Maplewood Celebrates Arbor Day with a Tree Planting

The Township of Maplewood celebrated Arbor Day today, quite fittingly, with a tree planting. But the planting had a deeper resonance than just adding more green to the landscape.

More than 80 years ago, eight dutch elms were planted in Memorial Park in honor of the eight local soldiers who had given their lives in World War I. By the 1970s, the trees had been destroyed by the dutch elm disease that blighted the elms across North America.

Over the past several years, the Maplewood Garden Club has been raising funds to replace each of those trees, explained Garden Club President Joanne Beckerich. Today, the eighth and final tree was planted. Town officials, Garden Club representatives and VFW leadership were on hand to observe the day and remember the fallen.

Todd Lamm, Maplewood Shade Tree Supervisor, said that the new liberty elm—a hardy variety that can withstand dutch elm disease—was delivered just yesterday from Keene, New Hampshire. The tree weighed 1,200 lbs with bulb. Public Works needed to dig a hole 30 inches deep and 48 inches wide. The tree cost upwards of $800—a cost covered by the Garden Club.

Representing the fallen heros were Ed Raymond, past commander of the Maplewood VFW; John Michaels, district commander of the local VFW; and Tony Masi, VFW junior vice commander. Raymond served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, Michaels in the U.S. Air Force in Korea (flying B-29s), and Masi served in the Coast Guard during WWII and in the U.S. Army Demolition Squad in the Korean War.

The eight Maplewoodians who died in service to their country in WWI were: Robert G. Stokley, Stephen R. Warner, George H. Manley, Ralph G. J. Lane, Charles D. Nelson, Henry P. Brush, O. Harold Thompson, and Rennie G. Van Houton.