Bad Year for Trees

I have about give up on the catalpa tree growing in my yard.  It is funky tree.  Its shape seems haunting and the leaves don't turn.  They just wilt after it gets so cold outside.  Every couple of years mid-summer it will just starts dropping leaves.  We have been told there is something in the soil like a wilt doing this but it is not every year and some of the branches will come back later or next year.  This year was bad.  Huge branches just died and some leafed out again and some didn't.  If the branches don't come back next year, I think it will be time to consider taking it out and plant something hardier.

Some branches in the back died. 

This branch has no new leaves.

Tiny new leaves.