As part of our coverage of Flossmoor’s centennial, the Chronicle has conducted interviews with several of the village’s long-time residents to add their stories to the village’s story.
Maurice Page and her husband, the late Harold Page, moved to Flossmoor in 1965. She believes they were the first Black family to live in the village.
“Role of volunteer enriches her community” by Susan K. Fine
that was published in the Homewood Star on Feb. 7, 1988.
They raised two children, Brian, who is special advisor to the president of Shepherds College in Wisconsin, and Susan, who was the first U.S. ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan and currently is a professor at the University of Michigan.
Until she retired, Maurice Page was a social worker and educator who was active in supporting mental health services in the South Suburbs, especially in her service to Family Service and Mental Health Center, which eventually became part of Grand Prairie Services.
The Grand Prairie Services Whole Health and Wellness Center in Chicago Heights is named for her.
She taught at South Suburban College in South Holland for more than 27 years. She moved to Michigan in 2020.
The following is an excerpt from phone interviews Page did with the Chronicle earlier this year.
Of all the projects you were involved in, what was the one that seemed most significant or that you’re most proud of?
My background is social work. When we moved into Flossmoor, I made a decision that I should be involved with one of the social service agencies. I was actively involved with Family Service and Mental Health Center at that time. I served for several years as president of their auxiliary, and the auxiliary was basically a fundraising auxiliary. I eventually became a member of the board of directors based on being president of the auxiliary. I just went off of that board near the end of last year (2023).
Why did you choose social work and get so involved in behavioral and mental health services?
When I went to college in Atlanta, I went there thinking I was going to major in psychology. The dean of the social sciences department said, “If you major in psychology, you really need to have a master’s degree in order to practice.”
It was difficult to assure myself that I would be able to get a master’s degree right away, because it was difficult for my parents. We didn’t have a lot of resources. So he suggested that I major in social work.
I graduated and I had scholarships to the University of Chicago. I did not have to go to work right away, so I went to Chicago and got my master’s degree.
My background, growing up in the segregated South, I didn’t like the things that we had to put up with. So I wanted to understand human social nature and try to figure out how we could change. We really are not done with that yet.
A feature story in the Star newspaper in 1988 notes your impact on young people in the area, especially your role in creating Community Women Interested in Drug Education (Community WIDE).
One of my concerns was educating people to recognize the devastating effects of drugs. … (Community WIDE) was a chance to give my students some volunteer experiences. They were given a chance to learn about organizing and fundraising and being actively involved.
Yours was the first Black family in Flossmoor. How did you find your way to the village, and what was it like to be a trailblazer?
When I graduated from the University of Chicago, I had a phone call from Jewish Family and Community Service asking if I would like to come in for an interview. I was a second black social worker in that agency. And my supervisor lived in Flossmoor.
Periodically, she would have parties and invite the staff to come to their home on Silvan Court. My husband and I enjoyed that peace and quietness in the summertime, hearing the croaking of the frogs and quietness. It was just beautiful.
She called me one day and she said, “I know you and Harold loved our house, and I wondered if you’d be interested in buying our house?”
I called (First Federal in Chicago) and we made arrangements for them to make an appraisal on the house.
They gave us a low quote. Didn’t think anything of that.
We went to Chicago Heights Bank on Dixie Highway. They did an appraisal, and that appraisal was low. We tried Talman Federal, and that was when reality hit home. The vice president called and asked us to come in. They wanted to talk with us. And I thought, that’s interesting.
He said, “Why would you want to move to Flossmoor? You would be the first Black family in Flossmoor.” I wondered how did he know that? And then I found out later several bankers also lived in Flossmoor.
The (Chicago) Defender (newspaper) found out and called and talked to us. That meant the word was out.
The couple really needed to (get) that house sold. So we decided to tell them to go ahead and they got a, a buyer, but we got a call from the neighbors across the street. They wanted to sell their house.
Did the Defender article (published March 31, 1965) help when you tried to get a mortgage on the second house?
The second one was no problem at all. As a matter of fact, Hyde Park Federal Bank called us.
The president of the bank said, “We are in the business of helping families move into previously segregated neighborhoods.” They saw that article. They knew what had happened.
How did the community react to the first Black family?
The issues that we had were not threatening or serious or anything. There was a couple of neighbors who would’ve preferred that we were not there. We were not nearly as bothered as they were.
But that passed. One couple I know had teenage children, and the children would come and visit, and eventually it got to a point where we were all friends.
It was really a wonderful experience. And we had some wonderful neighbors.
The thing that I liked so much, there were a number of families who had a social work nature, not necessarily a degree in social work, but people who cared about others who wanted to see things get better there.
The two families that would rather we not be there, they were not even relevant any more.
The community was quite an amazing and wonderful place for all of us.
You have experienced Flossmoor’s changes over more than five decades. What seems most significant to you?
My son lived for a while in Flossmoor, and their oldest child was at Heather Hill School. We went to a band concert there one year, and I could not believe that there were that many Black families in that school.
