News

Arbor Day honors Ann Nelson

By Scott Wagar

05/21/2013

The North Dakota Forest Service held its Arbor Day celebration in the most fitting place this year, and for the most fitting individual from the state of North Dakota, which was filled with the blossoming of love and gratitude for the local area.
The event started with the Portland Independent Living Center, a school for students with disabilities in Portland, N.D., who challenged the residents of North Dakota and people throughout the United States to walk 250 miles to raise money for Annie’s House. The students walked the final 250 miles from the front entrance gate at the Bottineau Winter Park to Annie’s House. The students raised $7,700 The 250 miles represent the distance from Portland to Bottineau.     

The NDFS hosted its annual Arbor Day at the Bottineau Winter Park this year and in honor of Ann Nicole Nelson on her 42 birthday with the newly constructed Annie’s House, which was built in honor of Nelson after losing her life to terrorists at the World Trade Center complex on September 11, 2001.

The ceremony begin with the Posting of the Colors with a Joint Color Guard made up of veterans from Bottineau County, which included American Legion Post #42, American Legion Post #25 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #8688.

As the colors were posted, an ensemble choir from Bottineau High School sang “God Bless America.”  The choir members included Kaitlyn Gottbreht, Halie Haakenson, Karley Meyer, Miranda Milbrath and Megan Saville. The group was directed by Jaque Marum, choir director in the Bottineau School District.

The keynote speak, Major General David A Sprynczynatyk of the North Dakota National Guard, spoke on behalf of Gov. Jack Dalrymple in a declaration of making Ann Nicole Nelson’s birthday, May 17, the official date for Arbor Day in the state of North Dakota.

Sprynczynatyk went on to speak about Nelson and the men and women of our country who have suffered traumatic injuries while serving in the war on terrorism.

“It is really appropriate that Arbor Day be on Annie’s birthday when you think about what it symbolizes. It literally symbolizes the giving of life, it is about planting the seeds of life for many years to come and for people to enjoy forever what we are doing here today in the celebration of Annie’s House, Annie’s birthday, and Arbor Day,” Sprynczynatyk said. “In reality, 9/11 impacted and changed our lives forever. We have been a nation at war since 9/11, and the impact to our service members, our soldiers, our air men, our marines, our sailors and their families has been tremendously sad as a result of the war on terror.

“Thousands of service members have become wounded warriors. Here in North Dakota we have hundreds of wounded warriors that every day suffered the wounds of war. And, what you have done here, and what you have put into place, is going to make a huge difference in their lives in the future,” Sprynczynatyk added. “We have actually lost 26 soldiers and a Marine from North Dakota, but there are still hundreds of soldiers and Marines, airmen and sailors that re-live that war and suffer from those wounds and face new challenges everyday. Annie’s House recognizes those challenges. It’s Annie House that brings the opportunities for our wounded warriors to address those challenges and for them to have a distinctive experience as a result of what they have given for their country to be here, and to be part of what you are providing for them. Annie’s House is providing that comfort to our wounded warriors as they make daily transition into the civilian world.”

From Sprynczynatyk, a member of the Wounded Warrior Guide Service in North Dakota, David Morse, presented Ann’s parents, Gary and Jenette Nelson with a t-shirt to thank them for what they have done to support the wounded warriors of North Dakota through Annie’s House.

Jenette Nelson was also a keynote speaker and shared a touching story about Ann and how it affects Annie’s House today. She stated that two years ago she was asked to speak in Bismarck at the Rotary Club about Ann and the tragedy on 9/11. When she was speaking that day, a unknown woman from the back of the room came to her, hugged her, and told Jenette that as she listened to Jenette speak that day she could plainly see Ann standing right over Jenette’s left shoulder. Jenette asked the lady if she was a psychic, which the woman said no.

A short time later, Jenette stated that she was speaking to a close friend about her concerns of speaking in public, but her friend remarkably told Jenette not to worry because when she was in the public speaking Annie would be right beside her, that she would be standing right behind her left shoulder.

“As you can see Ann is in many places today, on my right, my left and behind me. And yes, if you look carefully, I think you will see her standing right behind my left shoulder,” Jenette said during the Arbor Day event at Annie’s House. “And, if you listen carefully, I think you will hear her join me in saying, welcome to Annie’s House, this beautiful, loving environment that has been created by the people of this area. And, you will also hear her say that her heart today is filled with joy that you have come to celebrate her 42 birthday and to plant a tree. For when you plant a tree, you plant hope.”

Jenette was also representing the world’s largest volunteer organization, New York Says Thank You, which played the most pivotal role in the construction of Annie’s House. She stated that NYSTY is an organization that volunteers its services to assist people who have been in natural disasters and need help in their communities.

Jenette said that when it came to Annie’s House, Ann was the first person from 9/11to be chosen by NYSTY to be assisted, which she said was a real honor to their family and Ann.

From Jenette, a special song about Ann was preformed by Jordan Thornberg from Walhalla who wrote a song called “Ann’s List” which speaks about Ann’s bucket list and her 39 goals in life, which included building a home in North Dakota, a home that became Annie’s House.
The ceremony then turned to planting trees at the Winter Park in honor of a number of individuals. State Forester, Larry Kotchman, named the trees, which included an Amur Chokecherry, Bur Oak, Honeylocust, Ohio Buckeye and Scotchpine.

Fourteen trees were to be planted during the ceremony, but unfortunately for the forest service the extended winter season that went into spring left the NDFS no time to landscape the area where the trees would be planted. Instead, they held a symbolic tree planting of the Honeylocust, which was Nelson’s tree, along with all who died in New York City on 9/11 and for all special needs children and adult warriors.

After planting the tree, everyone in attendance sang “Happy Birthday” to Nelson which would have been her 42 birthday.

Arbor Day this year was a day filled with sorrow, happiness, tears and laughter and all for the only person who died from North Dakota on September 11, Ann Nicole Nelson, a young woman, a seedling, who grew up holding a pure heart and soul which today and always will be seen and felt through her presence of Annie’s House and the Honeylocust which will no doubt hold and show her kind and caring personality.