Letha King and Ashley Turner have a lot in common.

Both grew up in small towns, both have mothers who are school teachers and, since moving to Union, both live in the same neighborhood just a few houses from each other. Both were involved in activities when they were in college — Mrs. King as a Clemson Rally Cat and Mrs. Turner as a volleyball player at Lander University. Both majored in communications in college. Both own Golden Retrievers as pets.

And, both work in insurance, the first two female State Farm agents in Union County. Both women said they love the area and have been welcomed by the community.

“We talk about that a lot,” Mrs. King said. “How did we get so lucky to locate in a place where the people want us to be here?”

Mrs. King, 28, grew up in Greeneville, Tenn., one of three daughters of Radford and Barbara Clanton. She met her husband, Jeremy, a Williamston native, at Clemson. She served as a Rally Cat — the dance team for athletic events and other occasions.

After graduation her father recommended Mrs. King work in the insurance field. She talked with State Farm agency field executive Bob Joiner in Anderson.

“He said you either love insurance or you hate it after six months and to give it a shot,” she said. “And I love it.”

She began working with Terence Roberts (now the mayor of Anderson) at his State Farm agency. She began agent training last March and opened her office in Union on Oct. 1, 2008.

Mrs. Turner, 29, and her husband, Jason, have a daughter, Reagan, who is 2 1/2. She grew up in Greenwood, one of two daughters of Anne and Blair Willingham. She went to high school in Ninety-Six, where her mother taught school.

She earned a degree in mass communications from Lander University, where her father was comptroller.

Her first job out of college was at a Greenwood radio station, where she sold advertising and wrote copy.

Later, she went to work for New York Life. She said she loved insurance work but wanted to venture more into the property and casualty side of it. Her first State Farm job was at the office of Joe Hinson in Mauldin. She then entered the agency training program.

She went to work in Union on April 1.

Mrs. Turner said Union feels like home — the kind of small town environment she has known since she was young.

“Before, we lived in a neighborhood for five years and knew two of our neighbors because people were always moving,” she said. “Here, you get that camaraderie with your neighbors. You have a relationship that you couldn’t find in a larger community.”

Mrs. King agrees.

“I love the fact that I feel like I am at home,” she said. “That is so hard to find in today’s society. Union has welcomed us with open arms.”

Both have experienced people inviting them to church and events.

“That means a lot when you come into an area and you don’t know anyone and you’re trying to make it your home and make yourself part of the community,” Mrs. Turner said.

The women laugh about the fact that they settled in the same neighborhood.

“If we need a dog sitter we know where to go,” Mrs. Turner said.

Both have agencies that were in the past under the direction of longstanding agents. Mrs. Turner is located in the former Boyce Wade State Farm building on West Main Street. Mrs. King’s agency originally was under the direction of Glenn Caldwell and is located in the lower level of the Merchant’s Walk Shopping Center.

Because of the size of the two agencies, State Farm corporate officials have decided to transfer some of the customers to a third agency that now is under the direction of Terry Wade, Boyce’s son. Terry plans to retire at the end of the year and a third agent will be brought in.

“Our biggest goal is to keep State Farm the best insurance agency in Union,” Mrs. King said.

Mrs. Turner said although the agencies are separate, the State Farm agents know they can call on one another for help.

“We want to make sure the customer is taken care of and if we need to work together as a team, that is what we do,” she said.

Every conversation is aimed at doing what is best for the customer, Mrs. King said.

“Every person who walks through the door, I hope they feel like family because in my heart and mind, they are,” she said. “That is why I am in the business.”

Mrs. Turner said she tries to put herself “across the desk.”

“I treat my customers as I would want someone to treat me as a customer,” she said. “It is funny how Letha and I agree on things. I feel like the customers are an extension of my family. They have chosen us to cover their most valuable assets.”

The women pointed out that State Farm now offers a variety of new products and investment opportunities, including State Farm Bank.

“We are trained to take care of customer’s needs,” Mrs. King said. “We don’t sell on wants. I don’t want to sell anything to a customer that they do not need but I do want to sell 100 percent of everything they do need.”

The new products allow State Farm agents to assess a customer’s situation and help them decide what can most benefit them.

“We determine what is needed by the conversations we have with our customers every day,” Mrs. Turner said.