Our power company no longer offer the service to relight a pilot light. I cannot get a flame to light, I have used my airbrush to clean out all the dust and dog hair and lint from the area. This house was built in 1955. I have tried to follow the instructions to relight the pilot, but I cannot get a flame. There is a gas handle at the base and it is set at the horizontal setting, I also tried to change that by rotating it down a quarter turn< (it won't go any farther) it still won't work.

Help me! Signed,
Cold in Reno

Just in case someone is still looking for this answer...
If you have a thermostat, turn it off.
In addition to the big lever, which should be the burner valve, you need to find the pilot light valve. Follow the little tube from the pilot light back to where it connects to the guts of the heater. Mine had a small handle on the underside of the piece that the tube went into. Turn that, and you should hear gas hissing. Take your BBQ lighter or long match, and stick it in through the hole above the pilot light on your end. It should light the pilot. THEN turn the bigger handle down towards you that 1/4 turn, and your whole burner should light. Adjust your thermostat last.
Hope this makes sense!