Some months after the Memorial Day flood of 2015, Wimberley’s need to tell their story galvanized. The result was the book and superb oral history, “Wimberley: Epic Flood Tests a Small Town’s Strength.” Displaying astute foresight, the collaborative team of Nancy Williams, Stephen Klepfer, Carroll Wilson, the Wimberley Village Library and the City of Wimberley, invited the community to come forward and share their experience. Nearly 100 survivors and responders sat down and relived what, for many of them, was the most harrowing 48 hours of their life.
Together, the stories paint a portrait not only of the destruction, but of the countless individuals and organizations that came to help. It is a moving and very real account.
Now, through the long lens of a decade, I asked Wilson, Klepfer and Williams to offer their memories and perspectives.
Carroll Wilson, 2025 “I was circulation librarian at the Wimberley Village Library at the time. As I recall, we reached out through the Wimberley View newspaper and asked people to contact us. Nancy Williams and Steve Klepfer already knew some folks, and we split up the list and started making phone calls. I set aside several hours each week to either interview people at the library or at the place of their choosing. I conducted some at the library and some in their homes and some elsewhere. I did about 50 to 60 interviews, each lasting from an hour to four hours or so. I recorded all the sessions with a digital device. I had some questions in mind for the interviews, but let things take a natural course. I was a journalist for many years so I knew how to interview people in stressful situations. I found that in many interviews, I was crying as much as the people who were affected by the flood. It was truly awful for them to remember the details, and I empathised. I wept more during those hours than I have before or since. The unsung hero of this book project must be mentioned. Kristina Minor, who was the Teen Librarian, transcribed all of the interviews. She wanted no credit and no additional pay. I was so thankful for her generous participation; I don’t know what we would have done without her. The book would have cost much more than the $18 per copy to produce had she not taken on the job of transcribing. The book, at the time, was a low $20.”
Stephen Klepfer, 2025
“It was pitch black that night. The only time we could see anything was the moment a flash of lightning struck and illuminated the sky. The flood took 10,000 trees and 11 lives. Considering the magnitude of the flood, it was a miracle that more lives weren’t lost.
There were many heroes that night and afterwards. And there were stories to be told. We set up shop at the library and one by one, people set aside their pain and told them.
Ten years later, families are still grieving over the loss of the homes that held so much of their history. There were lessons learned — not enough alert stages upstream, rental properties lacked emergency information and landlines, and others. But lessons learned are often forgotten. It is for that reason that this book was created. For those who lived through the flood, it is something they will never forget. For those who came after, these stories will tell them what happened.” Nancy Williams, 2025 “I shared these thoughts in the spring of 2016 and they hold true about our community today. The waterways that flow through the Wimberley Valley are often places of joyful celebration and peaceful reflection for those who gather at their banks and create meaningful, lasting memories.
When those peaceful waters became roaring forces of nature, rushing out of their banks and through the valley, our people once again gathered -- this time to mourn, to comfort, to remember, to encourage, to support and to commit together to restore and rebuild.
As you reflect on the experiences shared during and after the flood, remember not only the struggles and losses, the amazing rescues and overwhelming support, but also the glimpses of determination and resiliency along with the hope of new beginnings, as the people of this valley stand strong in the promise of renewal. Wimberley Strong.
The landscape has changed, but the heart of the community remains steadfast. Underneath the debris and despair, beyond the echoes of the cries for help, the piercing crack of the trees and the roar of the water, I encourage you to join the people of the Wimberley Valley in celebrating strength of character, a true spirit of community and an awareness of blessings that fill this place we call home.”
Carroll Wilson
Community service has been a big part of Carroll Wilson’s life since 1971 when he was an officer in the U.S. Army and became volunteer editor of the Indiana Cancer Society newsletter. Over the years he has been chairman of the board of the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank, the Wichita Adult Literacy Council and the Better Business Bureau of North Central Texas. He was executive director of the Panhandle Environmental Action Committee. He is past chairman of the board, North Texas Workforce Resource Board; past president of the board, Texas Associated Press Managing Editors; past member of the board and co-founder, Zavala Hispanic Cultural Initiative.
He served on the boards for the following organizations, as well: Wichita County Heritage Society, Canyon Community Services and the Temple ISD Student Mentoring Program. Wilson has volunteered as a student mentor in the Wichita Falls ISD and Temple ISD, a member of the Temple ISD bond issue planning committee, a member of the City of Wichita Falls water planning committee, a ruling elder in the Canyon First Presbyterian Church, a member of the parish council for Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wichita Falls and as a member of the parish council for St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church of Wimberley. For 10 years he was editor of the Purple Heart Magazine, published by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, an international veterans organization. In 2001 he was named recipient of the Scripps Howard Foundation’s Distinguished Community Service Award, and in 2011 he was named a Texas Hero for Children by the State Board of Education. Two years ago he was inducted into the Communications Hall of Fame at West Texas A&M University, his alma mater. Wilson and his wife Lynda lived in Wimberley until 2011. They now live in Wichita Falls.
Stephen Klepfer Former Mayor Stephen Klepfer has been involved in Wimberley community projects since 1992 including incorporation, building the Wimberley Community Center, buying and developing Blue Hole Regional Park, creating the Wimberley Master Plan and the Cypress Creek Watershed Protection Plan. He served on the Wimberley City Council for six years, three as Mayor, and four years on the Planning and Zoning Commission. He owns and operates three Wimberley businesses including The Old Mill Store and with his wife, Dr. Randa Ryan, Longleaf Craft Kitchen + Bar. Stephen lives on the Blanco River with Randa where they have raised four wonderful sons.
Nancy Williams, M. Ed., LPC As a licensed professional counselor, life coach, consultant, and speaker Nancy Williams helps adults learn how to resolve or effectively manage life challenges so they can live life to the fullest. In addition to a Master’s degree in counseling and human development, her professional experience includes mental health counseling, life coaching, teaching, small-business ownership, consulting, public relations and community development. Nancy is the author of “Keeping Your Balance, Finding Your Way (2024) and Secrets to Parenting Your Adult Child (2011). She has contributed to several publications, including writing inspirational life management columns for newspapers, websites and blogs, along with radio and television. She enjoys life in Wimberley and is involved in various community activities.
Wimberley: Epic Flood Tests a Small Town’s Strength, produced by Stephen Klepfer, Nancy Williams and Carroll Wilson. Copyright ©2016 Wimberley Village Library. All rights Reserved. ISBN: 978-0578-17698-7; Library of Congress Control Number: 2016931967; 333 Pages.
