When Bernard "Bernie" Volkert started working at Revcor in Carpentersville, it was the same year the 49th and 50th U.S. states were formally admitted, Fidel Castro's government took over in Cuba, Walt Disney released its sixteenth animated movie, "Sleeping Beauty and "Gigi" won the Oscar for Best Picture.

It was also the year "the music died," when a plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper crashed in Iowa. The Dalai Lama fled from Tibet and the Guggenheim Museum opened up in New York City. John McEnroe and Flavor Flav were born, as were Matthew Modine, Catherine Keener, Richie Sambora and Suzanne Vega.

But while the aforementioned celebrities are celebrating their 50th birthdays, Bernie is celebrating his 50th anniversary for the same company, Joe Smedinghoff, Revcor's Human Relations Manager told me in an e-mail.

Bernie started his career at Revcor Inc. on November 12, 1959 as a timekeeper. He has worked in a number of departments around the company, including payroll clerk, junior cost accountant, cost accountant and office clerk. Bernie started working part-time in 1994. He now sorts the mail, completes filing duties for various departments and occasionally mans the reception desk.

Born in the southern Illinois town of Rosiclare in 1924, Bernie joined the Army when World War II broke out. He served in Italy as a member of the Ski Patrol. Smedinghoff said Bernie stills tales from his time overseas.

He has been married to his wife, Evelyn for 59 years. The couple have two daughters, six grandchildren and seven gerat-grandchildren, the youngest was born on November 7.

A love of music brought the pair together; they met at a friend's house while listening to music. Bernie liked the cookies Evelyn made.

With people across the country losing jobs, it is great to hear a story like Bernie's. While most people could not fathom spending five decades at the same job, it goes to show if you love what you do and enjoy the people you work with, working can be fun.

Speaking of having fun while you work, a group of local volunteers took time to bask in the sunshine last weekend. No, they were not sunbathing in Carpenter Park, the group got together to remove some of the invasive species of vegetation that have taken over Raceway Woods.

Dundee Township held a restoration work day on Saturday, November 7 to pull out the honeysuckle and buckthorn from the site in Carpentersville. These plants monopolize the terrain and take food supplies and habitat from other plants and animals, Carpentersville resident David Poweleit said.