Growing up in a family with eight children, Oxford Village resident Bonnie Davis isn’t accustomed to being the ‘center of attention,? as she put it.
The 75-year-old widow is feeling a little overwhelmed these days because so many folks are pitching in to help fix up the quaint little 1937 ranch home on Division St. where she’s lived for more than five decades.
‘I didn’t expect all this attention,? said the 1958 Oxford High School graduate. ‘I won’t sleep now for weeks until all this is over with. I don’t know how to react to all this because I’ve never had all this attention before.?
It all started when Davis went to the township hall to complain about her property taxes ‘going up? because her monthly income is only $950.
After hearing about her economic circumstances and the condition of her house, township Treasurer Joe Ferrari referred Davis? case to Supervisor Bill Dunn, who, in turn, contacted Addison Supervisor Bruce Pearson.
Pearson is part of Christmas in Action (CIA).
CIA is a program through which volunteers complete free home repairs and improvements in order to allow low-income senior citizens to remain safe, warm and independent in their own homes. Around here, CIA works on homes in Oxford, Addison, Orion and Oakland townships.
CIA came up with a whole laundry list of things that need to be done to Davis? home, both inside and out, including replacing the roof, which was installed in 1994.
‘The inside of the house is very, very modest,? Pearson said. ‘It’s an older home and she’s trying, but it’s just more than what she can handle. She’s got part it cordoned off because she can’t afford to heat the whole house.?
Person said Davis is a perfect candidate for CIA because she’s someone who’s ‘fallen through the cracks,? but is too ‘proud? to seek assistance.
‘We’re going to help her,? he said.
The problem is, in order for CIA to work on a senior’s home, it must be insured.
Davis’s insurance provider cancelled her coverage in December 2014 due to the poor condition of her roof.
‘This is a new thing now where they demand that you keep your roof up to par,? Pearson said. ‘If it starts to deteriorate, they give you a notice that you have a certain amount of time to get your roof up to specs or else they’re going to drop you. Well, she didn’t have the money to do that, so they dropped her.?
Pearson contacted Craig Carver, an Allstate Insurance agent based in downtown Oxford. He said Carver is willing to provide her with a one-year homeowner’s insurance policy for approximately $600, provided Davis? roof gets replaced.
This would allow CIA to make all the necessary repairs and improvements to her home at the end of April.
However, CIA doesn’t have enough money in this year’s pot for a roof replacement.
‘We have too many projects going right now,? Pearson explained. ‘If we had known about her earlier, we might have been able to help her (with the roof).?
Fortunately, with Ferrari’s assistance, Davis was approved on Monday for up to $5,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for her roof.
The treasurer noted the township board could approve additional CDBG funds if this amount doesn’t cover the whole cost.
Ferrari also helped Davis file paperwork for a ‘hardship exemption? concerning her property taxes, which currently amount to $1,602 between her township and village bills.
‘The board of review will be considering it,? he said.
In Pearson’s mind, Davis is definitely deserving of a helping hand from her community. ‘She’s a sweetheart of a little old lady. Just a dear,? he said. ‘She’s a joy to talk with.?
Davis first moved into the Division St. home with her parents when they purchased it in 1963. She married her late husband Benjamin in June 1963 and the couple moved in with her folks two years later.
It’s been her home ever since and she has no intention of ever leaving it.
‘I want to die in this house, so I’m hoping that nobody ever takes it away from me,? Davis said. ‘I love it here. I like the neighborhood. I’ve got real good neighbors that help me.?
Other than her neighbors, the house and her 2-year-old kitty, Sierra, are all Davis really has in this world. She never had any children and her parents, her husband and six of her siblings have all passed away over the years.
‘I feel like I’m losing everybody,? Davis said.
The Oxford area is all she’s ever known and she doesn’t want to lose that, too.
She was raised on a farm along Lake George Rd. in Addison Township and attended the historic, one-room Arnold School from kindergarten through eighth-grade.
‘I was the only one in the eighth-grade,? she noted.
The Arnold School was located near the intersection of Lakeville and Hosner roads and served students from the late 1850s through the late 1950s. In 2009, the schoolhouse was moved to the Watershed Preserve Park, north of Leonard, where it was restored and is now used as a welcome center.
So many things have changed in the area since those days, but as long as Davis can live out her golden years in her house with her cat, she’s content.
‘I love her to pieces, that little pink nose and those white feet,? she said.