Hilde Erna Anna Haynes' Obituary
Hilde Haynes never called Shelby Forest hers, but everyone knew better. She knew the names of every plant, every flower and every weed. She solved the world’s problems as well as her own walking among the buckeyes, the bluebells, and ferns that lined the twisty trails and roads. It’s where she went when she was happy and when she was sad: “a heaven where happiness rules and sorrow and pain have no meaning.” It restored her soul and gave her peace; the undoubted queen of the forest.Hilde, who would never be comfortable going by Mrs. Haynes, died Saturday at age 70 after an 18-month battle with cancer. Through her treatments, the fatigue, the aches that come with treatment, she often met friends for coffee or to take a walk, 5 miles, sometimes 10. Her last race was the Navy Nautical 10 miler in June 2012, three months after her diagnosis.She was born Hilde Erna Anna Haak, in Berlin. Her German family, which included three older brothers, moved to Indonesia when she was 5. Hilde married a serviceman and moved to America 48 years ago. They had two daughters, Anita Stone (Kemp) and Monika Demarco (Dennis). After her divorce and years later, she married Darryl Haynes. The couple had a son Christopher. They built their dream home in Shelby Forest, which gave Hilde access to her forest daily. The forest was her realm, the place where she ran her first mile and found her running legs – limbs that grew strong and fast carrying her through more than 40 marathons, and countless half marathons, 5ks, 10ks and all the other kilometers that measure competitions. She was a longtime board member for the Friends of the Forest Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park.She became a fixture with the Memphis Runners Track Club and joined social and running groups like the Warthogs, the Gazelles and the Road Dawgs. She was in a cycling group called the Hightailers. The small, spunky German became fast friends with anyone she ran up beside. Though she lived all those years in Shelby County, a Southern accent never replaced her German lilt, but everyone understood her.If she saw people struggling in a race, she slowed to their pace where she would talk about nothing special. A fast finish was never as important to her as helping someone.Most people who knew her considered Hilde to be their best friend. She always had time to meet for coffee, go for a run or a walk. Even though she lived miles away at the forest, she’d make the long drive to Germantown or wherever she was needed.Her greatest running accomplishment was in 2005 at age 62 when she ran the Arkansas Traveler 100 mile race that winded through the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. It took her 30 hours to finish. Her license plate on her car said “Done 100.”After years of volunteering as a coach for the Women & Running Program, which helped women learn how to become runners, Hilde saw a need for something more. She realized that there was a category missing: walkers. She formed a group called the Gazelle Power Walkers. They met several times a week and were soon power walking through 5ks, half marathons and marathons. She asked to include the group as part of the Women & Running program, which brought in hundreds more women struggling to develop an exercise regime.But in the end it was the forest that called her home.She often wrote articles or jotted notes about her forest, how it was a kingdom of heaven, a place that nurtured her soul. She went there when she needed to think or to walk with a friend and listen to problems. She told one friend that life is one big adventure and you must experience all sorts of ups and down to be able to say you have lived.Early one morning after a run in the forest, she wrote:The song “by the light of the silvery moon….” was playing in my head for the first few miles, then I realized there were no flies or mosquitoes at all, just smooth cold air with a hint of fog and nothing bothering me whatsoever.A friend once said that you can run the same route every day, again and again, and it`s never the same, something exciting always happens out at the Forest, all you have to do is open your eyes and your ears and let the beauty enter your heart.She also leaves behind, her brothers Volker Haak and Dieter Haak, grandchildren, Rose White and Angel Loggins and four great-grandchildren. Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Memorial Park Funeral Home, at 5668 Poplar. Her funeral will be at 2:30. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave. “Behind the Stone Wall”.
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