The temperature was in the mid-40s recently outside 71-year-old Effie Theus' home on County Road 225, just south of the Gator Nationals Raceway. But inside the square blue home, it was a cozy 72 degrees.
For the first time since she bought the house with her late first husband, Dallas Bell, in 1961, Theus has central heating and air conditioning, thanks to the help of some concerned Alachua County officials and Habitat for Humanity. She also has a new roof, electrical wiring, plumbing, septic system and a fresh coat of exterior paint.
"There's not enough words for me to describe how I feel about it — it's so wonderful," Theus said, petting her Chihuahua, Dora.
Their help came in the nick of time, when officials thought they might have to declare the structure unsafe for living and ask Theus to leave the only home she has known for the past 50 years.
Home Repair
Workmen were rolling on a coat of primer paint in the home's front room recently as Theus gave a tour of what has been done so far, pointing to the new central air unit and a new hot water heater in a room off the kitchen.
Her youngest child, Kimberly, said that she is happy for her mother.
"She used a wood heater," Kimberly said, about heating the home in the past. "But several years ago, it caught fire in the living room."
A singed ceramic cat sits on a shelf in a nearby room — a reminder of the tragedy that could have happened.
After the fire, she switched to kerosene heaters and also to turning on the burners on the stove. In the summer, windows had to be opened to keep the hot air circulating.
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