Townsend Trees Planted for Special Purposes
 | Author:
Patrick Plantenberg, Tree Board Chair
Townsend Tree Board Chair, Townsend Rotary Club |
Townsend Trees Planted for Special Purposes
Patrick Plantenberg
Tree Board Chair
This is the eleventh of a series of articles about trees planted in Townsend and Broadwater County to honor people, special events, or for other purposes.
The Tree Board hopes people will come forward with more information on other trees planted on public as well as private property so the tree and its purpose can be documented.
51 and 52 Acer x freemanii 'Jeffersred', Autumn Blaze Maple; and Ulmus americana 'Valley Forge', Valley Forge American Elm; planted at Townsend School Fandrich Field.
On October 18, 2023, the Broadwater County High School Horticulture Class, taught by Jemma Loughery, replanted two memorial trees on the football field in honor of Ray and Betty Horne. Ray and Betty both were long-time, active members of the community. Ray drove the school bus for 40 years for the Crow Creek and Townsend School districts.
Ray was a lifetime resident of Broadwater County and was known and treasured by so many in the community. Ray was an active charter member of the Broadwater County Lions Club. What he enjoyed most about being a Lion was handing out American flags to first graders. He was a 4H leader and took pride in teaching youth how to ranch and farm.
Betty was a homemaker, took care of the farm with Ray, and also drove the school bus for 40 years. Many students in the community remember Betty as their school bus driver, where she drove for the Crow Creek and Townsend School districts. Her students enjoyed their time on the bus with her and knew Betty was quick to lend some money or support any fundraising efforts. Betty was always willing to lend a hand or cook a warm meal for neighbors and friends.
As a 4H leader, she served for many years specializing in cooking and sewing. Betty volunteered as one of the first female firefighters for the Toston Fire District.
The trees were originally planted about five years ago and were located on the west end of the football field, behind the scoreboard. Betty’s sister Margo, and their families took part in planting the original trees. The area behind to scoreboard at Fandrich Filed was used for storage during the construction of the new school so the two trees died.
Ray and Betty’s three daughters chose this location because the football field is named after Betty’s father, Abe Fandrich. Abe died after suffering a heart attack while working in the field.
Ray and Betty had three kids, four grandkids, and now three great-grandkids attending school in Townsend. This community is a special place to the whole family and now everyone can enjoy Ray and Betty’s lasting legacy and memory at the school.
The Horticultural Class students learned about the significance of the trees to the family. They also learned how to prune the trees when planting to establish a central leader. They also learned about breaking up the circling root pattern on these potted trees. This circling pattern must be broken, or the trees will eventually grow and suffocate themselves.
Finally, the students learned how deep to plant the trees - the first root must be at the soil surface. These are the first two memorial trees replanted at the school to replace those that had to be removed during new school construction. Thanks to Patrick Plantenberg and the Townsend Tree Board for planting and taking care of the trees.
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Pat Plantenberg
Image 1 Caption: Townsend Tree Board Chair, Patrick Plantenberg (left) and Jemma Loughery (right), teach the horticultural class students at BCHS how to properly prune, prepare, and plant a new tree.
Photo Credits: Pat Plantenberg
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