A boy, an Eagle Scout Project and the headstone

Becoming an Eagle Scout is for life. People are impressed by this fact your entire life, because they hold that honor in high regard. To become an Eagle Scout, one must first be a scout in good standing, persevere on numerous levels: gain merit badges, serve in different leadership positions, help in the community projects, and have an Eagle Scout project that will benefit the community or other organizations.

In other words, jump through the proverbial hoops and rings in order to accomplish big important things like you would in life, similar to college admission, job applications, mortgages and other adult life accomplishments.

The project must be well thought out, managed and followed through to the end. Help is welcome from others, but one must be the primarily person involved with the project. After it is approved by the benefitting organization, the scoutmaster and the BSA council or district, there are strict rules to follow from the “Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook.”

The recent Jacob de Cordova headstone reclamation project gave Edward Timmerman of Dripping Springs Troop 101 an opportunity. Family friends with the Johnsons of Sabino Ranch, Edward asked about making the headstone his project and it was agreed it was a great idea. The formal proposal was completed in January of this year.

“I wanted to do something with the museum. I worked with Dale Hood, Jic Clubb, it was hands on for all components. Grady Burnette (president of the WIC) also helped. I worked with five different entities.” Edward said. Of course others like mom and dad, Scott Johnson, and plenty of community members were there to help as well. But the project was Edward’s from start to finish.

After the cemetery gate surrounding the headstone was removed from its location at the Wimberley Community Center, the headstone came next. Laying in its temporary location for a decade or so it was moved.

As for the headstone itself, it was set in concrete to keep the pieces together. Sitting in a big block of cement, it then had to be cut down in order to fit into the museum’s doors. “And I got dirty along the way,” Edward said. “We rolled it on dollies, barely off the dirt and once we reached the road, it just kept on going.”

Years of leaves and mulch gathered on the headstone leaving brown coloring and mildew as it sat in a shaded spot underneath a glade of trees, between the museum and the Community Center

It was cleaned with baking soda as to not to hurt the original marble. “Baking soda and a nylon brush cleared away a lot of mildew…the stone was laid in the front room then the metal stands were were made to hold it.”

It now sets proudly in the Wimberley Valley Museum at the historic Winters-Wimberley House.

The most fun part was the concrete cutting according to Edward, “The project was meaningful, historical. It was not like a bench but as it is involved with Texas and Texas history, it is very rewarding.”

The unveiling of the new exhibit will be in a few weeks.