Evicted centenarian who got home back in 2012 dies

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DETROIT (AP) — Texana Hollis, a Detroit centenarian who got
her home back in 2012 after being evicted because of foreclosure, has
died. She was 103.
Hollis died Dec. 31, according to James H. Cole
Home for Funerals, which is handling arrangements. Deborah
Hollis-Coburn told The Detroit News that her grandmother died of natural
causes in Detroit. Her health had deteriorated in late 2013.
"It
meant a lot to her to have the community surround her and support her
and love her," Hollis-Coburn, told the Detroit Free Press. "She never
expected anything from anybody. She was very, very grateful."
Hollis
was evicted in September 2011 after her son failed to pay property
taxes linked to a reverse mortgage. Two days later, a federal agency
said the 101-year-old could return but then blocked her from moving in
after an assessment determined the house was dilapidated.
Hollis’
eviction drew wide attention. Free Press columnist Mitch Albom and his
charity stepped in, and persuaded volunteers and businesses to do the
same. They fixed up the home where she’d spent six decades of her life
and in April 2012 she moved back in.
"God bless everyone who had a hand in this," Hollis said when she returned home.
Albom
and his charities helped renovate Hollis’ house after buying it from
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Albom spent
$30,000 — much of it out of his own pocket — on the project, and more
than 100 volunteers spent months putting in new flooring, drywall,
appliances and even a portion of the roof.
"Texana was a wonderful woman who inspired everyone she met," Albom said.
Hollis’
son took out the reverse mortgage for the $32,000 assessed value of the
property, an option that HUD permits for the elderly. HUD took control
of the mortgage after the amount paid to the family exceeded the value
of the house in 2006.
Hollis was a longtime member of St. Philip’s
Lutheran Church in Detroit, where she taught Sunday school. A Jan. 25
service is planned at the church, followed by burial at Roseland Park
Cemetery in suburban Detroit. Visitation is Jan. 23 and 24 at the
funeral home.
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