Country Acres - May 18, 2024

BY SARA EISINGER STAFF WRITER

DASSEL - The sun’s light shined through six stained windows of the Dassel Covenant Church, casting an iridescent rainbow over the pews where artist Tom Nelson, of Spectrum Stained Glass Studio, stood.

The artist soldered together an assortment of shapes and colors to symbolically portray the life of Christ.

“We all have a biblical image of what Christ’s life was like,” Nelson said. “These images help to get peo-

Going

Spectrum Stained Glass Studio producing windows, lamps since 1975

ple thinking about what took place. Someone can look at the crown of thorns and draw their own image.”

Nelson has been creating stained-glass windows and Tiffany-style lamps for homes, churches and businesses since 1975.

Nelson works out of the garage on his property along Lake Washington in Dassel. Nelson ships his work across the country.

His hometown church project is filled with representation. Images shown in the chapel’s first stainedglass window portray Christ’s birth.

“There are the wise men and three gifts,” Nelson said. “There is the star that the wise men followed.

There is a manger with baby Jesus.”

The second window represents Christ’s life, and a third displays miracles performed by Christ. A fourth window represents the Jordan River, baptism and Holy Communion.

Nelson page 2

to be installed in his church in Dassel. Nelson incorporated a flaming torch in many of the windows at Dassel Covenant Church to reiterate the message, ‘Let your light so shine before men’ — Matthew 5:16.

PHOTO BY SARA EISINGER

Stained glass artist Tom Nelson fits cut and sanded glass to match his graph April 1 at Spectrum Stained Glass Studio in Dassel. He hopes to brighten the hospice unit at Annandale Care Center.

PHOTO BY SARA EISINGER

Spectrum Stained Glass Studio owner Tom Nelson created stained glass

CAountry cres

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Nelson from front

Another features a purple cloth around a crown of thorns and nails, and the last window displays three crosses, signifying Christ’s

death while white lilies there symbolize purity and rebirth.

Nelson incorporated a flaming torch in all six windows of the chapel to

reiterate the message,

“Let your light so shine before men,” Matthew 5:16 (KJV).

“It is a pretty special thing to be able to do this for your church,” Nelson said. “First, because they had the confidence in me. Second, because it will remain years after I’m gone.”

He also installed stainedglass windows in the church’s kitchen and entryway.

Nelson produces and ships his work to customers throughout the U.S.

“Every project is inspiring, challenging and fun in its own way,” he said. “I did one for a customer up in the mountains of New York. He wanted an outdoor scene with deer and a bear in the window.”

Nelson said every window tells a story.

“I do a lot of designs based on what customers tell me they want,” he said. “I try to work their interests, personalities and input into the design. It is a fun feeling to capture what a customer is looking for without them showing you.”

The project dearest to Nelson’s heart was his first. It was a stained-glass Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress that he completed around 1975.

“My father was a side gunner on one during World War II,” he said. “He instilled a love for the B-17. I have made three or four since. It’s a fun project with a link to my dad. He would have been happy to see it.”

Nelson’s current project is a window for the hospice unit at Annandale Care Center in Annandale.

Nelson page 3

R T

Publications bli ti

“The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.”

BY

PHOTO BY SARA EISINGER

Tom Nelson cuts a dragonfly wing while creating a stained glass window for the hospice unit of Annandale Care Center April 1 at his shop, Spectrum Stained Glass Studio, in Dassel.

PHOTO

SARA EISINGER

Tom Nelson, of Spectrum Stained Glass Studio, cuts, sands, foils

his Dassel shop.

“They told me they wanted dragonflies,” he said. “The window will have maple trees, daffodils, irises and a brick sidewalk. There will be two cardinals in birch trees and a sunset in the background.”

Like designing the windows in the church, contributing to the hospice unit means a great deal to Nelson.

“It is something that I am proud to be involved in because it will give people some peace and calm,” he said. “The idea is to have something of beauty that the patient and family can appreciate and enjoy.”

To begin, Nelson drew the scene with a pencil on a large piece of paper. He divided the paper into more than 200 sections, resembling a completed puzzle. He numbered each section of the illustration. The design served as a diagram for him to place individual glass cutouts.

“Mostly, I use this little round carbide wheel to make score marks,” he said. “Glass wants to break along

the score.”

Nelson plucked a glass cutter from a nearby jar to cut a translucent green shard of glass into a dragonfly wing. He sanded its edges. The wing fit perfectly into its drawn-in space on the diagram.

“Now, I just cross that number off on the drawing,’” he said. “Numbers with an X through them means they are done. I just start at the bottom and work my way up.”

He traced over the wing with ink to finalize the initial part of the process. Then, he foiled the edges of the glass wing with copper to solder around it. Nelson used a heat gun to melt the solder into a thick liquid.

He applied the melted metal to the copper-foiled edges of the wing, bonding it to another cut and sanded piece of glass.

“It is kind of like arc welding but a little less violent,” he said. “I tack multiple places together with solder.”

Then, flux is brushed over the glass. The gel-like

flux produces a clean shine when wiped away. Nelson applies low-acid chemicals over the solder to turn the metal black.

Nelson said he purchases most of the stained glass he uses from Ed Hoy’s International in Illinois. He has visited stained-glass producers, artists and museums throughout the country.

“Louis C. Tiffany is my inspiration,” he said. “If you get a chance, the New-York Historical Society has some of the best lamps I have ever seen.”

While Nelson enjoys making stained-glass lamps, he said he does not receive many orders.

“I try to do one shade per year,” he said. “Shades can be expensive. Lamps start around $100. They seem to be out of style. I don’t know why. They are beautiful.”

Nelson takes pride in his work.

“There are a couple of rules to life, and one of them is that you will never have enough glass,” he said. “Someday, when this is cleaned out, hopefully, it goes to someone who will appreciate it.”

PHOTO BY SARA EISINGER Spectrum Stained Glass Studio owner

Tom Nelson solders glass together April 1 in his shop in Dassel. Nelson creates a colorful glass hexagram.

PHOTO BY SARA EISINGER

Wood-n-Hearts cofounder Mark Schuler sits on a bed set made for U.S. veterans April 23 at his meeting room in Glenwood.

Wood-n-Hearts became a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization on Dec. 30, 2019.

veterans Wood-n-Hearts donates to

Organization creates and gifts bedroom sets

BY SARA EISINGER STAFF WRITER

GLENWOOD - Woodn-Hearts co-founders Mark and Susan Schuler set out to serve a population too often overlooked: U.S. Veterans.

“The mission of Woodn-Hearts is to provide furniture to people who served in the

U.S. military,” Mark Schuler said. “A bedroom set is given to veterans in need for free.”

Wood-n-Hearts became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization on Dec. 30, 2019. The organization has grown rapidly, delivering 70-bed sets to area veterans in 2023, compared with 32 sets the previous year.

A bedroom set includes a twin or full-size bed frame with a headboard, box spring and mattress, mattress pad, sheet set, comforter, five-drawer chest and

two-drawer nightstand.

“We are pretty particular about how they get the bed sets,” Mark said. “They are all wrapped. When they get it, we want to be sure they will never need another set.”

Furniture sets are constructed of white maple wood at a manufacturing facility near Glenwood.

“Giving someone a nice bed to

sleep in and a place to put their clothes can help them feel like they have a comfort zone,” Mark said. “It can make a real difference in the trajectory of their lives.

Wood-n-Hearts page 6

Tell us about your involvement in FFA: Currently, I’m a member but, at our next chapter banquet, I am hoping to be named a chapter officer. I am involved with all of it; I help as much as I can with community service and when it comes to helping with the chapter events.

What has FFA taught you so far?

FFA has taught me that teamwork is very important. I already knew this, but it has shown me so much in how teamwork can help you achieve goals and greatness throughout your life.

How do you intend to stay involved in agriculture after your FFA career?

I am going to become an alum member after I graduate. I am looking to have a job in the agriculture field, specifically as an ag nutritionist or by having my own dairy farm.

What are you involved in outside of FFA? I help on our dairy farm and my grandparents’ hog farm.

What is something you believe people need to know about agriculture?

I think people need to know agriculture is very important in every field of work and just life in general. It helps feed us, it helps provide our clothes, it helps us live and survive.

Wood-n-Hearts

from page 6

son served in the Marine Corps during Desert Storm. My grandson served in the Marine Corps and my sonin-law served in the Coast Guard. In addition, many uncles and cousins have served our country in various branches of service.”

Mark’s brother Butch Schuler is the inspiration behind Wood-n-Hearts.

Butch served in the Vietnam war and returned to the family’s farm to work, eventually purchasing it.

Susan Schuler said she saw firsthand the way veterans were treated when they returned.

“Vietnam vets were shunned when they came back,” Susan said.

The Schulers agreed that too many veterans are forgotten.

“We have heard stories of people sleeping on floors,” Mark said. “They have served our country. When they get out, this is

how it ends?”

Mark said he recalls a time when Wood-n-Hearts delivered a bed set to a veteran living in Minneapolis.

“We set up his bed and he sat in his chair to watch us,” Mark said. “Then, he said, ‘Wow, all of this for me? I said, ‘Yeah, this is for you for what you did for us.’ He said, ‘You know what, I feel like singing. I said, ‘If you feel like singing, go ahead. He stood up and started singing, ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’ (‘Proud to be an American’).”

Wood-n-Hearts receives donations to help with costs and supplies. Donations do not pay for all of the expenses. Mark and Sue Schuler are business owners. They cover the remaining operation costs out of their own

pockets.

“People do different things with their money,” Mark said. “We want to do the most with our money by trying to help other people. We have great

committee members. These people work very hard to help others.”

Wood-n-Hearts is scheduled to hold its fifth annual raffle event at Minnewaska House Brewing Co + Grill

in Glenwood on Saturday, Aug. 24.

“All of us can help make a difference for these men and women who have returned from serving their country,” Mark said. “Their countless personal sacrifices are not taken for granted.”

PHOTO BY S ARA EI S INGER

Brandon Shuler sands a white maple dresser April 23 at a manufacturing facility near Glenwood. Veterans become eligible to receive a bedroom set when third-party organizations such as VFW, American Legions or other veteran-affiliated organizations send letters of request describing the person’s situation.

**Offer ends 6/30/2024. Available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer’s current inventory. Must take delivery from dealer stock by 6/30/2024. Offers available on new equipment in US and Canada only. Some restrictions apply. Length of contract and rate may vary. Monthly payment subject to change. Prior purchases not eligible. See dealer for details. Financing provided on approval of credit by authorized Bobcat finance providers to well-qualified buyers. All finance programs and rates are subject to final approval by the applicable Bobcat finance provider and are subject to change at any time without notice. Administrative fees may apply. Offer not available to government accounts, national accounts and municipal/utility bid customers. Bobcat Company reserves the right to extend or discontinue any of these programs at any time without prior notice.

BY EMILY BRETH STAFF WRITER

LONG PRAIRIE —

Ben and Gwen Hackett, owners of Stonebridge Beef, make a trip toward the Twin Cities every two weeks with a freezer truckload of grass-fed beef to share with families along the way.

cessors to ensure one has availability when they need it. The couple sells their meat by the quarter, half, whole animals and burger packs which include 20-21 pounds of ground beef.

On average, the couple butchers two cows for each trip they make down toward the cit-ies. As they head down, they meet their customers at public locations. The beef is processed through a variety of pro-

Stonebridge Beef used to provide more than 10 different restaurants with meat but demand fell during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s picking up again now, and they’re working toward supporting restaurants again.

“To be honest, the family customers have taken over so much,” Gwen said.

Gwen, holding Peter, and Ben Hackett stand together on April 19 at their farm, Stonebridge Beef, near Long Prairie. The Hacketts moved out to the farm four years ago taking over the beef business from the previous owner.

The couple is sitting at maximum capacity with the number of

Hacketts page 12

PHOTO BY EMILY BRETH

PHOTO BY EMILY BRETH Stonebridge Beef farm sits on a hill overlooking the pastures and the stone bridge on April 19 near Long Prairie. Stonebridge Beef is a grassfed operation.

JEFFERSON Hearing Aid

Hacketts from page 11

animals they can afford to butcher every two weeks. When business slows during the year, the couple uses that time as an opportunity to build the herd numbers back up. The couple works with another farm opera-tion that does the calving. Every year, the family will process 60-70 animals, keeping a herd size between 160-200 head.

The couple aims to practice regenerative farming. They moved the cattle to different pastures daily and sometimes, twice a day. They do paddock grazing and manage the health of their cattle.

The couple said they want to care for the land to the best of their ability.

“There are a lot of specific health benefits from grass-fed beef that we have benefited from and are important to our customers,” Ben said.

Each winter, they transport the cattle to a different farm, providing a shelter for the herd where they continue to be grass-fed only, to keep consistent with customer demand.

“We provide a significant amount of food for a number of families, and we take that very seriously,” Ben said. “The nutrient profile of grass-fed beef is different from grain-fed beef.”

The Hacketts moved to the farm four years ago. On Ben’s home farm, his dad raised beef cattle and did some rotational grazing. The cattle were grain-fed but, even then, Ben leaned toward feeding grass.

Hacketts page 13

PHOTOS BY EMILY BRETH

The cattle roam in pastures on a cloudy day at Stonebridge Beef near Long Prairie. The cattle are moved to a different pasture daily, sometimes twice a day.

The freezer truck idles in the yard on April 19 at Stonebridge Beef near Long Prairie. Every two weeks Ben and Gwen Hackett deliver beef with this truck.

blossoms lifelong trio

gardeners into

Mergen, Wenning, Kulzer share in hobby

BY SARA EISINGER STAFF WRITER

Lifelong friends Barb Mergen, Char Wenning and Denise Kulzer chatted about flowers and shrubs over crumb cake and coffee in a secret “she shed” in Avon.

Since they were little, the ladies have been friends, and now, the trio enters their golden years with matching green thumbs and blooming gardens.

Each lady shared her motivation for wanting to make their piece of Earth a little more beautiful.

“Here, I go out to garden to lose my mind and find my soul,” Kulzer

said. Wenning said she finds gardening relaxing.

“I garden because it makes me feel good,” Wenning said. “It is my calm. People don’t like deadheading their flowers. I buy flowers just to deadhead them while sitting on my deck and looking at the lake.”

Mergen simply enjoys making her yard more aesthetically pleasing.

“I love to garden because it beautifies a spot and adds color,” Mergen said. “You can walk out and enjoy it.”

Wenning was the first in the group to dig into the dirt.

“When I went to Char’s place and her whole backyard was gardens, I thought, ‘I am going to have that,’” Kulzer said. “Now, I have a few gardens. My husband says that every time he looks up there is another gar-

den coming up, but you get so many perennials. Then, you have to divide them. Then, you have these extra plants. Well, now you have to put another garden in.”

Hostas sprinkled with bulbs, bee balm and other floral varieties are expected to sprout in Wenning’s backyard this spring.

“She was our inspiration,” Mergen said. “Char’s gardens were always big and beautiful. It was fun to go to her place just to see her gardens.”

Mergen started gardening in 1992 while farming full time.

“I wanted one spot to look nice on the farm and that was my flower garden,” Mergen said. “I didn’t have a lot of time — no time, no money. That was the fun thing about creating from nothing.”

Mergen, Wenning and Kulzer began expanding and diversifying their gardens among themselves, making new friends along the way.

“You share plants,” Kulzer said. “You see someone who has a plant you don’t have and you say, ‘Hey, I’ll give you this plant if you give me that plant.’”

Wenning and Mergen agreed.

Gardeners page 16

PHOTO BY SARA EISINGER

Barb Mergen (from left), Denise Kulzer and Char Wenning gather April 4 at Wenning’s property in Avon. The ladies look forward to planting, growing, learning and sharing plants this year.

Gardeners from page 15

“I like having plants to share,” Mergen said. “I always have something to give someone to help get them started.”

Receiving plants as gifts was one way that Wenning grew her garden.

“I got lots of plants from all of my girlfriends,” Wenning said. “I started putting them in. All of a sudden, it grew into a huge garden.”

Kulzer plans to retire in May and hopes to devote her spare time to gardening. Mid-April meant cleaning flower gardens and tilling vegetable and fruit gardens.

“Those are the things you do right now,” Kulzer said. “You make your plan for what you are going to do. I am planting berries in my garden. I want to get a trellis for my vining and muskmelon, so I will have more room.”

The ladies have extended their affinity for and knowledge of gardening to family and friends.

“I bet I have had at least 10 of my nieces and nephews whom I have helped by taking my own garden plants out,” Kulzer said. “I give them away just to help them start flower beds. It’s really cool.”

Kulzer said she has learned by teaching others when and where to plant, how to space and what types of plants to grow around others. The ladies have also learned a lot about each other.

“From Char, I have learned when to snip the flowers to get better blooms and when to cut them back for a second blooming,” Mergen said.

The ladies offered tips to new gardeners.

“If you are just starting to get into it, just ask people,” Kulzer said. “There are so many gardeners out there with so many good tips, and everybody is willing to help out.”

Mergen said new gardeners should not expect an array of plants and flowers in their first year.

Gardeners page 17

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Char Wenning’s entire backyard in 2023 is planted into a garden in Avon. Wenning planted a variety of hostas and other plants, sprinkled with colorful flowers to brighten things up.

Barb Mergen’s garden bursts in shades of green in 2023 in Farming. Mergen waters often to keep her garden looking luscious.

Gardeners

from page 16

“Especially if you plant perennials, they will multiply, and over the course of a few years, you can divide your plants and add more,” she said. “That was the way I did my garden. I could not justify investing when we were on the farm. The kids were young. I just did it little by little, and it grew.”

The ladies grew up together in St. Martin.

“Denise and I have been friends since birth or since our mothers introduced us,” Mergen said. “We lived directly across the road from one another.”

Wenning lived nearby.

“I have been friends with these girls since fourth grade,” Wenning said.

The girls attended a Catholic school in St. Martin, later grade school in Farming and finally Albany Area High School.

“Boy, I tried to lose those girls, but they always came

back,” Mergen said.

Everyone at the table laughed at Mergen’s humor.

The girls kept in touch throughout the years, visiting Mergen at college. Kulzer and Wenning lived together with a group of girls.

Kulzer studied landscaping, Mergen went to school for interior design, and Wenning took business classes. They attended each other’s weddings and other memorable life events. They even had kids around the same ages, even as close as a couple of

weeks apart.

“We hung around together all of the time with our children,” Mergen said.

Today, the women are all grandparents.

Wenning has even taken to growing and decorating whimsical fairy gardens that stimulate imaginations, young and old.

“I can’t get away from fairy gardens now because my grandkids like them and can’t wait to help me put them out,” Wenning said.

Grandchildren have

played a considerable part in their grandmothers’ gardens.

“I spend a lot of time with my grandkids out there,” Kulzer said.

Mergen agreed.

“The grandkids come over and help water my flowers,” Mergen said. “The grandchildren learn how to care for the plants, and I can share that with them.”

The years to come will tell the remainder of the story. One thing is certain: It will be comprised of love, friendship and gardening.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

One of Denise Kulzer’s many gardens is pictured in 2023 at her property in Albany. Kulzer said she enjoys swapping plants with friends Barb Mergen and Char Wenning.

Denise Kulzer’s grandchild visits her garden in 2023 in Albany. Three grandmothers, Kulzer, Char Wenning and Barb Mergen, enjoy gardening with their grandchildren.

LeNdInG A

BY EMILY BRETH STAFF WRITER

BOWLUS — While looking for a temporary home for her two cats and chickens, Tammy Dohanick found the MN Farm Sitter Network Facebook group.

“I posted on Facebook on another farm site, and someone recommended that group to me,” Dohanick said.

After finding someone to take care of her animals, Dohanick needed to ensure the care of the animals went smoothly for the caretaker.

“There is some planning that goes into it as far as food and litter,” Dohanick said. “The sitter and I

talked a little bit about emergency vet visits as well.”

It was Lana Plashchynskaya who took in Dohanick’s cats for two months while the chickens went to one of Dohanick’s family members.

MN Farm Sitter Network was formed by Plashchynskaya and Nicole Brandtner and is comprised of more than 1,300 members. It is a place where sitters and those looking for care for their animals can connect. People post for care of everything

Farm Sitters page 20

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Lana Plashchynskaya feeds carrots to horses at a farm in South Dakota. Plashchynskaya enjoys riding horses and cared

Established in 1975

Ditching • Tiling Excavating Ag Waste Systems Drainage LLC.

Farm Sitters

from page 19

from horses and cows to llamas, alpacas, goats, ducks, donkeys, sheep, pigs and small animals such as hamsters and reptiles.

“Nicole already had a full-time job pet sitting,” Plashchynskaya said. “We started it as a way to help people because we saw a dire need for people to have help, especially for the people who have a lot of animals and can’t get away as much.”

The pair also knows how expensive it is to board animals along with keeping up with regulations put into place by the boarding facilities.

Brandtner is a prior veterinarian technician. “This gets me around animals,” Brandtner said. “I love the animals and enjoy the feeling when clients know that their animals are going to be taken care of and in a good manner. My moto has always been, ‘I’ll treat your pet like they are mine.’” Brandtner and Plashchynskaya care for a variety of animals.

“We are in the land improvement business. We do farm drainage, ag waste systems, site work for farm buildings and silage pads, plus miscellaneous work. We also do county, township, and watershed work, as well as soil conservation work.”

“I always buy snacks for the animals, but I’ll ask the owners first,”

- MBC Drainage, Sauk Centre

“Lana wanted to push for it because she enjoys pet sitting too,” Brandtner said. “Then, we could help each other out.”

Farm Sitters page 23

PHOTOS BY EMILY BRETH

Nicole Brandtner (left) and Lana Plashchynskaya sit together March 18 at Plashchynskaya’s home near Jordan. The pair created the MN Farm Sitter Network Facebook group to help people connect with others who can watch their animals.

Tammy Dohanick’s cats play in Lana Plashchynskaya’s house near Jordan. Plashchynskaya watched Dohanick’s cats for seven weeks.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

A pig roams around its pen in late April. With the owner’s permission, Nicole Brandtner buys treats for the animals she watches through the MN Farm Sitter Network.

202 IS THE YEAR TO BUILD

Burning

Well into my third year of cleaning up the woodlot, I’ve created more than 100 piles of brush, probably closer to 120. Brush piles are great shelter for rabbits and other small creatures, but they’re also somewhat of an eyesore for someone who’s tidying up the woods. I don’t mind those that are deeper in the woods. But those close around the homestead need to be burned.

Working out –outdoors, that is by

Nancy Packard Leasman

The winter of 2023/2024 wasn’t a great one for this task. With low moisture and little snow coverage, the risk was just too great. Though I had hoped to clear some of the piles, priority landed on the two large heaps along the driveway from the oak trees we took down the middle of December. Finally, on Valentine’s Day, with a few inches of snow on the ground, I did the romantic thing and went online to get a fire permit.

the burn plan.

The activated permit allowed us to burn up to three piles no larger than 10-feet high by 10-feet wide, between the hours of 5 p.m. that day and 8 a.m. the next morning. We had a starry-eyed Valentine evening of fire tending instead of going out to dinner. We didn’t even roast hot dogs or marshmallows.

After the middle of February the snow melted and, with bare ground, we couldn’t do any more burning. Then on April 1, with that fool’s day snow of 18 inches and no burning restrictions, we burned seven piles. On April 2 we took care of another nine piles. We burned the pile that blocked the trail to the rock pile where child No. 5 backs up her car to take trunk loads to her house. We burned the pile that blocked the wind for five vacated deer beds that lay on the south side of the pile. We burned the piles that dotted the grove closest to the house. We turned to ash those that filled the woods lining the road on the east side of our property.

Burning brush piles is always a good workout. There’s a lot of standing around the first half hour while the burn gets underway and the heat dissipates enough to allow pushing unburned ends into the fire. Then, it’s more than a bit of walking, bending, tossing and raking to ensure a complete burn and to be sure the fire is out.

And now, we wait for the next opportunity, but there’s no hurry. The brush piles aren’t going anywhere.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website made getting a permit a breeze. In the old days, you got to visit your neighbor, the fire warden, to get the proper consent to burn (maybe some of you still do). Now, you just go to the DNR website, create an account by putting in your name, password, location and what you plan to burn. A credit card quickly pays the $5 fee for a yearlong (calendar year) permit. The website offers red-flag warnings of where not to burn, or any other restrictions, illustrated with a handy map. Subsequent burns are activated by going back to the website, logging in to the permittee account, clicking on “Permits” and updating

Wooden creations

No detail is too small for Boucher’s work

BY EMILY BRETH | STAFF WRITER

ROCKVILLE — Bill Boucher spends countless hours building miniature wooden replicas of horse-pulled wagons and adding all ne details himself, from the upholstery to the paint.

In the summer, Bill and his wife Adeline, return from wintering in Arizona and Boucher gets to helping family and friends on their farms. He also volunteers time at a campground and riding stable where, at times, he will drive a horse-pulled wagon. Horses have always played a huge role in Boucher’s life. He and his wife currently own two Morgan horses but used to have five so they could have a complete horse team.

During the winter, Boucher uses his lifetime of horse inspiration to create his miniature wagons – one style per year and crafting three of each, one for himself and one for each of his sons who have horses.

So far, he has completed eight projects. Boucher only had plans for three of them. He built a Budweiser wagon, Wells Fargo stagecoach and a chuck wagon from plans. The rest, he creates.

“I just kind of wing it,” Boucher said. Everything built or contributed to the wagons is as exact as possible, and almost everything is handmade. Boucher went to Wells Fargo Bank to get a calendar with images of what he wanted to build. He then took them to the hardware store to get paint mixed for an exact match for the stagecoach he built.

Boucher page 26

(Below) Bill Boucher inserts the railing, made of welding wire, onto the top of the Wells Fargo Stagecoach April 19 in his shop near Rockville. All of the metal pieces are also hand made by Boucher, excluding the chains.

(Top) Bill Boucher paints the main body of a miniature stagecoach April 19 in his shop near Rockville. In order to ensure he got the correct shade of red, Boucher took a Wells Fargo calendar to get paint mixed up to an exact match.

PHOTOS BY EMILY BRETH

Bill Boucher holds the Budweiser Wagon upside down to explain how the wheels on the front of the wagon are able to turn, April 19 in his shop near Rockville. Every wagon Boucher makes is completely functional, including wheels, hinges and door handles.

Bill Boucher stands by the array of wooden wagons he built over the years, April 19 in his shop near Rockville. Boucher started building miniature wooden horse-pulled wagons about six years ago and, each year chooses a single design and builds three of them. (Right) Bill Boucher paints the roof of a miniature Wells Fargo Stagecoach. Boucher creates all of his wagons as close to the real thing as possible, including the color of the paint.

Boucher from page 25

“It’s all custom fit,” Boucher said. “I cut groves into the sides and stained it to make it look like individual boards.”

On some of the different wagons, there are even working brakes included. For the brakes on the chuck wagons, there is a 1/8 inch thick piece that is a 1/4-inch square. This, too, was cut out by Boucher on a 10-inch table saw.

“I have to build a lot of jigs,” Boucher said. “Then, I hold pieces down with a pencil so they don’t blow away.”

The chuck wagon is one of the projects with the small piece for the brakes.

“A 92-year-old started the chuck wagon, but his hands got so bad he asked me if I would finish it for him,” Boucher said.

Boucher did that, and he also made small add-ons for each of the wagons. For the chuck wagon, Boucher included a shovel, branding iron and drawers he built to complete the piece.

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An old-fashioned horse-pulled school bus sits on a sleigh bottom wagon April 19 in Bill Boucher’s shop near Rockville. Boucher even included a coal stove that would be used to keep the children warm on the way to school.

A Budweiser wagon sits at a standstill April 19 in Bill Boucher’s shop near Rockville. The Budweiser wagon was the first one Boucher built — along with a few other guys at Happy Trails Resort in Arizona — but he was the only one to continue doing it.

Boucher

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He even built a jack for another piece.

The wheels are the most time-consuming piece Boucher builds for the wagons.

“It takes almost two weeks before you can get done with a wheel,” Boucher said. “The only real wood glue is in the wheels.”

For the rest of the pieces, Boucher will glue them together with crazy glue. This is because it will set quicker, giving the pieces less of a chance to slip out of place.

Boucher personally flattens and bends the metalwork found on the wagons. The different pieces include angle irons and railings on top of the stagecoach.

For the stagecoaches, the only parts that were not handmade were the hinges and a small chain.

One of the unique pieces Boucher has made was a horse-pulled hearse. He even included fringe lining inside that his wife, Adeline, helped sew on. He also included coffins, one of which is dedicated to his grandson who passed away.

“I just took photos

A chuck wagon sits with the back cabinet open to show the detail of the boxes included in it, April 19 in Bill Boucher’s shop near Rockville. Boucher took over the building of a chuck wagon from a 92-year-old man who was unable to finish the piece.

of a full-sized one and built if off of that,” Boucher said. After everything is cut to size, Boucher also takes the time to hand-paint everything. He makes a point to do as much work as he can from scratch.

When he has a pattern, he said there’s a size for every piece and when there isn’t a pattern, he finds different pictures of wagons he wants to replicate through various companies and muse-

ums.

Before starting with the miniature wagons, Boucher was part of the carpenter’s union for 30 years. He started building the miniatures six years ago. And, while he’s spent decades working with wood, he said the wagons have been the most enjoyable.

“The challenge of doing it keeps me going,” Boucher said. “We get down (to Arizona) around the first of November and I work on (the wagons) from November to March, and I barely get them done for the show at the resort.”

A completed miniature Wells Fargo Stagecoach sits on a table April 19 in Bill Boucher’s shop near Rockville. Boucher enjoys the challenges that come with building the miniature wagons.

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