Leave it for now. Usually, they will come back from the trunk and make a multi-stemmed trunk. If it's been there 50 years, it's been through some freezes. Scrape the very bottom with your fingernail and see if there is any green. If so, then keep making little scrapes up until you don't see green anymore. If there is green at the bottom, it will probably come back.

Thanks Deb. That That’s what we were thinking too.

BTW it hasn’t lived there for 50 years. IT IS 50 years old. I got it as a tiny plant with the base the size of an eggg about 50 years ago when we lived up north where is was too cold to plant so it luved in a progressively larger pot. We then brought it with us when we moved here and planted it about 9 years ago. It did fine until this year because the amount of cold nights my area gets it can handle just fine. This cold was exceptional in that the 20s lasted almost all night for 3 nights ibstead of our usual 1-2 hours.

I wouldn't rush to trim it either.

Time will tell...