Elsie Conner and Rosemary Riddles look back on their many years at Mayo Clinic and reflect on the importance of community, love and resilience that is at the heart of healthcare.

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Elsie Conner and Rosemary Riddles share a common language. It's the language of love — specifically, the love they pour into the food they prepare as members of the Mayo Clinic Food Services team in Florida.

The other thread that binds them together is a love for Mayo Clinic. So much so that Conner and Riddles now have more than a combined century of service to Mayo Clinic, and St. Luke's Hospital before that — a total of 102 years between them.

Conner and Riddles look back on their many years at Mayo Clinic and reflect on the importance of community, love and resilience that is at the heart of healthcare.

A journey of love and support

Conner's 53 years of service are a testament to the institution's family-oriented culture and the support and encouragement that keep her going, she says

"Mayo Clinic has always been family-oriented," Conner says. "I was a single mother raising four kids. God placed people around me to support and encourage me, and I learned to show love and receive it at Mayo Clinic."

What drew her to Mayo was the collective mission to help and care for people.

Her journey began as a dishwasher at St. Luke's Hospital in Jacksonville. Over time, she took on more responsibility, moving to different roles in the kitchen.

"I heard about the dishwasher job through word of mouth and eventually moved up to different roles in the kitchen," Conner says. "It felt like a family. We all worked together to help and care for people. Love is an action word, and I saw it in action in the kitchen."

The most important lesson I've learned since I've been with Mayo is how you treat one another matters.

Elsie Conner

It's that love that has kept Conner at Mayo Clinic all these years.

"I find so much joy working with food and putting love in food," she says. "I am fortunate to serve people with a smile and learn that it goes a long way."

Over the years, Conner witnessed changes in the healthcare industry and surrounding community, noting the continued emphasis on diversity and inclusion at Mayo Clinic.

"The campus continues to value its employees and appreciates diversity," Conner says. "I was nervous about moving from St. Luke's to Mayo Clinic, but people told me to bring love, and I did."

When you work for a company, you remember that you are a reflection of that company even when you are not here.

Elsie Conner

Along the way, Conner has found mentorship and support from colleagues like Mike Braswell, Barbara Tidwell, Nell Robinson, Tammie Massey and several others. And she's paying it forward by mentoring others.

When mentoring new team members, Conner emphasizes the importance of their role at Mayo Clinic, in the community and in their relationships with colleagues.

"We represent the clinic through our actions in the community and in how we treat each other," she says. "When you work for a company, you remember that you are a reflection of that company even when you are not here. Hold yourself with respect but also don't forget to make connections and show love to one another. Even on tough days, I tell them to maintain gratitude and remember that love is an action word."

She highlights the role of Mayo Clinic's values in creating a sense of belonging at Mayo.

"The most important lesson I've learned since I've been with Mayo is how you treat one another matters," she says. "Building relationships with respect and integrity makes a difference."

Reflecting on her years of service, Conner sums up her experience with gratitude and faith.

"I have a great day because I am thankful," Conner says. "As a God-fearing woman, I love the Lord and know that all my help comes from Him. I believe I've made a difference because of this mindset and all of the teachings I've learned from others."

A legacy of relationships and growth

Riddles says she has grown up at Mayo Clinic and cherishes the memories she's made along the way.

With nearly five decades of experience at St. Luke's and Mayo Clinic in Florida, Riddles has learned valuable lessons from her relationships with staff and patients. Throughout her 49 years of service, she's embodied the essence of teamwork, empathy and dedication, which she considers a badge of honor.

Her role has evolved over time from serving food to learning how to cook patient meals, bake fresh donuts and take patient meal orders.

The love and the joy you get from working in the service industry have kept me here.

Rosemary Riddles

But the one thing that's stayed a constant is learning how to treat people right.

"I'm so grateful to have been here all these years," she says. "Lots of lessons and love were found working at Mayo Clinic. The love and the joy you get from working in the service industry have kept me here. And knowing that you have touched someone's life and encouraged someone. When you encourage your co-workers, it helps them stay in the business. I have people here who encouraged me and were supportive of me, which helped me stay."

She credits Braswell, Tidwell, and and Robinson at Mayo with helping her find belonging. On a personal level, her sister, Janie Turner, has supported her through the years.

The positive impact that I will forever take with me are the relationships that I've built with the staff and patients and the lessons I've learned over the years.

Rosemary Riddles

"Working in food service made me feel like I belonged here. People look to food when they are feeling down and need help. We were able to put love into the food, and I truly feel that made a difference," she says

"The positive impact that I will forever take with me are the relationships that I've built with the staff and patients and the lessons I've learned over the years working in different departments at Mayo," Riddles says.

She now mentors a new generation of staff in Food Services and encourages them to pay close attention to leaders, ask questions when in doubt, and believe in their ability to accomplish anything.

"I am proud to mentor our new talented, food services generation," Riddles says. "I let them know that they can accomplish anything if they put their minds to it."

Looking ahead, Riddles sees the food service industry continuing to thrive and grow, a testament to its enduring importance in healthcare and beyond.

"I am grateful for these 49 years that God has allowed me to work around great people who encouraged me to grow," Riddles said. "It was not always easy, but I accomplished so much. In all of my years, I've learned that there is nothing too hard for God. If I can do it, others can too. Thank you for the opportunity to serve."