The following is this week’s I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE Honoree by Rheanna Ollis
“A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.” – Liberty Hyde Bailey
Sue Colby is known in her neighborhood as the flower lady, which accurately represents who she is. She grew up in the Danville area. Although she was unsure about leaving her home in Catlin, Sue knew that Vermilion Heights was where she wanted to put down roots.
Sue taught elementary physical education for 37 years in the Bismarck-Henning school district where she helped children flourish. Sue believes that the younger kids are a breath of fresh air because of their excitement for life. After retirement, she went on to become a Master Gardener at the University of Illinois. If you don’t know her from there, you may recognize her from Danville Gardens, as she has worked there for the last 10 years. If you need plant expertise, she is the woman to go to! Or maybe you know her from Second Church of Christ, where she is always ready to greet you and put a smile on your face. Sue found unity and inclusion when she began attending Second Church; She felt at home. She is proud of her church group for working so hard to be active and help in the community.
She says that her ability to talk to people is a blessing. She told me a story about an older man who came in to shop at Danville Gardens. He had a small pumpkin in his hands, so she stopped him and said, “You know, Danville Gardens has some of the biggest pumpkins!” He told her that his wife had passed away recently, and he was looking for a pumpkin to put on her grave. He was visibly upset, so she took the time to comfort and strengthen him, much like the sun does for plants. She then rushed around and picked out the biggest pumpkin she could find for him, and he left with a smile. This is often how people leave after seeing Sue, with a smile on their face! This story is only the stem of a large branch of what Sue has done for our community.
Sue is the president of the Vermilion Heights Neighborhood. She fulfills this role because she likes to water the soil where new ideas sprout. She firmly believes that if you want to change or improve something, you must be proactive; you cannot just sit stagnant. She is passionate about the growth of our community. She is happy that Danville is blooming and that there is so much to do in Danville. She sees that there are a lot of things about Danville that are good, and you can find even more if you are willing to have an open mind. Sue sticks around where love can bloom, and she has found that in Danville, Illinois.
If you have someone you would like to share,
visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9
or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or
Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.
