If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
Those are words to live by, especially if you’re Oxford resident Gerald Chizmadia.
After his first attempt at a possible Eagle Scout project failed, Chizmadia had the chance to start over.
The 17-year-old Oxford High student originally intended on purchasing and installing new chalkboards for a special needs school, only to find that the school went ahead and did the project without him.
At the beginning of this summer, Chizmadia, a boy scout with Troop 108, was approached about another possible project idea involving the cemetery at St. Augustine’s House on E. Drahner in Addison.
The cemetery needed a lot of landscaping improvement to flow with the beauty of their new monastery.
Bernie Ethridge, a member of St. Augustine’s House, offered to fund the landscaping project.
Her husband, Kenneth, passed away last fall and she asked Father Richard Herbel if he could be interred in the cemetery.
?(Father Richard) said he’d had this idea about developing the property and I said I’d like to donate some money,? she said.
Agreeing to help, Chizmadia met with Gillings Artistic Landscaping of Metamora and Father Richard to develop a plan.
‘We got a plan together that said what we were going to do, how much it was going to cost and how much they wanted done,? Chizmadia said.
Along with 12 other teenage boys from school and other boy scout troops, Chizmadia cleared out large amounts of brush that had grown over the cemetery, cutting off tree branches and cutting down trees to create a more peaceful surrounding.
They moved statues and even identified a number of graves.
To do this, Chizmadia said they had to dig an 18-inch deep hole and insert a round cylinder to fill with cement. They then pressed metal numbers into the cement, making the markers permanent.
A tile stone walkway through the center of the cemetery was provided by the Orion Stone Depot, while a concrete angel and two stone benches were provided by Lake Orion Ornamental Products.
Trees, shrubs and large rocks found on the premises were moved and planted by a crew from Gillings.
A crucifix is the centerpoint of the cemetery and was made and donated by the late Gino Testaguzza. A new cross is also being built by Jim Lueders of Oxford.
The once bare and open field is now a peaceful sanctuary with a beautiful landscape where Father Richard hopes visitors can relax and recollect.
‘In Europe, cemeteries were like parks. They aren’t just for the dead,? he said. ‘They’re for the living and they were used by the living.?
Chizmadia said this project was an ‘interesting learning experience? and was glad he could help.
He clocked 32 hours worth of preparation and writing and 28 hours of actually doing the project.
That’s a lot of time, considering Chizmadia spent most of his summer at the National Jamboree in Virginia and at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.
Hard work aside, Chizmadia sees everything else going smoothly.
‘The Eagle Scout project is the biggest part in getting Eagle (status),? he said. Now that I have that done and once I get the paperwork conclusion done, it’ll be easy.?
Chizmadia still needs two or three more merit badges and will probably receive his Eagle badge the end of October.
For him, being an Eagle Scout means something unique.
‘Once I get it, it means that I’ve done a lot, that I’ve learned a lot. It’s not something everybody does,? he said.
Chizmadia advises other boy scouts not to rush into getting their Eagle status too soon.
‘Take your time,? he said. ‘You don’t have to have it when you’re 13 or 15. Have some fun along the way.?