HAYDEN — Barbara Bennett thought she was asked to attend Tuesday night’s City Council meeting to present some of her latest work. Instead, she was honored by the city as an Extra Mile Hero.

“They must have wanted me to faint!” Bennett told The Press. “I’m just joking; it was a wonderful surprise.”

Bennett was presented with a certificate and much-deserved praise for her yearslong efforts to record the history of Hayden, where she has been a lifelong resident.

“Barbara demonstrates years of commitment to Hayden, most recently preserving our city’s history,” Hayden Mayor Alan Davis wrote. “She spends countless hours wonderfully capturing the biographies of the historical figures that shape our community and continues to document stories from families relocating to Hayden. Barbara’s commitment to chronical the past and preserve current events to improve our citizens’ quality of life are commendable and epitomize being recognized as an Extra Mile Hero.”

Since retiring over 10 years ago, Bennett has been collecting stories from surviving members of Hayden’s oldest families for a book commissioned by the Hayden Historic Preservation Commission.

Originally commissioned about 15 years ago, it’s set to finally be published within the next 30 days. That book will include the stories of 103 people Bennett has interviewed, and their family histories in Hayden.

Despite her extraordinary work, the 87-year-old isn’t done yet — she is currently working on a second book, for which she has so far interviewed 60 people.

“I hope to get that next book done before I make it to 90!” Bennett said with a laugh.