The family of Fred Grothe would like to thank Randy Grace for his generous help and orchestration in the planting of a red maple tree in memory of our father at the Westside Park.
For over sixty plus years the Grothe family reunions have been held there at the pavilion.
Our father went home to be with the Lord on October 8, 2020. He was a master gardener and tree arborist and we felt to carry on our father’s legacy a tree planted there was so appropriate.
Randy Grace was instrumental in incorporating the help of the Tolono Boy Scouts in planting and caring for the tree as a service project for them. We would like to thank those boys for their service. We know our father would be so pleased the Boy Scouts were involved.
So fitting to our father (an historian of his hometown Tolono) that a part of Tolono history was uncovered as the initial digging took place by Randy and his son, Connor. What was to be an easy job turned out to be more challenging but not without a reward. As they dug, they discovered bricks and coal pieces and finally a foundation that prevented them from digging any further, forcing them to find a new place to dig. We were told at one time by our uncle, Ernie Grothe, that he had attended a school that was located where the pavilion is today. So, without a doubt, we knew these were the bricks and coal from that school. (See School Photo built in 1874)
Randy Grace generously offered to put our father’s plaque in concrete edged with some of the bricks that were discovered!
Thanks again Randy, Connor and the Tolono Boy Scouts for making this such a special memorial to our Dad! We know he was smiling down on us.
Michelle Doty
Marcia Grothe
Lisa Cornelius
