Magnolia tree leaves lasting legacy of Terrell Heights neighbor

To the editor,

When my son was born five years ago, we planted a red plum tree to commemorate his birth. Already, the tree is a lanky adolescent, eager to reach its mature height. But from my son’s perspective, the plum tree, still staked and un-climbable, pales in comparison to the majestic magnolia in my neighbor’s yard.

When my neighbor, Joe Beeley Miller, planted the magnolia sapling decades ago, he could never have imagined its extraordinary height or the cooling canopy it would cast over his house during the long days after his retirement from City Public Service. He could not have foreseen it would become the perfect climbing tree for a young child next door.  Just as we can hardly predict what pleasure, amusement or joy the red plum tree we planted the first autumn of my son’s life will provide for generations to come.

Joe Beeley, or “J.B.,” died in August at the age of 89, and in his absence, the magnolia tree has become a signature of one of the many things he left behind for us to enjoy. For the last several years of his life, Joe continued to do the yard work. He loved to garden, and even as his health began to decline, Joe was the sentinel of the street, standing at the end of the driveway, waving at each pedestrian, cyclist, and driver that passed. He told stories that reminded us that the street had a history, that life was indeed short, yet long enough for a tree to grow 40 feet tall.  

This year as the leaves start to fall, we will remember J.B. We will recall his long life and the ways which we can leave our own gifts behind. As the days grow shorter and the temperatures fall, consider planting a well chosen tree to celebrate a birth, to remember a loved one, or simply to improve the quality of life for the elderly neighbor in the window, the small child who will remember the tree as once having been so small.    

Fall is for planting, the Texas gardening mantra goes. “Fall planting follows the extreme heat of summer and precedes a cooler winter season. It is a time of rejuvenation. Shrubs, trees and most landscape plants planted in the fall use this timing to their advantage,” says David Rodriguez, the County Extension Agent-Horticulture for Bexar County.

For a complete list of recommended landscape plants for south central Texas and their ultimate height and spread, visit aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ plantanswers/publications/ southcnt.html.

In memory of Joe Beeley Miller (1918-2007), who worked for City Public Service for decades and was a popular person in Terrell Heights.

Jenny H. Moore

Terrell Heights