The Story of the Cherry Tree is based on local history and family memories, sprinkled with much imagination. Whether every detail is true, we cannot say. But we hope the spirit of it is…
Sometimes the smallest acts become the longest memories
No one knows the exact moment when the great tree began its quiet reign at the center of Walker Chapel Historic Cemetery, its sheltering limbs stretched wide, embracing those laid to rest beneath its gentle shade. Perhaps it has stood for fifty years, or maybe closer to a century. Yet, with a little research, we believe we have uncovered its origin—a tender story passed down through the whispers of time. Let us share it with you, and you can decide if it is true and if it touches your heart as it has ours.
Planting the Seeds
On a golden June morning in 1903, a little girl was hurrying out the door. The air was warm and fragrant, as her mother called out from the buggy, urging her along—they were late for the first Sunday service in the new Chapel. The family had gathered at the original church, built in 1871, to make the walk together to the new site—a proud structure lovingly crafted by Julian and William Elliot. As the girl dashed through the kitchen, she grabbed a handful of ripe, black cherries from a bowl, their sweetness too tempting to resist. The horse was eager to depart, and the buggy jolted forward just as her feet left the ground. They joined the congregation—neighbors and friends all in their finest clothes, basking in the joy of this significant day. But the little girl had a secret—a heart filled with mischief and delight. With a burst of energy, she slipped behind a pokeweed bush, savoring each sweet bite of the cherries. Not wanting to be caught with the evidence on her Sunday dress, she quickly dug a small hole beneath the bush, dropped the cherry seeds inside, and covered them carefully with earth and moss. Her hands brushed off the dirt, and in a flash, she returned to the others, the seeds already fading from her thoughts.
Years passed, and the little girl grew, as did the seeds she had so innocently planted. From that tiny act of childlike mischief sprouted a majestic cherry tree—a symbol of life, love, and time’s quiet passage. The tree grew tall, its roots woven deep into the cemetery’s soil, as if in eternal protection of those who rest beneath.
The Years of Growth
The little girl grew up; perhaps she was married in the beautiful Sanctuary of Walker Chapel; perhaps she moved away. Whatever the case, be assured she kept Walker Chapel in her heart all her life. History often preserves great events and important names, but it rarely records the secret adventures of children.
What we do know is that, year after year, the tiny cherry seeds she buried beneath the pokeweed bush pushed their way upward toward the sun. At first, no one noticed. The congregation was busy building a church and a community. Horses gave way to automobiles. Dirt roads slowly became paved roads. Arlington transformed from farms and fields into neighborhoods and schools.
Two trees sprouted. One tall and thin and the other wrapped its trunk around the first. Their trunks grew together until they appeared to everyone as a single tree. Through it all, the little cherry tree, as all thought it was one tree, continued its quiet work.
The children who had attended that first service in 1903 grew up and returned carrying children of their own. Young couples stood before pastors and exchanged vows. Soldiers marched off to war and, if blessed, returned home. Families gathered in joy and gathered again in sorrow. Many passed to eternal care and took rest in the historic cemetery.
And always, the tree grew.
Its roots spread slowly beneath the sacred ground of Walker Chapel. Its branches reached farther each year, stretching their shade over the graves of farmers, teachers, veterans, mothers, fathers, pastors, and children.
A precious number tended to its growth. There was Vernie Lesessne Gaddy, who managed the cemetery in the 1940s and wrote a fascinating journal of records and his personal thoughts. He established the layout of the left side of the cemetery, the most-used area. There was Mary Ellen Brown, who in a pinch became the cemetery manager and went on to build the beautiful main gate. Others followed; Donald Autrey Randall managed the cemetery while his wife, Carey, took on the needs for lay leadership. Peter C. Blann managed the cemetery for many years in the early 2000s, overseeing the eternal care of those now resting on the cemetery’s left side. Larry Danforth joined the Chapel in 2016 and spent years restoring the buildings before moving on to care for the Cemetery. He and James Wright, the chapel architect, built the solid stone gravity wall where the three columbaria now stand. This chain of caring is traditional in Walker Chapel, where people lead with their hearts and faith. Funding for enhancements and improvements comes from the Caring for the Past Fund, which accepts and welcomes donations from the many friends of the cemetery. Â If you would like to learn more about Walker Chapel, please visit the Walker Chapel website.
At the center of the garden stood the two trees, united as one and companions for life, growing deeper and taller as the seasons passed by. Standing witness to the devoted who passed into eternal care beneath its shade.
Perhaps one of them, walking through the cemetery one spring morning, paused beneath its blossoms and smiled to themselves: “I remember when that tree was no bigger than my hand.”
The great events of history passed overhead. The First World War, the Great Depression, the Second World War, the building of the Pentagon, and the growth of Arlington County. Around 1955, the congregation had grown so much that a new and large Chapel was needed. The present Chapel was dedicated in 1960 as the cherry tree watched yet another chapel rise around it.
Yet the cherry tree remained wonderfully above it all. Its purpose was simpler: to bloom, to provide shade, to comfort, and to stand watch over those entrusted to its care.
For more than a century, generations of Walker Chapel families gathered beneath its branches. Children played nearby after Easter services. Families lingered after funerals, reluctant to leave those they loved. Volunteers rested in its shade while tending the graves of those who had gone before them.
The tree became more than a tree; it became part of the history and story of Walker Chapel.
The Ending
No one likes to think about the end of a beloved tree.
For many years, the cherry tree remained at the center of the cemetery, changing almost imperceptibly from one season to the next. In spring, it burst into bloom. In summer, it cast welcome shade. In autumn, it painted the cemetery with color. In winter, its bare branches stretched toward heaven.
It provided the backdrop for the Easter Sunrise Service, thus weaving its roots into the ground and our faith.
Then, slowly, as happens to all living things, age began to show.
The branches grew thinner and were covered with moss. Branches were lost as storms left their marks. The tall, thin sentinel started to lean away, a large crack forming at the base as its lifetime companion lost its embrace.
Those who cared for the cemetery understood what was coming, but understanding does not make parting easier.
Eventually, the sentinel fell to the ground, miraculously missing any stones and gravesites. The space between the two trees left a void in the ground and in our hearts. The remaining tree’s foundation was seriously compromised, and all knew it would be days, at the most a few weeks, until it too would fall.
Special equipment and ground cover were brought in, and the giant tree was carefully lowered, piece by piece, safely to the ground. When the work was done, and the equipment had departed, there was a silence in the cemetery that seemed larger than the space the tree had occupied. For the first time in generations, the sky was visible where once there had only been branches and leaves.
A New Beginning
The story of Walker Chapel has never been solely about endings; it has also been about beginnings.
In the place where the old cherry tree had stood for generations, a young Kousa Dogwood was planted. In the coming years, it will grow to 30 feet tall and have large white flowers that last up to six weeks. It is but a youth, fragile as it seeks to settle into its new home during the hot summer. Very much like a cherry seed buried by a little girl on that Sunday morning more than a century ago, the young dogwood is growing quietly beneath the Virginia sky.
Each spring, it will open its blossoms to the world. Each year, its roots will sink deeper into the sacred soil of Walker Chapel. Perhaps one day its branches will stretch wide enough to shelter children not yet born. Perhaps one day a grandmother will pause beneath its shade and tell her grandchild the story of the little girl who planted cherry seeds on the day the new chapel opened. And perhaps the child will smile and ask, “Do you think it’s true?” To which the grandmother may answer, “I don’t know. But I hope so.”
Come Sit Beneath the Trees
If you have never visited Walker Chapel Historic Cemetery, we invite you to spend a few quiet moments walking the grounds. You do not need to be considering a burial or columbarium niche. Come simply to experience a place where generations have gathered, remembered, and found peace.
Sometimes the best way to understand a place is simply to spend a few quiet moments there
We would be honored to walk with you, answer your questions, and share the stories of those who helped build this remarkable community.