Belvidere residents celebrate Arbor Day

Sixteen community minded people gathered in Belvidere Saturday morning to celebrate Keep Nebraska Beautiful and Arbor Day. The Belvidere Woman’s Club sponsors this event every year. The children, with adult sponsors, scoured part of the town picking up and disposing of trash. Earlier in the week some of the children from Thayer Central came over and cleaned the other part of town.

One gentleman trimmed trees and bushes and hauled them to the tree dump. Some of the ladies planted a few blooms in the farm wagon at the museum to get the flower gardens started. After the trash pick-up everyone gathered at the corner entrance into town to plant a bush for Arbor Day.

Jane Dodes explained Arbor Day, and how it was started, to the group. Linda Hudson remembered earlier celebrations and how Vi Bruning always spearheaded Arbor Day years ago. Now everyone enjoys the trees and bushes that were planted in honor of individuals at that time.

The bush planted Saturday is in honor of past resident, Maude Young, who passed away this year at the age of 103. At one time she lived just across the street from the corner where her bush is planted. This bush will be enjoyed for years to come as these children grow and learn to appreciate the history of what they did on this day.

Following the planting the Woman’s Club served cookies and lemonade to the helpers who were: Gina Hudson, chairman of the event, TaraLee, and JessaLynn Hudson, Ruth Hobbs, Jane, Robert and Mary Ruth Dodes; Peggy Meerse, Marla and Shana Gerberding, Tori, Takaylynn and Tegon Hergott; Linda Hudson, Kent Williamson and LaDonna Avers.