DECATUR — For more than 100 years, a mighty red oak tree stood watch over the old section of Decatur Cemetery. This old tree lived through the growth of a small town, harsh winters and several tornadoes. But one force of nature would eventually spell it's doom.
During the June 21 city council meeting, the fate of this historic landmark was sealed. On the advice of the Decatur Cemetery committee, the council voted to have the tree removed.
Many large branches overhung the driveway and several headstones at the cemetery. These posed a real danger to visitors and could fall at anytime.
Greenlawn Tree Service, owned by Adam McGhee from Decatur, was tasked with bringing down the old tree. The process began July 6 when McGhee's crew began trimming the smaller branches to make it easier to cut the larger main branches. Once this task was complete, it was time to cut the heavy branches.
McGhee and his crew took great care with the headstones in the cemetery. They covered each of the headstones before cutting. Randell Amadee was charged with cutting the branches.
Working from a bucket truck, Amadee first tied a heavy rope to short sections of the branches. While the other crew members held the rope taut, Amadee cut through the branches until they disconnected from the tree. The cut pieces were carefully lowered to the ground, untied and loaded onto a trailer. This process took about three hours to complete.
In the early afternoon of July 7, the 125-plus-year-old red oak tree trunk lay across the access. Upon closer inspection by city officials, it was discovered that the decision to cut the old tree down was justified.
Near the top of the trunk, two scars showed signs the tree was once struck by lightning. The core and several layers inside of the tree were gone and the surrounding wood was charred. When the tree was struck, it sparked an internal fire that hollowed out the center. This hollowed-out cavity and a thin layer of wood was supporting the weight of the main branches. It was just a matter of time before the weakened trunk would have given way and the whole tree would have fallen, damaging the surrounding headstones and possibly injuring a visitor to the cemetery.
Plans to use the good wood from the oak tree include park benches for the cemetery, picture frames and display cases for the museum, and a display to house a memorial to this prominent Decatur landmark.
Even though the tree is gone, the memory of a once-powerful red oak will continue to stand watch over the cemetery in the hearts and minds of Decatur residents for some time to come.
General News on 07/13/2016