Delbert Sebade will enjoy barbecue beef and birthday cake at First Western Bank's 100th birthday bash today in Wall.

At 90 years of age, the elderly former president of the bank is still 10 years shy of the financial institution's oldest customer.

That honor goes to New Underwood Community Church. The church opened an account on the first day the bank opened its doors, back in 1908 as the Underwood State Bank, with $6,000 in capital. The church, one of seven new accounts, deposited $1,235.44 on Jan. 25, 1908.

The church's name has changed over the years but has always retained its account at the bank, said Norbert Sebade, First Western's current president and Delbert's son.

His father joined the bank in 1946, when he had to hitchhike from his home in Wall to his job at the Quinn bank because he didn't own a car, Norbert Sebade said. The Quinn branch closed, but Delbert stayed on to become bank president, retiring in 1984. He and his wife, Armista, still live in their Wall home and will be guests of honor at the free community dinner tonight. "He's the oldest living citizen of Wall who was born in town," Sebade said.

The 100-year-old bank changed its name to First Western in 1963, and today, it has 18 branch banks in Belle Fourche, Custer, Deadwood, Edgemont, Hill City, Hot Springs, New Underwood, Piedmont, Rapid City, Spearfish, Sturgis and Wall. Its capitalization has grown, as well, to $138 million, Sebade said. In January of this year, the bank was acquired by the Scott family of First Interstate Bank, Billings, Mont.

The Wall Celebration is the second birthday party for the bank this year. First Western also hosted a free community dinner in June in New Underwood.

"To celebrate our anniversary, we offered to match the church's collection plate on Sunday (June 7), up to $1,000," Sebade said.

One hundred years after the church opened its account, the bank made a $1,000 deposit into it when New Underwood Community Church had a healthy collection plate that day, Sebade said.

If you go

First Western Bank is celebrating its 100th anniversary all year, including a free community dinner in Wall today from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. As many as 600 people are expected to enjoy barbecue beef sandwiches, potato salad and beans, plus birthday cake and ice cream under the Wall Celebration tent on Main Street in Wall.

Contact Mary Garrigan at 394-8424 or mary.garrigan@rapidcityjournal.com