World War I Memorial Lives On in Wilmette

A World War I memorial in Wilmette has been growing for nearly a century.

ABC-7-Chicago tells the story of how, in 1921, a local group wanted to commemorate the lives of 12 fallen G.I.’s from Wilmette and a beloved Army Chaplain who survived the war by planting 13 Norway Maple trees at the north end of a large soccer field at Gillson Park.

The trees have been growing ever since.

“It’s a traditional way of honoring the dead to honor the dead with something living and growing,” said Patrick Leary, curator of the Wilmette Historical Society.

more via ABC-7-Chicago