Century-old tree gets new look
by Beth Kraft
An old willow tree near Modena was recently rediscovered in a fun new way.
Located on the Royal and Gloria Ottum property just east of Modena, a willow tree estimated to be about 100 years old has quite literally become a treehouse.
Royal Ottum says he noticed the tree was starting to crack and had several of the branches cut off. That’s when they discovered that parts of the interior of the tree were hollow.
A shovel and a hammer were used to scrape out any soft wood that did fill the cavity of the tree trunk, and a door was cut into the side of the tree big enough for the Ottums’ grandchildren to walk through to enjoy the large space inside. Holes in the upper parts of the trunk where the branches were cut off flood the unique space with light.
An old shirt, a pop can and snake eggs were also discovered inside the cavity of the tree, shared Ottum, who bought the property on County Highway D in 1984.
The Ottums are looking forward to sharing their unique treehouse with many others when they host the annual family reunion on July 25.