Lavonne Hidy believes home is where life begins; home is where your story begins; and home is where the heart is.Hidy calls Black Forest, Colorado, home. Her strong roots to the forest are displayed in words on a banner that hangs above the memory wall in her home. The attention-grabbing centerpiece exhibits family photos and news clippings posted to a wooden frame made from refurbished wood burnt in the Black Forest Fire of 2013.A native of Boulder, Colorado, the 86-year-old moved to Black Forest from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with her late husband, Jim, in 1959. The couple established themselves in the forest, where they raised their three children.The Hidys were deeply involved with their community; to this day, Hidy is active with Black Forest Lutheran Church; she is a Friend of the Black Forest Log School, where she is also a docent; she is a member of the Colorado Springs AARP Chapter #1100; and regularly volunteers at the Edith D. Wolford Elementary School. For the last 24 years, she has worked with the Academy School District 20 Senior Tax Exchange Cooperative, a program that allows seniors to volunteer in schools in exchange for property tax credit.In addition, Hidy was actively involved with her own childrenís activities, serving as a Girl Scout leader and as a den mother for the Cub Scouts.ìI just felt like if my kids were going to be in activities, their mom needed to be involved, too,î Hidy said.She continues to work to preserve the history of the Black Forest community, which includes keeping alive the memory of her good friend, Edith Wolford, the retired principal of Edith D. Wolford Elementary School, named after her in 1969.ìToday, children donít know why the school is called Edith Wolford Elementary, and we wanted them to know why,î Hidy said.She and a friend contacted those who knew Wolford, and worked with the school library to create a tribute case that included memories and photos of Edith.Hidy and her husband also loved the outdoors. For 13 summers, they worked as campground hosts for the Colorado State Parks Department and the National Forest Service in Colorado. They enjoyed nature, but often dealt with emergency situations like rescuing lost hikers.ìThat was probably the best time of our lives,î Hidy said. ìWe lived simply. We had no electrical hookups or running water. I mustíve painted 100 picnic tables and outhouses! We started volunteering in the ë90s; and, even then, we could see kids were getting too dependent on electronics. We wanted the children to learn more about the forest Ö to appreciate it and live a simpler life,î Hidy said.In 2007, the Hidys were named as the Keepers of the Keys of Black Forest.Despite later tragedies that befell Hidy seemingly all at once, she has persevered.In 2013, Jim Hidy passed away following a brief illness. The day of his memorial ó June 11, 2013, ó Lavonne Hidy lost her home in the Black Forest Fire.ìI thought the metal roof would protect the house,î she said. ìBut when I came home it had melted on top of everything. There was a lot lost in the fire: antiques, family heirlooms. Itís hard to think about that, but life goes on.ìMy daughter told me, ëMama, God wants you to start a new chapter in your life.í My faith really got me through that. People were so good to me and they still are.îOn Feb. 12, 2015, Hidy moved into her new home, rebuilt on top of their original plot of land.ìItís home,î she said.Hidy answered a few fun questions.NFH: What is your favorite Christmas tradition?Hidy: I love the candle service on Christmas Eve. I never want to miss that. I also love the carolers, and I love to bake. There are a lot of special things I bake at Christmastime. Through the years, Iíve also made a lot of Christmas gifts, and thatís more meaningful to me than giving someone something store-bought.NFH: What are you looking forward to in 2018?Hidy: Getting healthier! I need to do my exercises faithfully so I can keep active.NFH: Where is the most interesting place youíve ever visited?Hidy: I loved Niagara Falls. I could have stood there forever and watched that huge bout of water ó wondering where it all came from and where it all went.NFH: If you could talk to any historical person, alive or dead, who would you talk to? What would you like to discuss?Hidy: At this point in my life, Iíd love to talk to Edith Wolford. I would reminisce with her and ask for her opinion on how schools have changed. She was such an educated woman, and I admired her more than any woman Iíve ever known … . She knew everyoneís name and she always gave me great advice about different situations. When times were changing and I was having trouble, she would say, ìLavonne, maybe itís time for a change.î I felt really close to her. When she passed away, I was lost. I can usually handle funerals because I know itís inevitable and theyíre in a better place. This is why I enjoyed doing the memorial wall for her so much. She was a real special lady. We had a great friendship.
