WAYNE, Neb. -- An era is coming to an end at Wayne State College.

Deb Whitt, who grew up in Platte County and attended WSC, is retiring after 44 of years of teaching, including 37 at Wayne State.

She initially taught at the junior high level in O'Neill before getting her master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Family, friends, colleagues and community members gathered in Wayne Saturday afternoon to bid farewell to Whitt, who is the chair of the communications department.

Whitt taught several years in the Wayne State communications department alongside her husband, Ron Whitt, who retired in 2016 after 34 years in the program.

The family tradition is expected to continue in the fall, with their son Joe Whitt expected to join the faculty.