, acknowledged, listened to, and offered solutions. It’s more than just money—it’s about people—and that’s what I wanted.  I get excited because I get to inspire the staff, build relationships with our members, and support our community.”        

–Emily Burgess, United Bay Community Credit Union Branch Manager

Mario Williams is my mechanic and also a dear friend. When I was purchasing a car back in December of 2022, he inspected the vehicle and determined that she was seaworthy and good to go. I mentioned to him how displeased I was with the credit union that I was considering doing business with because their interest rate was not acceptable to me. I am retired from the banking business, but I was in corporate banking and institutional trust for over 15 years, so when I was quoted a ridiculous interest rate, I balked at it. I was telling Mario about that, and he said, ‘Oh my gosh, Mindy, you have got to call Molly Chase at United Bay Community Credit Union. She will take such good care of you.’

He gave me her number right there at his mechanic shop, and I called Molly. I introduced myself, told her what I wanted to do, and what my preferred monthly payment would be because I am on Social Security Disability. I am disabled: I have major depressive disorder, which is treatment resistant, and anxiety disorder. Both are managed mostly by my medication, but I do go through major depressive episodes which are completely debilitating for me, so I have a limited fixed income to work with. That also means that finding a payment that would be affordable for me was very important.

And right there over the phone, Molly took the loan application, and later that day, she called me with an approval, and I got a great rate.

But the story goes on because I made some referrals of direct family members, which had very favorable outcomes and I've made a bunch of referrals of friends who I understand are now customers of United Bay.

She was able to help my son buy his first car, even without a credit history.

My niece had a more complex situation because she was pretty heavily in debt with quite a few credit cards. But Molly was able to pull a rabbit out of a hat by refinancing my niece’s car and putting together a debt consolidation loan for her.

And at the end of that loan closing, my niece said ‘Molly, we have something for you,’ went out to the car and brought Molly flowers, chocolates, and a card. We all had tears in our eyes, because Molly had taken a situation that appeared to my niece to be insurmountable and made it all manageable and understandable.”

—Mindy Kulasa, UBAYCCU member

We've been members here since 1968, when Thomas started working at the GM plant. I worked at Tip Top Drive In, which was where the YMCA is now, on the corner across from City Hall. I was a carhop: people would pull in, roll the window down, and we would come out to the window and get their order.

One day, my Thomas pulled in.

I said, ‘How can I help you? What do you want?’

He goes, ‘I want you.’

I said, ‘Get out of here. What do you want for food?’

He said, ‘No, I'm serious.’

Our first date was to church the following Sunday, at St. Joseph's Church on Third Street. He came pulling up to the house while beeping the horn…which was mistake number one! When we came back, my dad goes, ‘Don't you ever, EVER, pull up and pop the horn and think my daughter is going to come out. You will come to the door, knock, and ask for her to come out.’
And Thomas said, ‘If that's what you want, Mr. Costello, that's what I will do.’

We’ve been together ever since. It’ll be 52 years in July. I think having a good relationship for many years takes communication, not keeping secrets, and always telling each other what you feel. We would also never go to bed at night angry at each other. You have to clear the air before you go to bed.

I’ve been a member at the credit union this long because the minute you walk in, everybody is so super friendly. With Tom having dementia, they helped set it up so we could transfer funds that me and Tom had into an account with me and my son. We didn't want his money to be sitting there if something was to happen to him. He was the primary person, and I was his beneficiary, so if something were to happen to me, our money would have sat in limbo until who knows when.

The place is always so clean and everybody's so friendly. It feels like you're family here.

– Isabel and Thomas Cleary, United Bay Community Credit Union members

When I first got my driver's license, I would drive my grandma out on errands. One of our stops would be the bank, and I'll never forget how frustrated the teller would get with her if she didn’t understand something. So, when people call us here at the Call Center needing help, I tell them, ‘We can get through it together.’ I tell them that this is something that we can figure out: we'll just start from the beginning and take it step by step, and we'll work through it. We've been here before for you, and we're still here for you now, and it works out in the end.

We have a great relationship with our members, people who will call in and say, ‘Hey, my daughter is getting engaged!’ or ‘We’re getting a granddaughter!’ You can put your money anywhere, but I think what makes us different are those relationships.


I have a story of a guy I'll never forget. An older man and his wife would come in once a month when they got their deposits, and every time, she would bake us a cake or brownies. Well, his wife got sick, and one day he came in and said, ‘I'm so sorry. I had to put my wife in a nursing home, so we're not going to be able to bring a cake anymore.’ We told him not to worry about it, that she was a wonderful baker, and that we would never forget how kind they were to us.


He said still wanted to bring us something when he came in and started bringing us candy.


But then one month, he brought a cake.


‘I made the cake by myself,’ he said. He taught himself how to bake a cake! We told him how proud we were of him, and how happy it would make his wife.


Just to see the smile on his face, I don't think I can ever forget it.


After she passed away, he kept on bringing us something every month, and every month, he'd make it fancier and fancier. He started putting a piece of candy on each little piece so that when we cut it, we'd have like a piece of candy on each. We would tell him like his wife was smiling down, and she was so proud of him.


He baked all the way until he got sick, and he couldn't any longer, and then he passed away.


But that smile on his face once a month is unforgettable. It would make our whole day, just seeing how happy he was. For him, it wasn’t about money, it was about caring for people.


That's what a credit union is supposed to be: people caring about people; people being there for other people, and I think that is what’s different here.


– Kellie Kukla, United Bay Community Credit Union Contact Center Representative

“We first became members in 1983. We had accounts at a bank too, but we really liked the atmosphere at the credit union, and we’ve grown to love it. They’re always so helpful, no matter if it’s on the phone, online, or in person. They’re very friendly, and we know just about every one of them by name. When we go to Pinconning, we run into so many of them to whom we want to say ‘hi,’ that it can be hard to get out of places!


We just closed our accounts at the bank this spring. We wanted information on our IRA accounts, so I went to the bank and the woman said, ‘Come back in an hour.’ So, we did, but then she said, ‘I’m too busy, and you have a whole year to take care of this stuff.’


So, we decided to pull all of our money out of there and put it in here.


It took two months to get everything. Sherry sent all the paperwork, but when I called the bank to see what the status was, I had to wait through menus, hit six buttons, and explain the situation to someone new, and all they said was, ‘We can’t tell you.’ I said, ‘Can you at least tell me if you received the paperwork?’ They said that someone would call me in two days—and that never happened.


I went back to the bank branch, and they said, ‘Just keep calling and eventually someone will help you.’


They didn’t have time for us. But at United Bay Community Credit Union, you get an answer right away. We were just a number at our last bank, but here we’re greeted by name. The place feels welcoming, with people smiling and treating you like you’re a priority.”


– Ernie and Ellen Schumann, United Bay Community members

Howard: “I didn’t want to be a machinist like my dad, locked up inside of a big building and turning metal all day long, so I became a firefighter. I like to help people, and with a firefighter’s schedule, I could spend my days off with my family. I started as a fireman in Bangor and retired out of Bay City.

 

Susan: “I’m proud of my son. He was cut out to be a fireman. That's not an easy job, but he was good at it. He's also a very good blacksmith. At Christmas time, we all get something he’s made, and he’s made me some beautiful crosses. For his sisters, he made a family crest with their last name to put outside or inside on a wall.

 

Howard: I do ornamental iron and blacksmithing work. I had an awesome high school teacher who took me under his wing and started taking blacksmithing classes in Midland. Then I started doing shows at Hartwick Pines when I was only 17 years old. Today, I have students on my own that I teach out of my own shop. It's awesome to see it come back around because at Christmas time, one kid will always make me something for Christmas. It's just the best gift ever, and it almost looks like I made it because I taught him exactly how I learned. It's been really neat.

 

Susan: I like United Bay because they know who you are, and they care about you. Sherry up in Pinconning is great and we don't want her to retire ever. When my husband passed away, my daughter and I went to talk to Sherry, and she helped us so much with getting all that stuff straightened around.

 

Howard: I got my first loan from Christie that worked here, and she treated me great. Over the years, I've gotten to know all the different loan officers, and every one of them has treated us so nice. When I moved up to Pinconning after I retired, I needed a house loan. Jill helped us with that, and she was excellent.

 

When you walk in here, everybody treats you great, and that's why we're members. I’ve never had a problem and they make things so easy. I call them and say, ‘Hey, I want to buy this truck,’ and they will take care of it.

 

We’re fourth-generation members, and my kids got involved in the credit union when they needed a loan for their vehicles. This is exactly where we came. A lot of times when you go to a dealer, they want you to go with a specific lender they use and I say, ‘Nope, I'm going with my United Bay.’”

 

– Susan and Howard Eagle, United Bay Community Credit Union members

“I’ve worked on cars all my whole life. I own a couple of old vehicles and had to learn how to wrench on those, because nobody would do it. And when I'm working in my yard, neighbors would come up and say, ‘Hey, can you do this? Can you do that?’ and I was able to help them out by doing these little things for their vehicles.

I was working for the City of Kalamazoo in the Parks and Rec Department (which I guarantee you is just like the TV show), then 2020 happened. Like everybody else, we weren’t working, so I said, ‘Well, as long as I'm off, I’ll start doing brake jobs.’

So I started doing small jobs, and it took off from there. Owning a business was something I had thought about, but didn’t have any family members who did, so I never made the jump. But then I said, ‘Man, I'm at the age where if I'm going to do it, I need to do it now.’

I found another building where that was set up to have everything I need. Now I'm looking at expanding a little bit, getting some lifts and things of that nature, so that's my next move. I do everything, and work on a lot of older vehicles. I don't advertise because I have so many people coming to me by word of mouth. People will call me and say, ‘Hey, Mario, can I give your number to this person?’ The next thing you know, I've snowballed that into a network of people who trust what I do.

I love owning my own business. I can make my own hours. I can spend more time with my wife and family. I love helping people who are getting raked over the coals by other places charging more than they should. You can see the relief on their faces when it’s what they can afford so they can get to school or work.

I'm also happy because I’m doing something I didn't think I could do. I'll go in, unlock the door, and then go back into my shop and look around. I open my garage door and think, ‘You did this, man! You're doing this!’ The feeling is just overwhelming and awesome.

The first time I came to United Bay was in Mattawan. I was banking at another place and I ended up buying a car with a little loan and owed about $1500. At that time, I was transitioning from one job to another job, but I was making some money and keeping up on my payments, even though it was hard.

One day I went to them and said, ‘Hey, I'm having a little trouble making my payments. Can I maybe defer this or get a lower payment while I’m in between jobs to make sure I'm good?’

They said, ‘If you can't make your payments, we're going to come and take your car.’

That blew me away because I’d been there for 12 years and made my payments on time!

After they told me that, I was driving through Mattawan and heard the United Bay ad on the radio. I knew there was a United Bay branch right down the road and so I went in and talked to Molly. I explained the situation and literally within 10 minutes, she gave check to pay off my loan and said, ‘Take this to them and I'll see you back here in a minute.’ I went down with the check and said I was closing my account. So then they were like, ‘Oh, let’s work together on this’, but I was done. Then I came back to United Bay and told them that it could have been hard or scary, but I didn't feel that way once I talked to them.

I’ve been here with Ubayever since. They’ve allowed me to expand my business to the point that it's just amazing. Everybody I’ve met at United Bay Community Credit Union are wonderful. Thinking about the people at United Bay Community Credit Union makes me almost start to cry, because I wouldn't have been able to do this without them. They stand behind you. They’re like a warm blanket to me: they're so nice and personable. Everything that I've ever asked from Molly or anybody here, they helped with. It wasn’t about telling me what I can’t do and then having them look through your life history and go well, ‘We're not messing with you because of that.’ It's never been like that.

When you have people who back you, you want to back them, so I refer everyone here. Just like how I work on people's cars and they trust me, that's the way I feel about this credit union. I'm so happy to be a part of the United Bay Community Credit Union’s family.”

– Richard ‘Mario’ Williams, Ubay member

When my husband told me that he wanted to open a business, I thought, ‘The time has come!’ because when he says something, he’s going to go for it. I knew everything was going to change in our lives. Everything! And to be quite honest with you, I was a little bit scared. The pandemic had just happened, and we both had jobs: he was working full time in manufacturing, and I had a 17-year position in human resources. But we prayed about it, started looking for buildings, and opened in 2022.

 

And oh, my gosh, from the very beginning, the Bay City community has been tremendously supportive. We've had our challenges, like any new business, but we couldn't ask for a better community to be in, quite honestly. People will come in, tell us they’ll come back, and they’ll come back with friends. We’ve been open just over a year, and although it’s been a lot of hard work, it's been a lot of fun.

 

Although we had so much to do and learn as new business owners, United Bay made our lives easier. It was like going to an all-inclusive resort, where you don't have to think about anything: they take the lead on everything, and they’ve got you. That's what they did for us.

 

They were personable, friendly, and spent a lot of time listening to us and answering questions. One woman even talked to me while she was on vacation, saying she was going to take care of everything and then follow-up with me when she got back, and she did. She was terrific! It was more than I could ask of her, and she went way above and beyond.

 

I think United Bay is doing an amazing job, not only with our business, but I can see it with other businesses in the area. I would encourage anybody to reach out to United Bay for all of their needs.

 

—Diana Gonzalez, Gilly’s Bistro, UBCCU Business Member

I’ve worked at United Bay Community Credit Union for 14 years, and have been a centralized loan officer for four, but I actually have a degree in teaching. I received my teaching certificate shortly before I became pregnant, and when my baby was born, I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I was home for about a year and a half and knew I needed to take some financial stress off of my husband. I didn’t want to go back to teaching, so I applied here at the credit union. I started off as a part-time teller. To be honest, I didn’t expect to like it, but everyone was so friendly! I loved interacting with the members, and the management was amazing.

I was a teller for about 10 years, when a loan position opened up. It was in Pinconning, where I’m from, and it was perfect. Everything about the loan process, from the application to the closing, is interesting to me. More than that, I actually get to help people.

There was a couple that was struggling with infertility for years. They depleted their funds trying to have a baby and did not want to come see me for a loan, but they did. I had a good feeling about them, so we approved their loan. Several months later, the husband came back and mentioned his wife was pregnant. It worked! And when he told me, I teared up!

Another member is a single mom. She called me, stressed because she has a teenage son and wanted a small loan to give him a great Christmas. I approved her for the loan and later I received an email. She had sent pictures of her son opening the gifts and said because of the loan, her son was able to have a wonderful Christmas.

There are so many stories like these, and that’s what it’s all about for me. I love it.

—Jamie Shelagowski, United Bay Community Credit Union Centralized Loan Officer

“We had always gone back and forth about how awesome it would be to open a sports bar and grill. When an opportunity came up to buy one, we made an offer…and they accepted! We couldn’t believe it! We bought the building and the land, but we didn’t have enough for everything else: things like coolers, food, and other supplies.

We needed a loan, so we wrote a portfolio and business plan and applied at another credit union, but with nothing in our history showing we could do this, they said no. Then we went to another credit union, and they said the same thing.

That’s when we leaned on United Bay Community Credit Union for help. We spoke with Terry and asked him, ‘We don’t have business partners or investors, what can the credit union do for us?’

They gave us a signature loan for $20,000. It wasn’t everything we needed, but it was a ‘yes’, enough to get started, and more than anyone else was willing to give us. After that, we decided to do all of our banking here.

They helped us open CJ’s Sports Grill and it’s been full throttle ever since. They were able to make it happen, and United Bay has always been there to help us ever since. ”

–Jessica and Clifton Holland, United Bay Community Credit Union members

I grew up on the South End of Bay City. My father was a carpenter, probably one of the best in the United States. My mom was a homemaker, but she would pick up odd jobs. I went to St. Stans and after high school, went into the Navy. I worked down in the engine room as a machinist, deep in the bowels of the ship, never seeing the light of day. The waterline was at the top of the deck gratings, so I was underwater for three years.

 

After I got out, I went to Washington D.C. to party for 31 straight days, and the day I left, I had to borrow money from my sister to get home because I was broke. I came home and knocked around for three years, got married, and started working for General Motors. GM started this credit union in 1949, and I got my first loan here so I could buy a brand-new car, a Camaro.

 

I like the people. At one time, we would have a yearly meeting where they would nominate the board, and we'd have a meal and booze. I don't remember if we paid for that to be honest with you, but it didn't really matter. It was fun; it was a family.

 

I turned 83 recently, and at my age, I think the best advice I can give is to live your life like it was your last day. You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so enjoy it.

 

If you're young and want to go on a trip, do it. Don't put it off until next week, because you don't know where you're going to be next week. I had a friend who got stung by a hornet and died, redlined on the way to the hospital. Forget tomorrow. Forget saying, ‘I can’t afford it.’ Find a way to afford it. The thing is, you need to live life for today because you don’t know if you’ll get a tomorrow.

 

If you have a partner, it's even more important. My father and mother went to Poland three times. They used to go every year to Louisiana to see my sister, but when my mom passed away, my dad went into his shell. I asked my dad why he wasn’t doing things anymore and he said, ‘I lost my traveling companion,’.

 

When I lost my wife, it was like the end of the world. We had this idea to sell everything and go on the road, see the United States, and travel. We had the trailer, but when she passed away, that dream died, too.

I got through it with the help of friends. I started walking in the mall and met some new people and we've been friends ever since. One of the gentlemen is one of my best friends. His wife passed away a year after mine, and that’s what brought us together.

 

They lived two doors down from me, and when I’d get home, his wife would wave to me because they had her bed set up in front of the bay window so she could get some sun. The morning, she died, I went by, and she wasn't there. It wasn't even 10 minutes that I was home and he called me and told me she had passed.

 

Me and him were never close before that. After something like that happens, it’s important to have friends and stay active, so I got him walking and we started walking together at the mall.

Now, I could be in Alaska and call him up and say, ‘My truck just broke down,’ and two days later, he'd be in Alaska with a trailer for my truck, and I’d do the same for him.

 

—James Matuszewski, UBCCU member

Years ago, my wife got Crohn's disease and became disabled. We lost our home, and our credit went in the tank. But Molly at United Bay Community Credit Union gave me my first loan, helped me reestablish my credit, and it's really helped turn things around: my credit’s at 790 now!

I had a credit card, but it was a rip-off. So, Crystal helped me apply, and the one I have through the credit union now is 8.9%, which is definitely lower than what I had before and what I could find. There have been fraud attempts on my card, and United Bay has always caught them. My mom has unfortunately had successful fraud on her credit cards. When I called her bank to resolve it, the difference in service was night and day. They weren’t helpful at all, and it made a frustrating situation even more difficult.

But when you call United Bay, the employees are so friendly and professional, and I can’t imagine why someone wouldn't bank here.

 

–Lonnie Stenger, United Bay Community Credit Union Member

My husband was self-employed when we got married, and I helped him with the day-to-day grind of the business. We did that for 12 years until the economic downturn of 2008 caused our business to fall into financial hardship and we needed some help.

We were referred to United Bay by my husband’s longtime friend. When we met Molly, she won over our hearts and minds. She listened to our story and was behind us 110%. She believed in us and took a chance, and we’ve been with her and UBCCU ever since. We’ve done several more loans and our mortgage with them, and we want to give back to United Bay for taking a chance on us.

Almost every single one of my friends and family banks with United Bay Community Credit Union. We’ve referred so many of our friends and family to the credit union, and it doesn’t matter what credit union location we go to—everyone is amazing.

–Lisa Lamb, United Bay Community Credit Union member

When we see ‘United Bay Community Credit Union’,  we see our mother. She worked her way up at United Bay, and in her day, women didn’t do the things she did. She took pride in it, and we are proud of her.

She lived and breathed the credit union. I remember her coming home and telling us, ‘Treat others the way you want to be treated,’ and ‘The member is always number one.’ Those things were important to her, so they’re important to us.

In today’s world, you’re just a number, so it’s refreshing to walk into United Bay and hear someone say, ‘Hey! How’s your family?’ We know how customer service should be. We know some members that have been with United Bay for a long time, and they appreciate that old school customer service.

We are so proud of United Bay and our mother, and we want her legacy to continue.

–Linda Ruppel, United Bay Community Credit Union Receptionist and Karen Hollbrook, United Bay Community Credit Union member

“My parents were farmers in Estey, Michigan. My least favorite chore growing up was milking cows, but you had to get your chores done or you couldn’t go to school. There were 12 kids in our family, and I was the first girl to graduate high school, and part of the first class to graduate from Pinconning High School.

 

After that, I went to the College of Business in Bay City. I wanted to be a bookkeeper. It was my dream. I was always a numbers person, and becoming a bookkeeper was all I knew. I even did the taxes for everyone in our bowling league because I loved numbers so much!

 

I got my first job, but when I got married, they said I couldn’t stay. Isn’t that crazy? It was a very particular place at that time, so I went looking for other jobs. There was an open position in Ohmer at a shipbuilding yard, so I went there but thought, ‘What in the heck is a girl gonna do here?’

 

Then I saw it, right around the corner: Bay City Credit Union, and they hired me right away.

 

Back in those days, we did everything by hand. It’s hard to imagine now, but you’d write it all in this book, and oh my goodness, you better balance out at the end of the day! I remember the first ATM too. That was a big deal! Getting money out of a machine, how do you do that? Our marketing manager had the idea to dress it up with red pigtails and call her ‘Wendy’. It was a big hit…but the Wendy’s Corporation reached out and kindly asked us to stop.

 

I started as a teller, and by the end, I became the first woman manager they ever had. That’s where my love of credit unions began. It was my life, and I was there for 33 years. My thoughts always were that the members sign your paycheck. They own the credit union, so treat them kindly and with respect. But I also loved them, and treated them like they were my kids. I’d say, ‘Come on in here and sit down’, and show them how to balance their checkbook. We would have these regular member meetings that became huge events. I remember once we had Butch Heath and The Ravens performing, and the line for tickets was out into the street. It was wonderful!

 

I love credit unions! I love that the work of a credit union is about more than money, it’s about building a community. A community is a team, and I’m a team builder.

 

We can do it and you can do it, if you put your mind to it and if we do it as a team!”

 

–Nan Strelecki

“I love numbers because there is always a solution, and I get to help people find those solutions. People can be terrified of numbers, especially when it comes to money, but when everything’s clearly laid out, you can see them go from fear to, ‘OK, I can do this’.

 

This is my third year with United Bay Community Credit Union, and I was attracted to the environment here more than anything else. I had been a CFO and a president of a bank at one point in time, but I wanted to look at things a bit differently and not have regrets at the end of my career. I wanted to know what was on the other side, so I found a place where I could contribute.

 

I’ve got a great team and a great boss. Diane Abbonizio and I are committed to growing UBAY into the best credit union we can, and we know that together, we can do that.

 

Some of our ideas are going to take time. To build something great, you have to be patient. We recently started our business services department, and that’s my baby. I have a terrific staff in that department and it’s gratifying to see everything click for them. When they understand how they're helping people turn their entrepreneurial dreams into realities, it’s fun for all of us. Those businesses are special to us, and we’re adamant about not letting them go unnoticed. We keep up with our businesses. They might not need us every day, so we bring them lunch or a little gift from time to time to show they’re still special to us.

 

We have really good checking accounts, but then we also have treasury products; anything from merchant to wire to ACH. We’re in the process of gathering information so we can start lending for our business members. We're concentrating on building relationships and working with underserved small businesses that big banks won’t even look at because they're not big enough. Some big banks won’t even consider a $25,000 line of credit because they aren’t going to make any money.

But we want to make that deal. We know $25,000 is a lot to a small business, so we want to help them get what they need to be successful.”

 

—Doug Kelly, CFO