Five Grandsons, Five Eagle Scouts, One Proud Family

Andy Wildemann of St. Phillip may not have been a Boy Scout; nor were his daughters life-long Girl Scouts. He may, however, be the proudest Scouting grandfather in the tri-state. All five of his grandsons, ranging in age from 18 to 32 years, have earned the highest achievement in Scouting - the rank of Eagle Scout.

Wildemann and his wife, Mary, are the parents of two daughters - Rhonda (Urban) Schenk and Renee (Don) Market. Rhonda was involved in Girl Scouts for a short period very early on but stopped when they moved out of Evansville. A retired mechanical estimator and co-owner of Dieg Brothers Construction, Wildemann showed by example how to plan, build, and commit to long-term goals. His grandsons took these lessons to heart and put them to good use as they planned their Eagle Scout projects, which must benefit the community. 

“They showed a lot of discipline and responsibility,” Wildemann said. “I gave them words of encouragement, but they didn’t need much. The younger (grandsons) were under pressure from Dan. He set the bar.”

Dan Schenk indeed set expectations high as the first of Wildemann’s grandsons to earn the rank. Younger brothers Andy and Tom followed in his footsteps. All three graduated from Mater Dei. Their cousins Jason and Nicholas Market, both graduates of Gibson Southern High School, carried on the tradition. 

Projects to improve playground equipment, add pieces to the existing playground and build picnic tables were completed by the Schenk brothers and benefitted St. Phillip School in Posey County. The Market brothers built and installed shelving and storage units for the Ronald McDonald House and Hangers Clothing Bank in Evansville.

Only about seven percent of all Boy Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, according to the Boy Scouts of America website. Eagle scouts are required to rise within the ranks of Boy Scouts and complete 21 merit badges, which range from animation to wilderness survival.  In addition to traditional badges, the Schenk and Market brothers earned religious awards from the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, among which are the Parvuli Dei and Ad Altare Dei Emblems. 

Wildemann is not alone in his pride for these young men.  Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger, a long time associate with the Boy Scouts of America and winner of the Silver Buffalo Award (Scouting’s highest award bestowed upon those who give noteworthy service to youth), offers his congratulations to Wildemann and his grandsons for their efforts.

“The Boy Scouts of America is a genuine program for youth that spans the life of a boy from his early childhood years into young adulthood,” Bishop Gettelfinger said. ”The miracle of Scouting is that it is the choice of the boy to participate. It spans his school years as he matures. It challenges him as he develops physically, mentally and spiritually. For a young man to achieve the Boy Scout Rank of Eagle is admirable;s but for five grandsons to reach that pinnacle of scouting is most exceptional, not to mention inspirational. Congratulations Grandpa!”