Spotlight: Meet Merrimac's woodworking wonder
By Ben Bromley/News Republic
Every piece of wood Charles Blau hauls home is destined for one of two fates. Most become kindling. A lucky few become works of art. Years ago the retiree began experimenting with wood carving, sparing the occasional chunk of firewood to create a horse or coyote. Over time Blau has developed his skills and now builds clocks, picture frames and music boxes. His Merrimac home is full of ingenious creations, including a rotating coffee table and a lamp that swings from side to side on an oversized arm he carved and hinged to the wall of his living room. Take a tour of his shop out back, and you'll find a model of the grotto at Durward's Glen. Blau is modest about his handiwork. "You feel better when you're doing something," he said. "Everybody is good at something. They can look dumber than heck, but they're good at something. I guess this is what's easy for me to do." 25 cents a day The 82-year-old was born in Plain but moved to Merrimac as a youth. He attended Durward's Glen School through eighth grade. He earned 25 cents a day for walking to the one-room schoolhouse on Highway 78 each morning and starting a fire in the stove. "I thought that was big money, you know," he said. After his school days, Blau moved on to better-paying jobs as a farmer, bricklayer, home builder and laborer at Badger Army Ammunition Plant. Fixing things In retirement, he takes on odd jobs in his shop, such as fixing cupboards and drawers. "If it's something other people can't fix, they bring them here," Blau said. He also delivers meals to shut-ins three days a week and transports the disabled to medical appointments, all on behalf of the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Sauk County. "He's one of my trusty volunteers," coordinator Mary Jane Percy said. "During his time here he's made a lot of friends." In his spare time, Blau indulges his hobby. His career in construction afforded him some expertise, and now he has time to tackle any project he envisions. If he thinks a steering wheel from a vintage car would make a nifty clock, he makes it so. "When something gets in your head, you do it, you know?" He said. Curious kids Blau built his ranch-style home 33 years ago, adding the shop several years later. He is twice widowered, but is blessed with sons Chuck and Randy and seven grandchildren. Grandpa's woodwork is a curiosity to the kids, but it's no substitute for modern technology. "Of course, the kids today, if it doesn't have a battery, they don't want it," Blau said.