When husband and wife Lyle and Marylin Hileman passed away in the East Troublesome Fire at their home in Grand Lake, the tragedy made national news. But behind every headline is the story of a life uniquely lived. In Lyle and Marylin’s case, their story is intertwined from the time they met in high school to when they built their Grand Lake paradise, and how they traveled the world in their golden years.

The couple was married for 68 years. After their death, their son Glenn embarked on a journey to learn as much of his parents as he could. Friends and family were happy to share.

“I’ve heard so many stories — some of which I’d heard before — many of them I’d never heard,” he said. “As part of my grief, I would come home and write those stories down because I didn’t want to forget them.”

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Glenn’s wife suggested he organize all his writings into a narrative about their lives. One thing led to another and soon Glenn had a complete manuscript. In 2024, “A Yellow House in Mountains: A Story of Love and Refinement” was published. Glenn chronicles how his parents created a full life for their family in their brightly-colored home in Grand Lake.

Love and refinement

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Glen became captivated by the tales of his parents; he hopes readers do, too. The book details how they first met and fell in love, and how his mother helped steer a young Lyle into a responsible father and husband.

“They were ordinary people, but their lives were extraordinary,” Glenn said.

The pair met when Marylin was only 15 and Lyle 17. Lyle hung with a rough crowd in school, running away from home at one point after getting in trouble with the law. His family, who eventually found him working a construction job in another state, brought him back home.

Glenn said Lyle was “a knucklehead when he was younger,” and it seemed that nothing could keep him from running wild. But then he met Marylin, a demure and hard-working student. Her Christian faith and family values were very important to her.

Glenn chose the book’s subtitle “A Story of Love and Refinement” for a reason. The couple’s relationship is a true example of how opposites attract and complement each other.

“It really is the story of a very unlikely match that you’d have never picked to get together, but they did,” Glenn expressed.

For both, their first and only love was to each other. A surprise pregnancy only solidified the couple’s dedication. Marylin had always wanted lots of kids. Soon after getting married their first son Lylo was born, and they went on to have four more children. 

“My mom is the best thing that ever happened to my dad. She helped refine him and turned him into the man he was, so when he left, he was about as good a man as you’ll ever meet,” said Glenn.

Lyle and Marylin worked hard all their lives to provide an abundant life for their children. Lyle was an accomplished builder and firefighter. Marylin was a mental health care worker. Originally from the Front Range, they fell in love with Grand Lake during a vacation shortly after getting married.

They decided to make Grand Lake their home for their growing brood. Lyle crafted the home with Marylin in mind — she wanted it Victorian-style, bright yellow with high turrets. His friend and business partner, Max Pitcher, helped make the purchase of the land possible.

Lyle poured the foundation in 1979 and finished the house in 1992. The two were excited to retire in their dream home. As the couple welcomed grandchildren and great-grandchildren over the years, the yellow house in the mountains became a centerpiece for family gatherings.

Lyle and Marylin traveled after retirement. Excursions took them from an ocean cruise to a spiritual trip in Israel. No matter how far they traveled they were always excited return home, beside the Colorado River with Rocky Mountain National Park in their backyard. Most importantly, home meant family was close.

As the couple entered their mid-80s, travel was difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic hit in spring of 2020. The pandemic actually had a silver lining for the couple, though. More time could be spent with kids and grandkids in the yellow house.

“Nobody was able to travel or get out to do things they’d planned, so everybody came out to Grand Lake. It was just a revolving door of family at mom and dad’s,” Glenn said. “They loved it; they had such a wonderful, amazing experience.”

Colorado’s second largest wildfire

The East Troublesome Fire began Oct. 14. For Lyle and Marylin, it was just another day. Early reports stated the fire would take a long time to reach Grand Lake. However, things rapidly took a turn for the worse. The fire sped up, becoming one of the most destructive fires in Colorado’s history. When evacuations started many people left their homes in a hurry before the flames consumed the area. 

Long before the fire, Marylin and Lyle had expressed they couldn’t live without each other. Lyle had near-death experience once before in a tractor accident. Both had been hospitalized for health issues. After each issue, Lyle and Marylin seemed to bounce back, but age was catching up.

The couple had planted two small trees near their home years before the fire. Marylin told the family that she wanted her ashes spread there. Her children worried how each parent would cope if the other passed first, since they both wanted to stay in the yellow house. When the fire first sparked, their children had no idea it would change their family forever.

On Oct. 21, 2020, flames sped toward Grand Lake at an unprecedented speed. Lyle, a former firefighter, had prepared for an inevitable wildfire. Although he removed all trees killed by pine beetles from their property, they were next to Rocky Mountain National Park that was filled with dead pines.

Marylin shared the idea she felt inspired to carry out. “I want to plant two spruce trees. One for each of us. Follow me.”
Together they walked, hand in hand, across their yard to the north of the house.
“This is the place. Look, Lyle. From this point, you see all three mountain ranges. It’s beautiful. You can see our home and the flag pole. I want our trees planted here,” Marylin directed.
Lyle never wanted to disappoint Marylin and he loved her suggestion. A few days later, he arrived with two blue spruce trees in the back of his pickup. Lyle and Marylin dug the holes, prepped the soil, and carefully positioned the trees to ensure they were straight.
“I love it,” Marylin exclaimed.
“Me too, Punk.”
Marylin then said something that caught Lyle a bit off guard. “When I die, this is where I want my ashes spread.”
Lyle quickly added, “Okay, but you better not be leaving anytime soon.”
“No, but when I do, I hope we’ll go together.”

Excerpt from ‘” Yellow House in the Mountains”

The couple had a bunker in their home — a basement with concrete walls and a steel door. As they watched the fire get closer, they retreated to their bunker with supplies. Within 30 minutes, a recommended evacuation order became mandatory.

First responders told people to leave, rushing door to door with no time to spare. A friend called the Hilemans, stating that he and park ranger were driving to their home to save them. Marylin firmly told him not to risk his life; they were staying in the bunker.

Winds got up to 120 mph, bringing a wall of fire. The friend and ranger had to leave. Glenn, living in Utah, called his parents about 20 minutes before the fire reached their home. In their final conversation his parents sounded calm.

The yellow home was destroyed in the fire, along with 555 other structures in the area. Grand County Coroner Tawyna Bailey recovered Lyle and Marylin’s bodies. The cause of death was asphyxiation. The two had been found arm in arm.

Family heals after fire

Lyle was 86 when he died; Marylin was 84. In the four years since the fire, family members have been restoring what was lost. Glenn has also restored his parent’s legacy in the the pages of a book.

For Glenn, the process of writing was cathartic rather than painful.

“It came pretty easily because all these stories were being shared within the family. I just wanted to gather and capture them; it was just a wonderful way to channel my grief,” he explained. “I really enjoyed the process of writing it.”

Glenn added the book serves as a tribute to his parents. He hopes that “A Yellow House in the Mountains” inspires people, giving them examples of how to deal with life’s challenges and loss.

 Even four years later, the book still keeps Glenn’s memories of his parents top of mind.

“Really it’s love story. It’s the story of what they could accomplish working together,” he said. “Like some of their experiences are so close to me now that I feel like I know my parents better now than I did growing up.”

At his parent’s memorial service, the family buried their urns at the two spruce trees that had miraculously survived the flames. As requested, Marylin’s ashes were spread between the trees that continued to grow after the fire.

Visit YellowHouseInTheMountains.com to purchase a copy of the book.