Ingleside City Council approves memorial tree for Girl Scouts leader

The Ingleside City Council voted unanimously to approve the planting of a crêpe myrtle tree and a plaque in memory of Linda Gonzales Smith during Tuesday night's meeting.

Smith's daughter, Samantha Gonzalez, attended the meeting along with scouts of varying ages who came out to support the proposal. Gonzalez told KRIS 6 before the meeting, "It's like leaving this last memory of this tree to help beautify Ingleside in her honor.”

Smith was born in Aransas Pass and spent much of her time between there and Ingleside. She worked as a branch manager for Edward Jones, where she dedicated her time to "assisting residents with their financial matters," according to the cover sheet attached to Tuesday night's agenda. Smith eventually became involved with the Girl Scouts as a co-leader before progressing to service unit manager for the Ingleside/Aransas Pass and Heart of Texas Service Unit.

One of the scouts who worked under Smith's leadership, Gretchen Canon, spoke about her former scout leader's impact before the city council. In speaking with KRIS 6, she said, "She tried to help the community a lot, she did a lot of service projects. I think the tree would help show that she helped the community and that it would be something she would like as well.”

During her time with the Girl Scouts, Smith led several beautification projects in Ingleside, including efforts at Whitney Lake. "One of her mottoes was to leave the area better than you found it," Gonzalez explained. "So, everywhere we went, we were always cleaning up and doing our best to beautify Ingleside and make it the best it could be.”

Smith passed away in September of last year, and the tree in her memory will be planted at Whitney Lake, a place that reflects her dedication. The tree planting is expected to occur within the coming year, with hopes of annual memorial services to honor her contributions to the community.

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