PERCY - Lila Ashby still resides in the house where she was born 70 years ago on Pine Street in Percy. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

The retired medical assistant, who worked 34 years in town for Dr. David Vidal and was a belly dancer on the side, now spends her free time volunteering at the food pantry in nearby Steeleville and as a trustee the last two years with the Percy village board.

"I love this town," Ashby said. "Sure, things could always be a little better. We could use some more business, for example, but I love the small-town atmosphere. This is a place where you can count on your neighbors and it's such a beautiful area of Southern Illinois."

Ashby said she and her husband, Floyd, have four children and nine grandchildren.

City Clerk Ciara Reeves said the town has a police chief (Ray Wilson) and three part-time officers. There is also a volunteer fire department, water and sewer office. Reeves, who was appointed to the position in November, said she likes knowing everybody in town.

"We're pretty much a quiet little town. Not a whole lot happens, and that's OK with me," she said.

Percy has a post office, as well as a hardware store (Ebbler's), florist (Garden Gate), two restaurants (Lollie's Café and Mi Pueblo), auto body shop (Byrd's), auto service center (Arlyn's), motorcycle shop, video store (E-Z's), gas station and convenience store (Fleetwood General), newspaper (County Journal), hair salon (The Cut Above), lake and campground, hunting club and bait shop.

Gary Rowley moved to Percy in 1972 after accepting a job in the coal mines. He is also all about community service, having served 10 years on the cemetery board, 14 years as precinct committeeman for the Democratic Party and 20 years as a volunteer fireman. He also coached summer league baseball.

"The community is rather laid-back and has changed quite a bit over the years. At one time, when the mines were going strong, about everyone owned their own home," Rowley said. "Today, with most of the mines closed, we're more of a renter's haven."

Rowley said residents will do some of their shopping for groceries and other supplies in Steeleville, while others will travel to Sparta, Carbondale or even Belleville. Rowley and his wife, Mary, have two sons, Shad and Sage. Shad is a chemistry teacher in Aurora, while Sage is a social worker in Effingham. Mary recently retired as a teacher in the Trico school district.

Tim Rednour has lived in Percy all 58 years of his life.

"This is a nice, clean town with good people," Rednour said. "Of course, we'd like to see more people move in to town, but the ones who do live here care about one another. If something happens in town, there's a pretty good chance that everybody will soon know about it."

Loyde Hyde is a former mayor, village board member and volunteer firefighter who is closing out his career as a security aide at the Chester Mental Health Center. He worked 28 years previously for the Zeigler Coal Company as a miner.

"To me, the people of Percy are the best people in Southern Illinois," Hyde said. "I thoroughly enjoyed my time (14 years) as mayor and tried to follow in the footsteps of my guardian, Wendell Coleman, who in my opinion, was the best mayor the town ever had."

Current mayor Dale Yates echoed Hyde's sentiment that the people of Percy are the town's greatest asset.

"They really care about the town, which makes my job a lot easier," he said. "Financially speaking, we're rich by no means, but holding our heads above water. If the water park project becomes a reality (rumored to be built between Pinckneyville and Cutler), that would likely mean some added revenue for us, so we're hoping that works out."

john.homan@thesouthern.com / 351-5805

Details

• Percy was incorporated in 1887.

• The town is located in Randolph County, or the northwest portion of Southern Illinois .

• Percy started out as a railroad town and later became a coal mining town.

• The town's population is 950.

• Children attend the Trico School District.