Tree dedication
Gerald and Jessie Manley of McCook enjoy the shade of the Kentucky Coffee Tree that was planted in Norris Park in memory of her grandparents, John and Lillie Wallace. John was a park caretaker/maintenance person for the city from the 1930s to the 1950s, Jessie said, and carried water from Norris Park to water the newly planted trees in Bolles Canyon, as there wasn't a water source at that time near the canyon. According to Jessie, Wallace only had a second grade education when he had to quit school to work on the farm, but was very self-educated, experimenting with cross pollinated wheat strands. "He had a lot of common sense and took a lot of pride in his work," she said. "He loved this park and wanted to keep it nice for the people of McCook." He also liked doing things his own way, including using a push lawn mower with rotary blades. Early in the 1950s, the city started using motorized lawn mowers, which he did not want to use. "He had a fit, he hated it," Jessie remembered. She and her family chose the Kentucky Coffee Tree to honor Wallace, as "I just kind of liked the way it looked. Full-grown, it will provide a lot of shade."
Dawn Cribbs/McCook Daily Gazette