Christmas tree ornaments in downtown Washington are helping families remember loved ones who has passed. Hospice of Washington County has memorial trees on display in the windows of the Washington Public Library. Bereavement Director and Assistant Executive Director Jina Witthoft for Hospice of Washington County says there’s a variety adorning the trees, “It can be whatever ornament that you chose. We have great ornaments on the trees. We have Harley Davidson ornaments. We have birds. We have baking. We have John Deere. You name it, it’s probably on there somewhere.” Witthoft adds that people stop to visit the trees, “People will come in. We’ll see them looking outside the windows. They’re in two of the front windows that are expansive and beautiful, as well as come in and just kind of look over the tree. And see and help them reminisce, ‘Oh, I remember this person.’ Or, ‘I knew this person.’ So we hear a lot of stories through the staff at the library.”

Those who would like to donate an ornament in memory of a loved one are asked to take it to the Hospice of Washington County office at 948 East 11th Street. The ornaments will be catalogued and then placed on a tree. After the holidays, the ornaments are then taken down and stored until next year when they will again be displayed.