Village begins memory walk in honor of 2 tornado victims
Two fast friends who supported each other through the ups and downs of life’s journey will be remembered for decades to come at a scenic spot in Lakeview, with the dedication of two memorial trees this week by the village in honor of Darla Williams and Marilyn Snapp, both of whom passed away in the March 14, 2024 tornado.
The next-door neighbors both lived at the Geiger Mobile Home Park, where their friendship bloomed in the last 10 years, after Marilyn broke her hip in 2015, her niece Vicki Predmore said.
“I stopped in a lot to check on Marilyn before she had her hip surgery. Darla found out about what had happened to Marilyn, and offered to help out and to look in on her. They really struck up a friendship and they become inseparable.”
Family and friends of both women gathered for a tree dedication ceremony Tuesday evening, June 10, at the Lakeview Ball Park along west Lake Street, where the two prairiefire crabapple trees have been planted along a walking path, which overlooks fields that are green with new growth.
Marilyn and Darla’s loved ones stood in between the two trees as Lakeview Mayor Elaine Fagan-Moore offered remembrances of the two longtime area residents.
Marilyn, age 81, was a 1960 Stokes Local School graduate who retired from Fisher Cheese in Wapakoneta and was a life member of the Doyle R. AMVETS Post 39 Auxiliary in Lakeview. Darla, 70, was a 1972 Indian Lake High School graduate who retired from Siemens and also had served as a social worker.
“I just don’t know if I have the right words to say, but thank you for letting us do this for your families. It is a true honor,” the mayor said. “The symbol here is they’re together; just how they passed. As family, you’re in between both of them. It’s their way of embracing you as well as you go on in life’s journey…
“We wish it could have been a different way, but as I look at each of your faces, I know that you were very blessed to have them in your lives the way that you did.”
Mayor Fagan-Moore said the two trees were donated by the village, and they will feature bright pink blossoms in the spring, and will produce crabapples in the fall. The “firecracker” term also pays tribute to the undeniable energy and care that the two women displayed throughout their lifetimes, she noted.
“The trees are also a symbol of putting roots in the ground and they provide growth. Marilyn and Darla put their roots in this community, and now their legacy will continue here as the trees grow and mature,” the mayor said.
One of Darla’s family members remarked that she was a “snapping turtle of a human,” showing fierce loyalty to those she loved. Darla’s granddaughter Jazmyne Doty related that her grandma “could put a smile on anyone’s face.”
Predmore reflected on the difficult past year since her aunt passed away, but also said their family is thankful that Marilyn didn’t have to deal with a long-term or difficult disease before her passing.
“The tornado happened so fast, so while it was shocking and difficult to lose her in this way, we are glad she didn’t have to suffer.”
Planting the new trees is just the beginning of a new memorial tree area that the Village of Lakeview wants to establish here for others in the community as well, to add to the scenic spot and to keep loved one’s legacies alive.
“Our long term goal is to make this a memory walk with trees,” Mayor Fagan-Moore said. “What a great way to start with Marilyn and Darla to be the beginning of that memory.
“We have this beautiful walking track, the ballfields are going in, and so we want to have the opportunity where people can buy a tree and then the village will get it planted for them, and they can put a plaque up if it’s a memory of someone they lost or just the fact that they just want to be a part of the memory.”
