Storm claims a piece of Butler history
On Friday, March 13, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a Goliath of a pine tree, over 70 feet tall, snapped in the wind and somehow managed to descend without hurting anyone or damaging anything except our internet cable.
By its rings, this magnificent tree revealed that it stood in front of our home for over 80 years. Perhaps it saw the first Bantam Jeep prototypes rolling by, Butler boys headed off to war or even candidate John F. Kennedy’s motorcade. It sheltered dozens of children and teenagers awaiting their school buses from rain and snow.
It had seemed indomitable, but termites gradually weakened it from within, until the tree gave in to the 52 mph winds.
It could have crushed a car or two. It could have blocked traffic for hours. It could have killed someone. Instead, it fell due east, parallel to Whitestown Road, as if merciful angels guided it gracefully to its final resting place.
By the afternoon of March 16, a tree service expertly chopped and chipped, leaving only a wide stump. I suspect that most commuters will zoom past our house with a strange feeling that something is missing from the landscape. They will dismiss the inexplicable, subconscious ache and drive on into the future. I won’t cry over the loss of our gentle giant, although — much like the people who impact our lives and pass away — it can never be replaced.
Cecilia Tomko,
Butler Township
