Turtle Grove Stories
December 2005
What follows are 33 stories, representing 37 teams, that typically
explain how the spokesperson heard about Turtle Grove and
Children & Elders Forest, why the person chose to help sponsor a tree,
and what this participation means.
Aileen Blomgren -- 3 - I heard about Turtle Grove on the
radio and the project really intrigued me because my family, who
has been holding a summer family picnic for over 21 years, has held
this reunion at Maxwell Park since 1994. We have tons of photos
and memories from there! Our "team"--33 of us and still growing--is
an extremely close family, sharing many holidays and vacations together
throughout the years because we love being with each other. In addition,
my children attended Parkside Elementary, Parkside Jr. High, and
Normal West High School, and we live nearby, so the location had
additional personal meaning to us.
The roots of our "team" are my parents, and my husband's parents. Also included are all of my brothers and sisters and their spouses (11 of us), their children (16 of them), and their children's children (2...plus another due in March 2006). My mother was an only child and hoped for a large family...from the four generations represented here you can see she got her wish! As a genealogist I feel that having a tree in Turtle Grove to represent our family now, and to be there for future generations of our family to see, is a wonderful thought. This is also why I particularly chose the Black Alder tree--because of its strength and longevity.
Next summer, when my out-of-town family arrives for the 2006 picnic, I plan to surprise them by walking them up to the forest and showing them our tree. What a great way to honor all the generations of our family that have enjoyed Maxwell Park!
Amy Boeder -- 4 – When I was younger, my mother's parents planted a tree in their yard each time a new grandchild was born. As a child, we all felt very special and enjoyed watching "our" tree grow bigger with our grandma and grandpa. I thought it was so neat when I heard about Turtle Grove, that I wanted to do the same thing for my daughter. It will be a fun and great way for her to connect with her grandparents.
Barb Broach -- 6 - We have four grandchildren, ages 4 years and under. James is 4, Kate is 3, and Meg and Ryan are 1. The older two have been so excited over planting a tree with Nana and Pop and have told anyone who would listen about the special day. They are also very proud to add that "someday, they are going to bring their grandchildren to see the tree they planted when they were little”.
Barbara Bronke -- 7 - When I heard about the "forest" on WJBC, I was thrilled! I had wanted to plant a tree in memory of my son Michael-something living & beautiful that would last for years, a peaceful place to go! This could also include his children & all my grandchildren-they can watch it grow & we are contributing to the beauty of the park & environment! It will be there after I'm gone & the kids can say grandma planted this for us. As one of them said, "A tree just for me"! Give memories-they last forever!!
Karen Carrigan -- 11 - The main focus of Clover Crew 4-H
Club is to instill within our members the importance of giving back
to our community. How can we as a club and individuals make a difference
in our community and our world? Our club members have raised money
the past few years by providing and working concessions for the
Normal Parks and Recreation Grade School Basketball Games which
are held at local schools. Our members and families take turns working
Saturday mornings at a selected school for 8 weeks. Club members
then vote on how they will give at least ½ of what they earn back
to the community. This year, the club members elected to donate
a tree to the Children & Elders Forest. They liked the idea that
their names would be engraved on a plaque on the tree. They also
liked that they could go see their tree anytime and watch it grow
to help create a nice forest for our community. This is a very appropriate
donation as our club's focus this year is Our Environment and Horticulture.
As a leader, I hope that these young people will grow up choosing
to serve their community, not out of obligation but because it has
become part of their lifestyle. Someday, they will be able to take
their children into the Children & Elders Forest and show them
their name on the tree. They will be able to share their experiences
in their community and tell how 4-H helped them to see what their
community does for them and how each of us has a part in helping
to make our community a better place to live for generations to
come.
Kathleen Center -- 12 – Junior Girl Scout Troop 306 is in its final year at Parkside Elementary School. As a troop we had a specific goal to work on our Model Citizen badge and to ‘give back to the community’ more this year than we may have done in the past. Planting a tree will allow us to ‘give’ in a way that almost seems selfish. Our troop members are spread across three Unit 5 elementary schools, but they will all eventually attend Parkside Junior High and Normal West. As our girls pass the forest everyday for school, we hope they will recall fondly the time they shared together in Girl Scouts and are inspired to be model citizens.
Ramesh and Pushpa Chaudhari -- 13 - We moved from India to Normal about 35 years ago and set roots in this wonderful community. Our daughters grew up here. We wanted our grand daughters and the future generations to remember our transplanted roots here in Normal. We are honored to be a part of the Turtle Grove family.
Nancy Daniels -- 16 - Planting a tree [Flowering Dogwood] is a tribute to our grandchildren and to the Town of Normal. My husband, Bob, is umpire and chief for the state of Illinois' Amateur Softball Association and has always had close ties to the Town of Normal. Our grandchildren live in Normal, so we are able to honor both with this tree. The Turtle Grove location is perfect for us, just north of where we live. Our grandchildren will be attending Normal West so it feels right to have the tree close to us which is also close to where they will be going to high school. We are really excited about this program and look forward to watching the Turtle Grove area grow.
Mildred Ferguson -- 24 – Turtle Grove sounded like a good thing to do. I am interested in conservation. Woman’s Club of B/N has planted trees with Normal Parks and Recreation in the past, and Children and Elders gave our club an opportunity to plant a tree immediately.
Bryan and Jo Ann Freeman -- 25 - When I retired in 1998, my two daughters and their families had a tree planted in my honor in Withers Park in downtown Bloomington. That was a very special gift! When the Children & Elders Forest project came to our attention, my wife, Jo Ann, and I decided to honor our 4 grandchildren the same way. What a great tribute to family!
Deborah Gentry -- 27 - I believe traditions, rituals, and symbolism are important to families, and I care about the environment. I envision visiting our tree with my granddaughter through the years ahead and watching as each grows. It has been a pleasure, as a member of the Grove's steering committee, to see this project come to fruition.
Chesran Grabill Glidden – 30 - In the summer of 2000 when
I am eight years and when my grandpa is visiting me in the small
village of Hundstadt, Germany, north of Frankfurt, I announce one
day to him that I want to show him a surprise. He says, "Good."
He, my mother, and I get on bikes, ride through the village past
the school, and go for about a mile up a hill overlooking the village.
Finally, I say, "Let's park our bikes." I grab grandpa's hand, and
say, "Come. The surprise is over here." After walking very fast
into a grove of newly planted trees, I stop, and say, "Look, here's
my tree. An ash tree. See, here's my name and birth date on a tag
on the tree. He says, "Good heavens. This is incredible. How did
this happen?" "A man in the village said he'd pay for any tree for
any child in Hundstadt if the child would participate in planting
it in this Childrens Forest. So, I came with other children and
our parents on the day for planting, and we had a bonfire and food.
It was fun." Grandpa is excited about seeing my surprise. I say,
"Come, see the tree of my friend, Nina." And we go to another part
of the grove to see it. He says, "Does your brother Nathaniel have
a tree?" "Yes. Come and see. Here it is. And right over here is
the tree of his best friend, Tim.” Grandpa is amazed. "This is a
wonderful idea," he says.
I am now pleased that he has taken an idea like ours in Hundstadt
to the United States. He told us last summer that there was going
to be a Children & Elders Forest grove in Normal. In November
2005, my mother, brother, and I sponsored a tree in Turtle Grove.
Now, I have a tree in Hundstadt and one in Normal to visit to remind
me and others that I am connected to both of these communities.
In a year I will be moving in Normal, so I will get to visit our
redbud tree there. My surprise for my grandpa in 2000 has taken
root in the United States, and a second tree for me in Turtle Grove
is a surprise that my grandpa has given to me.
Joan Higgins -- 37 – I like living things. Planting a tree helps the environment and creates memories. Turtle Grove is close to Normal West, where my son, Doug, coaches. He played football with Bobby Jones, Normal’s horticulturalist (who designed Turtle Grove).
Gretchen Jacobson -- 42 - I heard about the Turtle Grove Tree-Planting Project from Joe Grabill and became interested due to his passion for nature, and trees in particular, along with his passion for bringing the dignity of our elders together with the enthusiastic energy and creativity of youth.
My teenage son, Sagan, and I have always shared our love of nature and forests so I liked the idea of dedicating a newly planted tree to him. Sagan and I shared a special talk during the new moon on Tuesday under the branches of several gigantic cottonwood trees where I work. He was telling me how he had recently been leaning against the trunk of one of these giants thinking about how relatively insignificant the busy, egocentric life of a human is in comparison to this gentle giant who will long outlive him. It led him to pondering Spirit and how he came up with the idea that God is "the space between things," (between form and emptiness). He then wondered if trees may have a more enlightened consciousness than humans. He wondered if the consciousness of a tree was such that they live in a state of suspended meditation, fully awakened to this "space between," able to stay planted in this state, while all of their worldly needs for survival are met. Meanwhile we busy ourselves, as humans, trying so hard to figure things out, and to control our environment so we may feel comfortable on Earth. We then went over to this same tree and could feel its beauty through a heightened state of atunement with it-- a true highlight in my life... this sharing of my son's deep wisdom and wonderment and all thanks to the trees.
Bev Jennings -- 43 – I am always happy to promote family opportunities and love the idea of having more trees in the community. My parents had a major interest in the out of doors, are still living, and made maple syrup again this year. So our choice of a Sugar Maple tree is appropriate.
Carol Kennell -- 46 – Children & Elders Forest is a neat idea. Loved it. We’ve talked in our family how it would be great when we die to plant a tree and have our ashes under it. There’d be a bench there for meditation.
Chelsea Lee – 47-48 - After my husband died in April of 2003, my daughter and I contacted numerous places about planting a tree in his memory. Some of the places were agreeable and others were not very interested. None of them, however, satisfied either of us. All left us with a cold empty feeling. Dick was a very loving person, his family most of all, particularly his great-grandchildren. Born and raised in Colorado he love the outdoors, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets and of course the trees and nature. The morning I opened the paper and saw the article about the Children & Elders Forest, I knew we had found our "tree place". We will always be grateful to you for organizing this project.
Jenny Malinowski -- 52 -- We wanted to do something in memory of Tyler, who passed away unexpectedly in 2004. We chose a shagbark hickory because it’s sturdy, and symbolizes his excellence in studies, a good foundation in life, and his commitment to family and friends.
Bob Miller -- 54 - I happened to see the first announcement about the Turtle Grove project in the Pantagraph this summer and thought it was a great idea. My Dad (Robert Miller, Sr.) planted trees everywhere we lived while I was growing up, and said they were "...a gift to future generations". I have followed that tradition, in fact I have planted over 350 trees on the property where I currently live, and will continue to plant as long as I can pick up a shovel. This project makes perfect sense to me, especially since we can mark the trees with the names of a few of those we are honoring - my parents and my children. Perhaps, someday, the names of my children's grandchildren will be on a tree somewhere.
Mary and Barry E. Moore -- 55 – Our son, Barry Francis Moore, died while on special assignment as a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force in 1999. He was on a drug interdiction mission on Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles as part of a NATO mission. Barry was a champion for the environment. He loved all living things and volunteered for many conservation projects. Being the part of a living forest is a perfect way to honor his memory.
Karin Nowers – 56-58 - I heard about Turtle Grove when the story appeared in The Pantagraph. I immediately thought a tree would be a beautiful and unique birthday gift for my mom from my two young children, so my husband and I picked out a tree we thought she would like. The more we talked about it, the more he and I realized it would also be nice to have a tree for our kids and us, and so a second tree was selected. As I talked to more people about this, I thought of our children's school, Blooming Grove Academy, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. BGA's logo is a tree, and so it just seemed logical to also select a tree for the school in honor of its 20 years of existence especially considering the location of Turtle Grove because each spring BGA has an end-of-year picnic at Maxwell Park. There's an old saying, "The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago; the second best time is now." As a nature-loving family we are incredibly happy to participate in and promote this beautiful dream which has now become a reality.
Ben Pietrowiak -- 65 – I have several young friends, born 1992 through 2003. I thought Children & Elders Forest was a neat idea for my young friends to go to their own tree.
Robin Poston -- 67 - The Fortney, Rohman, and Poston families are friends who are almost like family. We were initially brought together by the neighborhood and friendships of our kids who then went to school together at Parkside. Over the years, we have celebrated together, played sports together, "PTO'd" (Parent Teacher Organization) together, vacationed together and watched our kids grow together. We hope to watch our tree grow and flourish in Turtle Grove just as our friendship has flourished in Buzzard Gulch! Friends truly are your "chosen family."
Stephany Roth -- 70 – The Bloomington-Normal Junior Woman’s Club was organized on March 26, 1928 and has been serving the community ever since. At the heart of our organization are our project areas. The project areas consist of Home Life/Public Affairs, Arts, Education, Health, Conservation, International Affairs, Veterans’ Affairs, and Native American Affairs.
The Bloomington-Normal Junior Woman’s Club raises funds to allocate among these project areas and also solicits local organizations for voluntary opportunities so the organization can man an impact both monetarily and through volunteerism.
The Bloomington-Normal Junior Woman’s Club takes pride in the area of Conservation. The protection, preservation, management, and restoration of wildlife and of natural resources are the key to a happy and healthy life on earth for all of its inhabitants. The planting of our tree in Turtle Grove on November 19, 2005 is a means of us demonstrating to our local community, friends, and loved ones the importance of Conservation.
Even though the membership of the Bloomington-Normal Junior Woman’s Club has changed over these past 77 years, we will take pride in knowing our tree will represent our lasting appreciation for our environment for the years to come.
Ann Ruhrup – 71-72 – We had property once and we planted trees, including a coffeetree, to honor people who had passed away. Now we want a living memorial. My husband likes and knows trees. Our grandkids decided on which trees they wanted--coffeetree and buckeye. We are naming the trees for them: Danielle tree and Derek tree. We can go to Turtle Grove and say, “These are our trees,” and can share them with other trees in the forest. Children & Elders Forest is really a good idea. We need a lot more trees around here.
Mike Sallee -- 73 - After our granddaughter Emily was born, she would get in here stroller and we would walk around the neighborhood. As we walked, I would talk about the flowers, birds, animals and trees. We would pickup leaves and pinecones to take back to her Grandmother and Mother. We both enjoy this time together and so it seemed only fitting that we could have our own tree to visit and watch grow.
Marilyn Sutherland -- 85 - Our family has always been concerned with ecology and the value of trees has been part of our understanding. With the next generation, we wish to teach as well as continue doing our part for the health of the world. I hope the grandchildren will look forward to visiting the "Family" tree when they come for a visit.
Kenneth and Patricia Sylvester -- 86 – We are very happy to make a commitment to project Turtle Grove and the enhancement of the Town of Normal. This is where we were born. Our children were raised here, and now we are watching our grandchildren grow. Normal has changed since our childhood 50 some years ago, but the basics are still here. It is a great place to live and raise a family. This is our town. This is home.
Kathy Tornquist -- 87 - I was part of the original group
brainstorming Joe's idea for a Children & Elders Forest. I was
entranced by the idea from the beginning as a way to connect these
two generations that receive the least reverence in our culture.
So it is of particular joy for me to choose and plant a tree with
my grandson, and to witness my father do likewise with my other
grandson, his great-grandson. I look forward to visiting the Forest
often together, watching our tree flesh out as a symbol of our growing
relationship.
I asked the boys what this experience means to them, and 10 year
old Dillan said it helps him understand the life of a plant--how
hard it is, and how it can't live without someone to care for it.
Then we likened that to ourselves as humans--our need for each other
in order to grow in a healthy way and thrive.
Karla Weldon -- 90 – This poem, by Paul Tankersley, describes our feelings when my father passed away a year ago. In his memory we planted a bur oak in my hometown of Arenzville, Illinois. The Children & Elders Forest gave us a chance to continue a tradition and add to the memories by planting another bur oak, representing present and future generations. Only one of our five grandchildren could be present for the planting, but the others, along with their parents and their future children can come to see ‘our’ tree, and watch it grow, and know the loving memories it stands for.
Against the sky there stood a mighty oak and high,
And when it fell it left a blank space in the sky.
But I consoled myself to find beneath, alive,
A hundred tiny oaks where my Dear Friend once thrived.
And acorns that it cast, produced from fertile ground,
For half a century oaks, for half a mile around.
Always oak trees that grand, leave blank spots in the sky,
And it’s not wrong to miss them and it’s not wrong to cry.
But I observe with joy, although my giant tree broke,
This country side blessed and springing up with oaks.
Art White -- 91 -- I believe in preserving our environment, especially our forests, and I want to communicate this concern to my grandchildren.
Mark Wyman -- 94 - I love to hike. It is probably my favorite recreation. And I especially like to hike with children. When our three children were growing up, we often took them hiking in the woods around here--Evergreen Lake, Funks Grove, ParkLands--as well as when we visited my parents in Wisconsin, and when we traveled elsewhere. They still recall those outings with enthusiasm. Now, with our children grown up and living in other parts, I often invite friends who have children to go hiking, especially when they are new here and have no ideas that there are forests in McLean County. This led to some interesting hikes with the Soderlund family. Their son is Alex Soderlund, my buddy in planting a birch tree in Turtle Grove. Alex is now 6, and we have had a few fabulous hikes together. He loves the woods, finding there the excitement and wonder that I think all children discover in nature. So when I was asked to pick some young person to be my partner at Turtle Grove, I picked Alex Soderlund. This is why the sign on our tree will state: "Mark Wyman -- Hiker. Alex Soderlund -- Fellow Hiker."
Dava Zschau – 95 - A Mother’s love is for all Seasons.
Edna Louise Dennis Smith was an angel ~ a fabulous beautiful angel.
She was born on the prairie during the searing days of summer. As
a young girl, she rose to milk the cows in the early morning light.
She loved the silhouette of the summer trees and their sound as
they spoke to the winds. Her first child, Dee was born during the
thunderous raging of a summer storm while the leaves flailed in
magnificent splendor. Then came autumn and she savored the first
tinges of color in the leaves just before her second child – little
Dixie was born. The seasons of Edna Louise’s life continued to unfold,
and one wondrous winter day as ice clung to her beloved trees, Edna’s
third beautiful child Dava joined us on this Earth. Edna cherished
her new baby and the stark grandeur of the leafless trees. On a
spring day at dawn, her 4th daughter Zonda was born while the blossoms
burst forth from branches and petals drifted down signaling the
season for new beginnings. The family tree continues to grow with
each new grandchild and great grandchild.
Perhaps as a reminder to celebrate life Mama left us on her 81st
birthday. Her roots will ground us, and the great canopy of her
love still surrounds us. In the rustle of leaves or in the silence
of the trees, we hear her voice and know that a mother’s love truly
is for all seasons.
When we visit the dogwood tree planted in celebration of her life
and in honor of her husband and our father, Nelson Smith, there
is a peace. They cherished each other, family, friends, and the
wonders of nature. They will always be with us as surely as there
are trees that change with the seasons.