Bev Page, First Honoree in I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE Program

Today we celebrate Bevely (Bev) Page who is an example of commitment, hard work, and a life well lived. Bev was born in Danville in 1925, and she spent her entire life in the Danville area. She graduated from Danville High School with honors and she married her sweetheart in 1950. They had a beautiful life together, blessed with three children, 10 grandchildren, and many great and great-great grandchildren. Bev says that her life has consisted of loving her family and being dedicated to her work, and speaking of which, at age 93, she has been employed at Custom Care Drycleaners for 75 years.

Bev still drives to work nearly every day and handles the bookkeeping for Custom Care Drycleaners (formerly Midway Drycleaners) which is on the corner of Williams and Gilbert St., and has been owned by the same family for several decades. She also did some part-time work through the years at a law office and a real estate office, but she says she has remained at Custom Care Drycleaners because she loves the work, and she especially loves the people. Bev proudly explained that she has only ever had two bosses at the company, and her current boss, Bob Jackson, has owned the company for the last 54 years.

Reminiscing, Bev said, “The world has changed completely.” Bev noted that the biggest change in her lifetime was the introduction of the computer, which she has not incorporated into her own work, as she still keeps the books for the business entirely by hand. Bev also insisted that although she has aged physically, she is still the same person that she has always been. She continues to work because life is hard and even though she has lost so many people she loves, “Coming to work is a bright spot – they’re just so good to me. It is mind over matter. Every day I get up and it keeps me going.”

FOR MORE ON THE I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE program, go to https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/2021/10/07/i-am-you-are-we-are-a-way-to-recognize-special-residents/

visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9

or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or

Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.