April 18, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

A familiar face joins Longview Bank

Sara Bryan has always had a passion for helping people.

That passion was instilled in her by her father who worked for Primerica which provides insurance, investment, and financial services to middle-income families in the United States and Canada.

“I grew up in a family with a financial background,” Bryan said. “My father was a representative with Primerica and enjoyed helping people plan their futures.”

Bryan, who now works as a universal banker at the St. Joseph Longview Bank, said the best thing about her job is helping people.

“I enjoy helping people,” she said. “Whether it’s through an issue they don’t understand or have any control over, or if it’s helping them save and plan for their futures.”

Bryan said she learned how important financial services can be for families by watching her father help so many people.

“I watched my dad help people get out of debt and change their futures,” she said. “I remember the members of our church coming to him and showing their appreciation. That’s the level of service I strive to live up to.”

Bryan started at Longview earlier this fall after working at another bank in the St. Joseph community for many years.

“What I like best about the St. Joseph Community is the hometown feel,” she said. “You can walk into any store or business and you are guaranteed to see a friend or family member of a friend. St Joseph is a town where people go the extra mile and are willing to lend a hand.”

Bryan said she was happy to join the team at Longview because it is truly a community bank where the customers are like family and not just numbers on a report.

“I have the privilege to sit down with my customers and get to know them better,” she said.

Bryan said a lot of her customers she knows and built a relationship with at her previous employer.

“ I am proud to say those customers have become friends and I now get to continue those relationships through Longview,” she said.

Bryan hopes to learn more about Longview, grow its customer base, and continue being the banker where customers become friends.

“I thoroughly enjoy the St Joseph Community and the great people that make it the community it is,” she said.   “I chose to stay here because of the people. I look forward to serving my current clients, watching their little ones grow up, start their own families, and helping them as well.”
 

in Life, People
Banner
Related Posts

5 things you don’t know about me…..Campbell Flessner

August 7, 2019

August 7, 2019

Campbell is in the running for the title of Little Princess! She is six years old. We asked her to...

10 things you don’t know about me… Jason Retz

November 7, 2019

November 7, 2019

In honor of SJO Cross Country going to state this week we asked head coach Jason Retz to tell us...

Kids Say…

June 24, 2019

June 24, 2019

Every week we ask five students to tell us what they think a farmer does. This week it is second...

Wentzloff brings Lurch to life in Addams Family

April 3, 2022

April 3, 2022

Lili Wentzloff knows how to portray a character with few words. She is portraying Lurch, the butler of the creepy...

How do I help my kids try new foods?

October 19, 2021

October 19, 2021

By: Dr. Jeanelle Murphy, DO Thanks to Christie Clinic for sponsoring this content. Encouraging young kids to try new foods...

10 things you don’t know about me… Shawn Skinner

October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

1. What is your favorite food? Italian food  2. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas 3. What is your favorite...

10 Things You Don’t Know About Me… Kent Brown

February 7, 2019

February 7, 2019

Every week we ask a community member to share 10 facts about themselves. This week it is St. Joseph resident...

10 things you don’t know about me… Chandler Dalton

October 20, 2019

October 20, 2019

This week the director of St. Joseph-Ogden’s Fall Drama Production “Trap” tells us 10 things we don’t know about her!...

Ask the doctor: Which internet resources can I trust for medical information?

March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021

By Jeanelle Murphy, DO In this age of technology it is important to know what websites will give you accurate...

Maxey named to SJO Board of Education

June 23, 2020

June 23, 2020

The St. Joseph-Ogden School Board has a new member. The Board of Educated voted to fill a vacant position with...

Wife Tribe looks to help those in need

August 5, 2019

August 5, 2019

The St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Wife Tribe wants to bring the community together. The group, founded this summer, was created by...

10 things you don’t know about me… Stacey Livingston

July 31, 2019

July 31, 2019

Every week we ask an area resident to tell us 10 interesting things about themselves. This week we spoke to...

Cummings hopes to continue work as trustee

December 7, 2020

December 7, 2020

Village Trustee Terri Cummings has big goals for the village. Short term, Cummings hopes to contribute to the betterment of...

Going the Distance: Smetzer excels at Western

October 17, 2019

October 17, 2019

Ross Smetzer has goals. The 2016 St. Joseph-Ogden High School graduate runs cross country and track for Western Illinois University...

Get to know Scott Perkins

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Scott is running for the St. Joseph Grade School Board. What motivated you to run for school board? I’ve been...

Comments
Leave a Reply