FLOYD CO, Ind. (WHAS11) — Greenville, Indiana may be a small town in Floyd County, but it has some of the biggest hearts around.
"It just came to me – a Christmas remembrance tree," said Missi Moore.
She lost her husband Eddie five days before Christmas almost five years ago. This year, Missi decided to honor him and others by turning a fir tree on her property into a living memorial.
"I started thinking about everybody else out there that lost loved ones and thought I wanted to share this," she told WHAS11.
PHOTOS: Woman honors lost loved ones with community Christmas tree for rememberance
Her Facebook post in November went viral. The Greenville Fire Department got word of Missi's idea and helped string the donated lights.
While some people have been gone for decades - others - just a few days. Missi hung an ornament for Charlestown Police Sergeant Ben Bertram who died during a pursuit this past Wednesday. "My heart just breaks for them especially this time of year. So, I wanted to hang that on there for them, Moore said of Bertram's family.
Sandra Lasher drove an hour to hang an ornament for her husband Anthony. He was an Army veteran whose love for country is only matched for the love of his wife.
They would've celebrated 47 years of marriage this month, but dementia took him in October. "I get see his grave a lot, put flowers on there and I never forget him," she said.
Missi says that's the purpose of the tree; to remember the lives lost, but to also honor how each person lived. Missi is still surprised by the response. "It just warmed my heart," she said.
If you would like to hang an ornament, you can visit the tree at 9751 Clark St. in Greenville, Indiana. Or, you can mail an ornament to P.O. Box 159 Greenville, Indiana 47124.
Moore will keep the ornaments on the tree through January. If families do not reclaim the ornament, they will be saved and placed on the tree again next year.
►Contact reporter Robert Bradfield at rbradfield@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@RobertBreports) and Facebook.