The old adage “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure is alive and well in our neighborhood.” We renovated our downstairs bathroom several months ago and one of the casualties was a standard-sized pocket door. Our neighbor, you know the retired veterinarian Duane Henrikson ask if he could have the old pocket door.
The Henrikson’s were turning the main floor mini-bar into a pantry/utility room and needed a door like the one we were done with.
Duane’s hobby of woodworking is amazing and his work is good enough to be on the main floor of their lovely home.
Du’s not my only friend whose woodworking hobby create very beautiful finished pieces. Add former haberdasher and auto salesman John Kretsinger and retired medical Doc Jim Geitz to that very talented group. I apologize to others I’m missing.
Let me share about one more woodworker who turned his hobby into a career.
My younger brother Mike has lived in Texas since graduating from KU in the early seventies. He went there because he purchased a small travel business which he turned into one of the largest in San Antonio before selling it after forty-some years.
He was retired for less than a year when his Earl Sauder genes kicked in. He needed to work because with time on his hands his golf handicap soared and – well – he was bored.
After exploring several opportunities he settled on purchasing five retail stores in five Texas cities that specialized in high-quality woodworking equipment and supplies.
Mike like most Emporia kids in the sixties had taken shop in junior high school resulting in his hobby being woodworking.
I thought he was nuts to buy 5 retail stores in different towns when he had nothing to prove and frankly didn’t need the money.
My little brother is still involved and works too many hours, but he does have 2 of his 3 sons with him in their Woodcraft stores.
They have 2 stores in Houston with the others in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Austin and San Antonio. Mike has served on the Woodcraft franchisee board for 9 years and as its president for five of those years.
You better believe I’m proud of Mike. He’s done very well.
I am a little disappointed in myself that when I was in junior high I didn’t pay more attention in shop class. Shoot, I might be doing stuff with wood like Duane, John, Jim, and Mike. They are all extremely talented!
I’m Steve Sauder
