I met Miss Hilda when the Vieux Maison Francaise asked the HFTA organization to identify some homeowners who needed money to fix their homes from Hurrican Katrina back in 2006. They gave us 10K. However, upon going into Miss Hilda’s house, we found horrendous termite damage. In order to do the job right, we had to get more money. So I set about applying for the Historic Rebuilding Grants offered by the state at the time. I wrote about this as we began the project at 1226 Treme St. back in 2006. After Hilda got the HBR grant, I helped her apply for Rebuilding Together to come in and do the finish work.

This past spring, the work was finally done, she sent me a lovely thank-you note.

Sunday, October 5th, Miss Hilda passed at Oschner Hospital. She was 92 and sharp as a tack. I keep thinking of our last visit, when she showed me her completed project and I brought her a vase of daisies. I also think about the time I was there with her neighbor, Vanessa, and she was vomiting and very sick. I was very worried. I thought about how much I didn’t want to be 91 yrs old. I went and got her some 7-Up upon request and after a short stint in the hospital, she got through that episode of flu by some miracle. I was so worried. I thought she’d never see her house finished.

Her husband passed some 20+ yrs ago and she’d been all alone since but she was always so content and we both talked about the benefits of having sole control of the remote and the thermostat. She was the kind of person that left you with a strong calm feeling long after your visit.

I went to her funeral in Treme last Saturday, I know she didn’t have much family but there were a good 50 people there and they obviously loved her as much as I did. Miss Hilda had an immediate effect on people. It was important for me to go to tell her family how much she had touched my heart. At the Holy Faith Temple Baptist Church, they hand ring this big bell in the side yard as the procession exits the church. It was a great Baptist “Homegoing Celebration”. I always cry when the choir sings Amazing Grace. I miss her.

(I noticed that the date was wrong too, don’t mention that Saturday was the 11th. When you’re 92 you can give or take a day.)