A Mortgage Burning and Keys to the City

A quarter of a century ago, Twila was a single parent living with her mother to save money. Her first exposure to Habitat for Humanity of Omaha and the idea of owning a home herself came one fall day in 1989 when a parade went through her neighborhood and some Habitat Omaha volunteers roofing a house nearby decided to make a sign and join in.

She was intrigued and by 1992, became the 8th Habitat homeowner in North Omaha and just a little over six years later, the first Family Partner to pay off her mortgage.

Not only that, she paid it off early. Twila gives all the credit to her husband, Timothy, saying “he doesn’t like bills at all.”

Her achievement was celebrated during the dedication ceremony for Habitat Omaha’s offices in a renovated fire station on Ames Avenue. She received the key to the city from then Mayor Hal Daub and provided entertainment for the event by performing with the Over the Hill Drill Team, a high-stepping group she founded for adults 25 and older. (Above is a photo of Twila burning her mortgage.)

Time marches on. Habitat Omaha has gone on to partner with hundreds of families in need. In 2013, moved into a new office at 1701 N. 24th St. Health issues have forced Twila to step back from performing with the drill team for now, but the family still lives in that home and plans to stay there as long as possible.

A few years ago her roof needed repairs so she took out a loan with Habitat Omaha’s Roof and Repair program (now called Home Repair Program) to fix it. “Now, I’m thankful for Habitat’s Roof and Repair Program!” she muses.

Her son, who was four-years-old when she moved in, graduated high school and joined the Marines. After a tour in Iraq, he earned an associate’s degree using the GI Bill and currently works for the United States Postal Service.