The grounds at the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum on East

Mountain are taking shape. Last fall, truckloads of pave-ment were removed from the area and replaced with paving stones and sandstone slabs of various sizes and shapes. Since that time the Berthoud Historical Soci-ety has offered individuals, families and businesses the opportunity to sponsor personal inscriptions on the pavers and slabs. The pro-cess of inscribing the stones got underway last week and will continue indefi nitely.

The Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum at 224 Moun-tain Ave. consists of six buildings that

house exhibits, an offi ce and storage facilities. The A.G. Bimson 1893 stone

blacksmith shop and the Elmer Carlson 1940 auto-motive repair garage are lo-cated on Mountain Avenue. Behind those buildings the 1916 Meadow Hollow country school, a replica of banker John Bunyan’s back-yard observatory, Charles Meining’s 1874 homestead cabin, and a barn construct-ed by A.G. Bimson in 1902 fi ll the area now known as the “Pioneer Courtyard.” The area was the scene of numerous improvements last fall.

On the afternoon of Berthoud Day, the Pioneer Courtyard will be opened to the public for the fi rst

time. Perhaps the most striking feature

of the courtyard is a wide expanse of paving stones and sandstone slabs. Bordered by newly-planted trees and garden beds, the courtyard aims to live up to Berthoud’s billing as the Gar-den Spot of Colorado. The courtyard will soon be the location of an arbor constructed by local craftsman John Goreski, a gazebo that will contain the school bell from the school that once stood in Fickel Park, a stage construct-ed from the foundation stones from the Sunnyside country school, and a sun dial that John Bunyan had in his backyard on Eighth Street.

The most noticeable change in the courtyard was the relocation of the historical society’s iconic windmill to a prominent site near the street. The windmill, obtained and erected by Dale

and Max Schaal many years ago, is now positioned over the original sand-stone cistern cover from the F.A. Bein farm northeast of Berthoud. A trick-ling water feature has been installed beneath the windmill that towers over an original sandstone watering trough that has stood near Bimson’s stone blacksmith shop since the 1890s.

To date, nearly 100 individuals, families and businesses have stepped forward to sponsor inscribed paving stones and sandstone slabs that com-memorate various persons and aspects of the greater Berthoud community. Larry Carroll’s Rockart Company is inscribing the pavers and sandstone slabs.

The process begins when an order for a paver or stone is placed with the Berthoud Historical Society. Once the text to appear on the paver or stone is determined, it is forwarded to Carroll, who uses his computer to generate a “mask” or stencil of the wording. The mask is then taken to the courtyard where it is glued to a paver or stone. The actual inscription is made by sandblasting the letters and numbers that were cut from the mask. The mask is removed, the stone is cleaned, and the inscription is exposed for the generations to come.

The Berthoud Historical Society invites everyone to consider recording their Berthoud heritage on a paving stone or sandstone slab at the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum. Interested parties may also call the Pioneer Museum at 970-532-2147 or visit the Berthoud Historical Society’s website for more information.

Berthoud Weekly Surveyor May 1, 2014 Page 5

A LOOK AT BERTHOUD

Pioneer Museum courtyard taking shape

After masks have been glued down, the inscription is sandblasted into the surface of the paving stones.

Then & NowSurveyor Columnist

Mark French

Sandals for the Entire Family!

To advertise in this special Longmont business section please contact Diane Wells at

970-532-2252.

Look at LoNGMONT

In Renaze Day Spa • Corner of Mountain Ave. & 7th St.970-532-5898 • Open Tuesday thru Saturday

Free bar of Renaze soap w/purchase.

Shop in Berthoud this Mother’s Day

To advertise in the special section contact Diane Wells at 970-532-2252.

Photos by Mark FrenchThe inscription of paving stones in Berthoud’s Pioneer Courtyard begins when computer-generated “masks” or stencils are glued into place.

Once the paving stone has been sand-blasted, the mask is removed and the stone adhesive is removed from the stone.

Eugene (Gene) SmithJune 14, 1926 — April 24, 2014

Eugene (Gene) Howard Smith went peacefully to his home with the Lord on April 24, 2014. Gene was born to Harvey A. Smith and Mary E. (Priebe) Smith on June 14, 1926, in Haxtun, Colo.

He graduated from Haxtun High School and entered the U.S. Air Force in 1945-46. Upon his return he became a welder under his father in their black-smith shop.

Gene married Alma Koch in 1948 and had three children. In 1964 he

moved his family to Longmont, Colo. He worked as a machinist for Dualmatic from 1964 to 1980. He divorced Alma in 1972.

In 1980 he moved to Berthoud, Colo. He worked for Circuit Images in Boulder, Colo., for 10 years and retired in 1992.

Gene married Marilyn Leon-ard on April 26, 1992, in Ber-thoud, Colo. According to his wife, “He loved watching the mountains from their home while working in the yard and driving his beloved John Deere tractors.”

He is survived by Marilyn Smith of Berthoud, Colo., his children; Vicki Kennedy (George) of Hudson, Colo., Robbie Smith (Ge-

neva) of Ft. Lupton, Colo., and Nancy Smith (Dan) of San Francisco, Calif.; two granddaughters, three grandsons, and two great-grandsons; sister Bernice Collins and brother Clarence Smith,

both of Sterling, Colo.He was preceded in death

by his parents and three brothers; Harold, Richard and Leonard Smith.

Gene is to be cremated without ceremony.

In lieu of fl owers, dona-tions may be made to the Gene Smith memorial.

Carroll-Lewellen Funeral & Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements.

OBITUARY

Gene Smith