American flags waved in the wind. Kids huddled on blankets to make handmade signs. Friends, colleagues and family members of the Wilsons embraced each other and shared stories as they waited for the body of 12-year-old Shiloh Wilson to be returned to Kingwood.
The 274-mile procession from Kerrville to Kingwood was led by the Harris County Fire Marshal’s office and included 39 first-responder cars and motorcycles. In the middle of the procession was the hearse carrying Shiloh’s body, which was identified on July 10.
The Wilson family died in the Central Texas flash floods as they camped at an RV Park near the Guadalupe River. They were in Kerrville for Shiloh’s upcoming rodeo competition. Auto collision and refinishing teacher Jeff Wilson’s body was recovered on July 6. His wife Amber’s body was found on July 8. Their bodies were already at the Kingwood Funeral Home when Shiloh arrived on July 12.
“Jeff, Amber and Shiloh – the Wilson three – they loved doing life together,” Amber’s brother John Dustin Ledford said to the crowd gathered Saturday afternoon. “Not one of them would have wanted this any other way, so as much as this hurts I know in my heart this is how they would’ve wanted it.”
Hundreds of community members lined the US-59 service road as the cars drove by to honor the lives of the Wilsons.
Kingwood Park baseball players came to honor Shiloh, who was their bat boy and friend throughout their historic run to the UIL state championship a month ago.
Classmates and teachers at Bear Branch Elementary and Creekwood Middle gathered to welcome home Shiloh, who was well known on both campuses for his successes on the youth rodeo circuit.
“He was our little Bear Branch cowboy,” retired Bear Branch P.E. teacher Marti Pieper said.
Those who knew Jeff and Amber from work and from their involvement throughout the community also showed up to welcome Shiloh home. Pieper remembered Jeff and Amber showing up for Bear Branch’s “Super Kid’s Day” to paint faces and teach car basics.
“When tragedy like this happens so suddenly and so unexpectedly to such great people, it’s a real testament to their lives that they lived,” said congressman Dan Crenshaw, who watched the procession arrive at the funeral home. “To see the kind of support that you see along the side of the road here to watch the procession come through. It’s really incredible, I hope people understand how much it means to the family that they did that.”
As the hearse drove along the service road around 4:40 p.m., the crowd went silent. They waved their Texas and American flags. They held their posters that ranged from “Fly high Shiloh Wilson” to “Wilson 3.” They wiped the tears they could no longer contain.
“Even though Shiloh’s not with us here physically, he’s with us in our hearts,” Humble ISD School Board president Marques Holmes said after the procession. “We’re going to help carry that legacy home for him and his parents. This is just an unimaginable tragedy.”
Shiloh was a rising seventh grader at Creekwood Middle School. His mother worked at Insperity. His father was preparing to start his 31st year teaching in Humble ISD. Jeff had taught at Kingwood Park since it opened in 2007.
“Any time you lose a staff member that has that many years and that kind of experience, and the ability to touch the lives of students – you are going to feel that,” Humble ISD superintendent Roger Brown said. “He will be missed, without a doubt.”
Kingwood Park teacher Kim Ackerman first met Jeff in 1989. She became a close friend of the Wilson family. More than two hours before the procession even arrived, Ackerman sat under a tent with her grandchildren making posters for Shiloh.
“They were kind,” Ackerman said, fighting back tears. “They were respectful. Jeff never met a stranger, ever. They were family oriented. They were close, and that’s how family should be. Jeff was a role model in all aspects. He’s going to be greatly missed at KPark. It won’t be the same.”
