Don loves oak. He has remodeled nearly his entire house and “practically everything is stuff that I’ve made except the upholstery items.”

Don makes everything from oak bedroom sets to smaller items such as jewelry boxes, shadow boxes, shelves, plant stands, and magazine and quilt racks.

Woodworking was a hobby until 1987 when he retired after 30 years with IBM. Then he started getting serious about working with oak, spending nearly all of his spare time in the shop. “Most of the stuff I make are my own designs,” Don says. “I’m not a draftsman; mostly the designs are in my head. If someone wants something special made, they’ll send me a picture and I’ll try to make it like the picture.”

He buys his oak by the foot, 200-300 feet at a time, from a Minnesota hardwood mill. He puts a polyurethane coating on everything. He can’t tell you how long it typically takes to make a dresser or a shadow box. Once in his workshop, time doesn’t seem to matter to the 72-year-old woodworker, who is known for his workmanship.

Don has three children, two stepchildren, 14 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. You can bet they’ve received a few choice oak items from Don.