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<br />-,rhere Was Tim,e for TeJ~~~~1;
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<br />bu~ ~eb~i~~in9 C~uldn't ~.~ai~~
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<br />, BY BETSY HOWARD
<br />SPHloltoTbeDennrPoat .
<br />
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<br />
<br />Big Thompson Canyon resident Joe
<br />Creek still bas the mementoes he and
<br />his wife treasure In their tusUc home
<br />through which you can ,see a secluded
<br />bend of the quiet river below.
<br />Two mOWlted deer heads with their
<br />homs locked ,together and a smiling,
<br />swlled red fox perch on the living-
<br />room waDs. ' ,
<br />But 100 yards downstream, 15 of
<br />Creek's Cedar Cove neigbbors were
<br />killed In the July 31, 1976, fioocj which
<br />ripPed through the canyon. Homes
<br />lhlIt weren't swept away were severe-
<br />ly damaged.
<br />THE SWOLLEN Big Thompson
<br />River mlssed Joe and Beulah Creek's
<br />boose by 'a foot. ,
<br />Creek and his wife bad started on a
<br />trip to Wyomlllg the afternoon of the
<br />flood and heard about the devaslaUon
<br />the next clay whI1e In Lander. So the
<br />couple turned back. .
<br />"We didn't know If we hlId a p1a~
<br />left bec8use we beard evez,thlng was
<br />gone;" Creek said.
<br />Closed roacIa outside of LaramIe
<br />bampeRd their way. Wben the couple
<br />finally reached Loveland, ~ the can-'
<br />yon's' eastern edge. broadcasters on
<br />local radio staUons Instructed them to
<br />report to the scIIool house.
<br />As they walked In the door, their
<br />heard their SUl"pdsed neI&1\bOrS gasp,
<br />"There's Joe and BeuJab." , '
<br />IN TBElft ABSENCE, the vaca-'
<br />tIoolng couple bad been put on lhl\
<br />mlssIng llit. . ,
<br />Although Creek's house was WI-
<br />
<br />touched, his front yard was scoured,
<br />his bridge and drive vanished, and the
<br />noM waters tore down aU pOwerllnes,
<br />Jeavini: the house withoutelectricJty.
<br />But with the help of neighbors, he
<br />reached his home the next clay. A
<br />small generator kept his meat-packed
<br />freezer from thawing. He pulled Qut
<br />some of the meat and threw a huge
<br />barbecue, ' .
<br />Then he went to bat for his neigh"
<br />bars.
<br />"Alter the flood, we were trying to
<br />find out how to get everybody Iogelh"
<br />er," sai4 Creek, w)lo worked in Cali.
<br />fornla In aircraft electronics before
<br />moving to the canyon in 1963. "
<br />"We bad to find out what we were
<br />going to do to help everybody_ All the
<br />problems weren't alike," ,
<br />Wben ,more than 150 persons
<br />showed up at the first meetlngs short"
<br />Iy after the flood, Creek suggested the
<br />massive group break up Into five
<br />groups to handle the needs more ef"
<br />feetlvely. .
<br />
<br />. HE INSTIGATED an Inventory
<br />form 80 each family could Ust their
<br />needs. Some needed a place to stay.
<br />Others needed clothing.
<br />Mrs. Creek added. "A lot of them
<br />were retired people who bad put all of
<br />their money in one home, Then all of a
<br />sudden, they lost it!' '
<br />
<br />Creek attracted media allenUon at
<br />one point whell he became angered at
<br />I.angies lhal began complicating gov-
<br />ernment aid during a meetlng. with
<br />goyernment offlcJals. "I don't mind
<br />wbat I say In meetings, especJally
<br />when J get Irked," he sai4,
<br />Creek walked over to Mrs. Bertha,
<br />
<br />Bailey In a crowded meetlng room at
<br />the Loveland Elks Lodge Aug. 14 _
<br />two weeks after the flood, "I want you
<br />all to look at this lady," Creek said.
<br />"Everything she had went down that
<br />river, And her son went with It,", :'
<br />Then he told the county, state' and
<br />federal officials gathered at the meet"
<br />ing of 250 residents, "When you go get'
<br />aid for us, look atlhis lady and think
<br />what you're doing,
<br />"Don't just give these people loans.
<br />Give them somelhing they can live
<br />with" something they can be proud
<br />of." ;
<br />Then be sat down, ,,-
<br />
<br />BUT ,HIS Involvement didn't slop.
<br />Spotting a need for the reconstruction;
<br />of bridges to residents' homes, Creelt
<br />approached the the COWlty and even. .
<br />tuaUy got approval to revive the COWl-:
<br />ty's bridge district
<br />Before it was over Creek and other
<br />members of lhe panel had replaCed 32
<br />bridges at a cost of $250,000, "
<br />A group of Loveland churches do-
<br />nated $100,000, an amount matched by
<br />the state. Residents who lost bridges
<br />chipped In the ~ $50,000.
<br />Creek's own :bridge cost $26,000 to
<br />replace, of which he paid $1,300.
<br />Creek still Is pushing for creation ~f "
<br />a second campground up the 'canyon, :
<br />using land in the l00-year Qood zone. '
<br />But everything else has retumed pret" ,
<br />ty much to normal for him and his!
<br />neighbou,
<br />
<br />"Just now it's gettlng back to wber~ '
<br />you can hardly teU it happened," J~e
<br />sai4, "But it's been interesting, The
<br />human relaUons brOUght a. lot of fus
<br />closer together." I
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<br />, . , ' ,--ton'__"'$_CoI_ ~
<br />BEULAH AND JOE CREEK'STAND ON THEIR PROPERTY THAT BORDERS THE BIG THOMPSON RIVER :
<br />The flood mi.sod their house by only, a faat but .wept owol" their brid~,""d road.,,_'_L ~,_ L
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