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The water oak, which was in poor health, was deemed too
damaged to save after it lost large branches during a July
tornado, said Lynne Weaver, a docent at Ivy Green, the Keller
estate in Tuscumbia.
Weaver said the tree was a favorite of school children who
toured the house and grounds because of the rescue story often
featured in Keller biographies written for young audiences.
“We’re very disappointed," she said.
Keller lost her sight and hearing to illness as a 19-month-old
child but triumphed over her disabilities to become a role model
and advocate for others with similar limitations. She died in
1968 at age 87.
Keller’s achievements were made possible in part by Sullivan,
whose determination to educate Keller was chronicled in Keller’s
autobiography and the 1962 film, "The Miracle Worker."
In one of the stories often told of their relationship, Keller
and Sullivan decided to climb a tree after morning lessons and a
walk on a summer day. Sullivan left Keller in the tree, telling
her to stay put, while the teacher went into the house to make a
picnic lunch.
When a fast-moving storm approached, Sullivan returned to lead
the frightened girl safely to the ground.
Weaver said no decision had been made about what would become of
the removed tree's wood. The museum has received requests for
souvenir pieces of the tree and offers to have some of the wood
carved into a memento for the museum, she said.
(Reporting by Barbara Liston in Orlando, Fla.; Editing by
Colleen Jenkins and Peter Cooney)
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Beloved
oak tree at Helen Keller's childhood home in Alabama cut down
