“In your younger years, I don’t think you realize what you have in your hometown. But after thirty or so years, you will. All of a sudden, you will want to be back home. Where family is. Where you know you’re loved. I’ve never lived in any other place as long as I’ve lived here. The way Lee made me a part of this community was so special to me. I was 55 years old when we got married, but I still took his last name; I knew I wanted to be a Hayward, because of how special the Hayward family was to this area.
"Lee was born into a ranching family and he went to school in this very schoolhouse. Lee loved this place so much. For so many years, he talked about wanting to fix it up and restore it to its former glory. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1998 and never got a chance to start on his dream. Well, in 2000, a friend of Lee’s convinced me to start a historical society; three years later we were given the school house. It very quickly became important to me to fix it up, just like Lee had always wanted. He just wanted to help his community in any way he could. And I guess in some ways, I just want to keep his purpose alive.”
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