Chinook Lions 'replay' historic tree planting at Kuper Cemetery
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Chinook Lions Ken Schubert and Jay Eslick confer with Larry Wisch who asked the Lions club to plant some new trees in Section 4 of Kuper Cemetery. Wisch and Don Berger raised funds over several years to purchase additional trees for the cemetery.
In 1927, two years after the Chinook Lions club was formed, its members purchased, planted and kept watered 180 Green Ash trees along the boundary of the then new Kuper Cemetery. This past week the club again stepped up to plant trees at the cemetery, this time fewer but more strategically placed.
R. J. Engstrom operates an excavator to open holes for new trees being planted by the Chinook Lions Club at Kuper Cemetery. Lion Shane Fox tracks the progress. The trees are the first of several trees purchased by families donating to the fund to honor loved ones. The Chinook Lions have a long history of doing volunteer work and financially supporting improvements at the cemetery north of Chinook.
The project was funded by donations collected by two former people who oversaw maintenance at the cemetery. Larry Wisch explained how he and Don Berger provided a way for families to honor loved ones with a donation to "a tree fund." The first planting occurred this summer in Section 4 of the cemetery where a number of military veterans are buried. The seven trees will be followed with more trees planted parallel to the first ones to create a 'lane' of trees in the open area.
Wisch and Berger approached the Lions about helping to do the actual planting. With permission from the Cemetery Board Lion Shane Fox and R.J. Engstrom dug the holes using a small excavator provided by John Pike Construction. Others involved in the purchasing, laying out and planting of the trees included Lions President Jay Eslick and Lion Ken Schubert. Cemetery workers Levi Jones and Sterling Bemis were also involved with the planting. Larry Wisch, a former Lions Club member, will keep the newly planted Canada Red Cherry trees watered and properly stabilized. Additional trees will be purchased through the fund described above and the Lions Club will help with planting those trees in the fall.
