Nearly 30 years ago, two red oak trees were planted at New Hanover Lutheran Church and now these trees have been transformed into benches.
In 1983 the trees were donated to the church congregation by the children, and their families, of George and Beatrice Smale as a memorial to their parents. Thirty-three years later, the children approved a request to cut the trees as a part of the church’s renovation with the agreement of creating benches from the trees.
A group of students from the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center worked together to create the benches for the family. The group included Spring- Ford students Michael Sandy, Alex Glinski, Warren Birch, and Ryan Vargo of Pottsgrove.
Two of Mr. and Mrs. George Smale’s children – Harold Smale and his sister Hazel Levan – visited the Western Center on Friday, Jan. 29, to see the benches in completion.
“They’re very nice; they sit good,” said Hazel.
All of the wood used to make the two benches came from church’s two trees, according to Carpentry Instructor Steve Antrim. “The family wanted [the benches] to resemble the actual trees,” he said. “We left live edges and bark.”
“The trees were a tie to the past,” said Harold. Together the siblings explained how the trees were originally planted at the church to provide shade as parishioners left to congregate outside. Hazel noted that this was particularly important to her mother.
The church has been an important part of the family’s history – with weddings, baptisms, etc. held there. “It’s a part of us,” said Hazel.
The benches will soon be shared with the entire congregation.
“They’ll be excited,” said Harold. “Some people were attached to the trees.”
While the main program for the Western Center’s Carpentry class is house building, they also do smaller projects like cabinet making.
“The kids loved it, it was an interesting project,” said Antrim. “The group is always working on different things – there’s never a dull moment.”
Acorn Hardwood Lumber helped to prepare the wood and deliver the wood. Long-time church member and former Wester Center teacher Ray Feick helped to make the arrangements.
During the presentation of the benches, Hazel shared with this reporter a copy of New Hanover Lutheran Church’s “New Hanover Horizons” newsletter from December of 1983. It featured a story about the trees, stating “Two fifteen foot red oak trees were plated in front of the parish house, one at the early service and one at the close of the second service,” to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther on Sunday, Nov. 20. “Each member present was given the opportunity to share in the planting by adding a scoop of earth. A well known quotation by Martin Luther was the inspiration… ‘If I had but one day to live, I would plant a tree.'”
