On Thursday, October 12, the Tippecanoe County Historical Association planted a tree in my mother's memory on the battlefield. What an honor that is! It is a national monument as well as a cemetery for those who died in The Battle of Tippecanoe. (My mother was a historian who preserved much of our area's history by researching and publishing books about it.)
The tree is a beautiful burr oak, and if things go well, it should live 250-300 years!
We gathered around Allen Nail, head groundskeeper and the man who had the idea for the memorial, and he told us a little bit about the tree, then invited us to add mulch and water and then spend as much time there as we wished.
Great Uncle Rick and Ian began by adding some water.
I love how the tree is near the highway so we can drive by and see Mom's tree whenever we wish!
The idea that two of my mother's great-grandchildren helped plant the tree and then may return over the years with their children, grandchildren, and maybe even great-grandchildren, brings tears to my eyes.
Mila is such a big help!
The kids LOVED those water jugs.
I hope to go out every October for the rest of my life and have my photo taken with the tree. I am also going to go back out and measure the trunk's circumference - I think it will be fun to track its growth over time.
My siblings Jenny, Leslie, and Steve. Leslie and I have always been horsey girls, Jenny not so much, and Steve always found horses to be useful fodder to tease his sisters.
So, as adults now, of course, we had to do Steve's old "horse feet" move at him. He would drum his hands as though they were hooves and neigh at me when I was a child and DRIVE ME NUTS. Now, it is a wonderful family memory that makes us all laugh.
These kids worked hard planting that tree!
I love that there is a living memorial to my mother in a place that holds great meaning to her as well as to the rest of our family. And I hope this tree is important to future generations of our family as well.
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