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Eagle Scout goes above and beyond for community

Eagle Scout Landyn Listermann of Troop 1207 stands beside the Mound Cemetery monument dedicated to Rufus Putnam and his descendants. Tree twigs, weeds, a big tree stump and lichen obscuring the words on the stone are now gone. Putnam’s original, modest tombstone is in the Campus Martius Museum. (Photo by Nancy Taylor)

Landyn Listermann’s Eagle Scout project at Mound Cemetery has restored the meaning of “clean and cared for” to the Rufus Putnam family monument and more than 50 of the very oldest grave stones there.

Listermann, of Troop 1207, was introduced by Tony Durm at Thursday’s Sons of the American Revolution memorial service at Mound Cemetery for Revolutionary War patriots.

Durm, past president of the Marietta Chapter SAR, also has been actively involved in the Scouting program’s process leading to Eagle Scout achievement. So he was proud to share details of what Listermann had accomplished there.

“He pulled out all the weeds in the stone enclosure around the Putnam monument, but the really big job was getting rid of the rotting tree stump that was there,” Durm said.

Earlier photos of the monument show a fairly good-sized tree growing in that spot. Today, it’s level, hard-packed bare ground.

Once the numerous twigs and weeds were gone, Listermann was considering landscaping materials that would keep the weeds down and make the area look more finished. But when he checked with state historical officials they advised against putting in materials that were modern, not original. So the ground has been left as is.

“But Scouts did a lot of other work that Landyn organized,” Durm said.

Under his direction, Scouts scrubbed down more than 50 headstones, including the big Rufus Putnam monument.

“We are being overtaken not only by the grime of the Mid Ohio Valley but also this lichen that’s growing on everything,” Durm said. “So there was a considerable amount of scrubbing. We used Orvus soap, a very non-caustic detergent that doesn’t affect the stones. And we did that in mid-March, so it wasn’t overly warm. But it was necessary to do it because he needed to complete the requirements by his 18th birthday. He turned 18 in March. But it all worked out.”

Later in the day, Listermann agreed with Durm’s assessment.

“Lots and lots of scrubbing,” he said. “Particularly what we had on the Rufus Putnam monument. You really couldn’t read the words. And there’s lots of lettering there.”

The work group started around 10:30 a.m. one March morning and worked until 5:30 p.m. “And it was 35 degrees,” he recalled.

Durm, continuing his SAR special address about Listermann’s work Thursday, told the gathering:

“Landyn started with us in third grade. He turned 18 in March. And I have to say that he is exceptional. In the last 18 years I’ve had two Eagle Scouts I would say were exceptional.”

Durm is involved in each prospective Eagle Scout’s board of review, which follows the completion of the scout’s Eagle project. Durm was in Listermann’s review May 10. He explained that as well as becoming an Eagle Scout, at that same time Listermann earned five Eagle Palms.

“In addition to leadership and a project, they also have to earn 21 merit badges. Thirteen of those are required,” he said of Eagle Scout procedures. “Each Palm represents five additional badges, beyond what’s required for me.”

Listermann is also a member of the Order of the Arrow, “which is the National Honor Society of Scouting,” Durm said. “But he has completed his classes as a senior at Marietta High School and will graduate with honors, because he’s also a member of the scholastic National Honor Society.”

Listermann will be going to Ohio State in August to study psychology.

“I appreciate his involvement with us. I appreciate his project. I think it’s very important to do what we’re doing today and remember those that came before and really made all this possible. So I appreciate his interest in this and helping us do that,” Durm concluded.

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