Wood carver's work preserves Wisconsin's heritage
Canoe is gift from seminary to Native Americans
|
TMJ4 meteorologist John Malan interviews Bob Nolan on the Meier Festival Grounds Park, Sept. 5, as Nolan presents a canoe to the state Indian Tribal Council during Indian Summer Fest in the name of Saint Francis de Sales Seminary and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Nolan, a member of Divine Mercy Parish, South Milwaukee, and about 30
volunteers carved the canoe from a 168-year-old green ash tree from the grounds of Saint Francis Seminary, St. Francis. (Catholic Herald photo by James Pearson)
|
It could have ended up as mulch had it not been for the vision and dedication of one man.
Three years ago, when an old ash tree threatened the gymnasium on the St. Francis Seminary campus, it was taken down.
Instead of letting the tree go to waste, nearby resident Bob Nolan decided to repurpose it. Nolan, who had carved trees, set out to make a canoe out of the harvested log.
Last week it was presented to the State of Wisconsin Indian Tribal Council in the name of St. Francis Seminary and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee during the Indian Summer festival at Milwaukee's lakefront.
Read more in this week's Catholic Herald feature article.
| 
