As you walk along Michigan Avenue in downtown Marshall, it would be hard to miss the small, decorated Christmas trees situated every few hundred yards.
Although smaller than in past years, Marshall’s “Celebration of Trees” will most likely be viewed by more people than when it was set up on the lawn of the Honolulu House or in Grand Street Park, both locations of the west side of downtown.
“We moved the trees because so many people requested it,” said Kimber Thompson of Choose Marshall. “They felt having them on the Honolulu House lawn removed them too much from people being able to walk among them and see them. The first year, four years ago, they were in Grand Street Park and were very popular there. We can't put them in there now because of the electric and water lines that were added later, so we can't put stakes in to hold the trees up.’
Thompson added that the trees have been a “huge hit” with people walking downtown.
“I have been approached so many times while down there setting them up and working on them,” she said. “Passers-by have commented how much they enjoy them. We get phone calls at the Welcome Center daily asking what is going on in town, people trying to decide if they should make a trip here. We tell them about any upcoming events, that our stores are open and wanting customers, how and where to enjoy some great food (the new fire pavilion at Ketchum Park is one I recommend), and of course exploring how each tree is decorated while they enjoy the store windows. We also mention the Santa mailbox (at Grand Street Park) to families with little ones.”
The tree, located in front of Great Escape Stage Company on the south side of Michigan Avenue, pays tribute to Dan McKeever, who died in Oct. 15. 2019. Dan’s wife, Marcia, and grandchildren, Archer Huggett, 8, and Beatrix Huggett, 5, made handmade ornaments to pay tribute to “Papa.”
“The kids were so excited to do this,” said Marcia, who was married to Dan for 42 years. “This was all about the kids! They came with me to the Welcome Center to fill out the paperwork and decide on the plaque wording: ‘For our Papa we love.’ Then, they bought and made the decorations and put them on themselves.”
Marcia said she surprised the grandchildren with the idea to sponsor the tree.
“They were very thoughtful about how the decorate,” she said. “They chose ornaments like a golden retriever like his beloved dog, Punch, golf clubs, a peppermint P for Papa, a basketball, a chocolate ice cream cone, lots of family photos and topped it off with his hat. He was a hat man. (Archer was actually wearing on of his grandfather’s hats in the cover photo.)
In his obituary, it mentioned Dan loved all sports, especially basketball and golf. He once said, “the two sweetest sounds in sports were the swish of a basketball and the click of the sweet spot when teeing off with the driver.”
Marcia and Dan, who raised their kids and lived in in Berkley, Mich. where Dan worked for a civil engineering firm for 35 years, moved to Marshall in May of 2019 to be close to the grandkids.
“We had the best family summer ever before Dan became ill,” said Marcia.
In all, there are trees in 20 planters downtown, with two at City Hall, and two in Carver Park on the east side of downtown.
Each planter has 3-foot tall artificial trees and Christmas lights, along with live garland from Wilson's Tannenbaum Farm out on N Drive North. Each sponsor decorates their tree. The sponsorships were $75 this year, down from $100 in years past due in part because of the smaller trees. Every tree was sponsored this year.
At Carver Park are trees dedicated to memory of Debbie Carrel, who died March 1 of this year, and Marilyn Paskett, who died Sept. 6, 2004.
Debbie’s sister, Joanne Davis, dedicated the tree.
“Debbie’s family and close friends decorated the tree using photographs that capture the essence of her wonderful life,” said Joanne. “Debbie did everything for those around her, always giving and supporting when it mattered most. She is missed by everyone who was fortunate to know her in the short time she was with us. Debbie loved the color red and the plaids used to accent the tree.”
Marc Paskett said the tree dedicated to his mother’s memory features many meaningful ornaments:
*Crayons and glue stick- her love for teaching.
*Church- She loved her church family.
*Bells- her love for music, sang in the church choir and loved playing the piano.
*Stars- she was a beautiful, good, and positive person, which is what stars symbolize.
*Poinsettias- she loved Christmas
*Cardinal- her favorite bird, and it's said that when one appears an angel is near.
“Mom was a beautiful soul and like the ornament with her picture in it, love lives forever,” said Marc.
One of the trees in front of City Hall pays tribute to PFC Gerald Treadwell Jr.
“This is our second Christmas without my brother, who lost his battle with cancer, and the second tree we have decorated in his honor,” said sister Julie Amaro. “The Celebration of Trees has given our family a time to all come together and to include him in a part of our Christmas.”
Gerald was a former Army infantryman who loved his country and was very patriotic, said Julie.
“He also loved eagles,” she said. “His tree is decorated in red, white and blue with flags and eagles in his honor. There is also a special ornament with his nickname ‘Tready’ on one side and the infantry symbol for the 1st Calvary division on the other.”
Another soldier memorialized is the tree near Grand River Brewery honoring James Twist.
“We wanted to decorate the tree red, white and blue to reflect his patriotism and his love of country and his service in Afghanistan and his loyalty to the Michigan State Police,” said James’ aunt Alison Twist Yarger, who is staff writer at the ad-visor&chronicle.
A tree dedicated to the late Deb Fletcher by the Hutchings family is located on the north side of Michigan Avenue.
“My friendship with Deb goes way back to before we had children and were on the same softball team in the 1980s,” said Sue Hutchings. “We were both pregnant and playing at the same time and had our children, Beau and Lauren three days apart.
Lauren was born on Dec. 17, 1985 and Beau on Dec. 20, 1985. Deb and I even shared a hospital room for a day. The kids will tell you that we made them be friends.”
Sue and Deb became neighbors in the Squaw Creek area and their kids went through school together.
“We developed a long-standing tradition of going out to dinner together; Deb and Lauren and me and Beau and looking at Christmas lights at some time during their birthday week,” said Sue. “We have worked to keep that tradition alive.”
Deb and Sue played golf together, bowled together and their families spent a lot of time together.
“Beau and Lauren are best friends and Beau got himself ordained and performed Lauren and her husband’s marriage ceremony in 2016.
Deb's husband, Jim, is from Painseville, Ohio and attended Ohio University and The Ohio State University. Their daughter, Dr. Lauren Fletcher-Morehouse received her undergrad also at Ohio State.
“Deb loved The Ohio State Marching band,” said Sue. “She also loved snow and loved, loved, loved Christmas.”
Deb was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in the early spring of 2015 and underwent brain surgery.
“She suffered through many treatments and trials before succumbing on Feb. 5, 2017,” said Sue. “We dedicated a tree to her when the Chamber started the initiative with the trees at the Honolulu house. Deb's and my good friends, Jan Keen and Gail Bradstreet, made the ornaments and Gail and I decorated the tree that year.”
A tree dedicated to David Wallace, who died Sept. 23, by his wife Sue, has frogs placed all over the tree and planter and is located in front of Grandma's Baby Boutique.
“David collected decorative frogs; tons of them,” said Sue. “When we first met, I asked him if the frogs he collected were live ones…He collected them from all over the world.”
A friend once told David and Sue that frog was an acronym for Fully Rely On God.
“That acronym then became really important to David,” said Sue, who has been replenishing the frogs on the tree after people were asked to take one when they pass by the tree.
On the other end of town, in front of the law offices of Schroeder DeGraw, a tree is dedicated by NN Autocam with artwork that is being given away by a local artist.
Other trees include dedications to the Girl Scouts and family pets as well as to the city of Marshall by local residents, such as Paul Davis and local businesses and organizations including Oaklawn Hospital, the Fountain Clinic and Marshall Exchange Club.
“I have talked with several participants in person, and they say how it helps bring them some joy to decorate a tree for their loved ones that are missing from this year's celebrations,” she said.