POULSBO — Of all the places in Little Norway, the area that is now American Legion Park is one of the most special for longtime resident Muriel Williams.

Saturday she watched with family and friends as city arborist Kevin McFarland planted a dogwood tree at the park in honor of herself and her husband, Cliff.

“My family and I spent a lot of time in this park,” Williams said. “This is where my kids played and we had our picnics.”

Now, with a tree on the west side of the new playground equipment that was installed by the Poulsbo Noon Lions Club in January, Williams said she hopes it will give people something to remember her by.

“I’m glad this tree is going in here. I hope it will be here for many years,” Williams said.

Williams’ daughter, Peggy Williams, said she has fond memories of the park, which used to be nothing but blackberries with a small trail leading to the waters of Liberty Bay.

“We used to go all the way down to the docks,” Peggy said, noting that the area was a popular place for local kids to launch their boats.

But owning a boat also meant having to drag it through the trees and blackberry patches at night to get it home, she said.

“One time there was a storm coming and we had to drag it up to the house, because our father wouldn’t do it,” Peggy said.

Poulsbo Tree Board member Bill Lockard said having a tree planted in Williams’ honor was only fitting, because of all she has done throughout the community.

“It’s a great honor to plant this tree today in a place where Muriel and her family spent a lot of hours and days enjoying this spot,” Lockard said.

Mayor Kathryn Quade echoed Lockard’s sentiments and said she couldn’t think of a more appropriate place to plant a tree honoring Williams and her husband, Cliff.

“I want to thank you for all you’ve done for the community,” Quade told Williams as the tree was put into place.

Williams’ tree is part of the city’s celebration tree program that provides an opportunity for residents of Poulsbo to honor special people in their lives with a lasting gift, Lockard said.

Through the program, the Tree Board assists residents in selecting the right type of tree for the area in which they want to plant it, and a plaque commemorating the person is placed near the tree, Lockard said.