Hope for Heroes: Jose Javier Escalante

Deputy Jose Javier Escalante of Kendall County Sheriff's Office, Hope for Heroes Texas

The American Dream in Uniform For Deputy Jose Javier Escalante, service has been a defining theme throughout his life. Long before he joined the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, he was learning lessons about discipline, faith, and perseverance growing up in the mountains of Venezuela. Escalante spent his childhood near the Colombian border, where life revolved … Read more

Finding Home Through Service

Portrait of Boerne Police Officer Eduardo Murillo in tactical uniform, illuminated by dramatic blue lighting and smoke, featured in the Hope for Heroes article by Jonathan Mallard for The Kendall Gentleman.

For Officer Eduardo Murillo, service has always been tied to responsibility. Long before he wore a badge in Kendall County, he was learning what it meant to protect and serve through military service, volunteer work, and helping people in crisis. Murillo was born in San Pedro, Mexico, before his family relocated to Del Rio, Texas … Read more

Publisher Note: Thank A Veteran

Michael G. Ethridge, publisher of The Kendall Gentleman, photographed outdoors in Boerne, Texas, for his November 2025 “Thank a Veteran” message.

Every November, we set aside a day to honor the men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform. But for most of us, gratitude should not be something we circle on a calendar. It should be part of how we live. Both of my grandfathers were veterans, and three of my four grandparents worked … Read more

Harvesting Legacy: Andy Ivankovich’s Mission of Service and Strength

“Andy Ivankovich at Singing Water Vineyards in Comfort, Texas, with a bottle of Freedom red wine and a glass on the tasting room bar.”

When Andy Ivankovich first drove down Mill Dam Road in Comfort, Texas, he wasn’t looking for a vineyard. Truth is, he’d never even tasted Texas wine. What he sought was just a quiet slice of the Hill Country, somewhere to clear brush on weekends with his kids and let his mind rest from years of … Read more