Tribute to Elisabeth F. ‘Bebe’ Mick - Co-founder of People’s Place

posted Friday, Mar 28, 2014

Beebe Mick was a force.
She somehow ferreted out a bunch of us in high school who would be willing to help establish “People’s Place.”  At the time, she wanted to create a safe place where teens could gather, instead of driving around to “Breeze the Freeze”  - which was about all Milford had for kids our age in the early 1970s.
She located a dusty old building on Front Street, close to the Milford Chronicle and the Bus Center. Formerly a commercial building, it primarily consisted of one big room and a bathroom. We cleaned. We painted. We moved in couches. We came up with the original logo and screen printed it on things. She even led us on a field trip to Dover to learn about the process of incorporation in Delaware.
She was the mother of two of our classmates [Jon and David] but we felt like she was our mother, too. But a different kind of mom: a leader, and educator, a mentor, a friend. She was youthful and energetic and wore a pixie haircut. She drew us in and inspired us to get to work.
I lost track of Beebe after I went to the University of Delaware and eventually moved away, but I can’t help but think that she set an example of how to be. She was such a positive influence in our lives. I’m so pleased her legacy lives on today in People’s Place.

Stephanie Saxon
Atlanta, Georgia
[Milford High School, class of 1974]