NEBRASKA CITY – There were tears and stories of life inspiration, wayfinding and momentous anniversaries at the 2022 community tree planting at Nebraska City.

Honorees Dr. Dean and Keitha Thomson said it is has always been easy to get into the tree-planting spirit.

Keitha: “Kids would bring trees home and we would plant them. My dad would take some and plant them on his property.

Dean: “This was our backyard.”
Keitha: “Yeah, in those days you could drive up the trail to the house, to the mansion, so we would drive up that road after school.  The kids thought that was our driveway.”

Dr. Thomson has a career in medicine and served in the U.S. Army Medical Reserve for over 20 years. Keitha is a former school nurse and founder of the Nebraska City Food Pantry. On Friday, it was all about Arbor Day.

Thomson: “When we travel we talk to people about the home of Arbor Day and they look at us like what’s that. We make sure they understand before we leave.” Keitha Thomson: “So they know.”

Sycamore trees were planted for the Thomsons and for the Arbor Day Foundation, this year’s Tree Planter of the Year award recipients. The site was chosen to replace a giant oak tree that had dominated the curve along the road between Arbor Lodge and Arbor Day Farm.

 

Kindler: “Here’s the thing, you might think these are kind of close together for two big sycamore trees moving forward, but what I want to let you know is as these trees grow they will really be kind of a wayfinding – people while know where they are at as they come around the corner  just like that large pin oak tree was.”

Austin Mackrill of Arbor Day Farm said the Tree Planter Award is meaningful.

Mackrill: “For two reasons. It’s the home of Arbor Day, it’s the 150th Arbor Day, the celebration, and then it’s also our 50th anniversary for the Arbor Day Foundation. This is a really special tree and to receive an award here in Nebraska City, where it all started, 150 years ago,  you can’t get any more special than that.”

Doug Grimm went to work in  manufacturing out of high school, but embarked on his career at Grimms Gardens with after plant founder Lou Wenger encouraged him to follow his love of nature.

Grimm: “In his front yard, this is the tree he selected,  I think in 1959,  to put in his front yard. It’s got concrete all around it, so the tree has never grown into what it could be. Over the years, I went to the family and asked for permission to propagate that tree. This is a clone off of that tree in Lou Wenger’s front yard, the founder of Wenger Manufacturing. So, if you’ve ever eating cold cereal, it came from an extruder invented and manufactured in Sabetha, Kan., and this is the tree in his front yard.”

A purple prince crabapple tree was planting in honor of the Nebraska City Street Department and in memory of mechanic Bob Lechner, who died in March after a sudden illness.

City Construction Facilities Manager Marty Stovall and street foreman Lonnie Horstman said the memorial tree is a great honor.

Stovall: “It’s pretty emotional for the street department to be recognized. It’s kind of behind the scenes, the work that they do, then being in the forefront and then also in memory of Bob is pretty emotional, but rewarding.”

The entire staff of the street department and Commissioner Vic Johns attended, as did Lechner’s wife Deb, son and two daughters-in-law.

 The trees were purchased through a grant obtained by Keep Nebraska City Beautiful.