Dale J Struhar Sr

Retired Chief of Police
Marine Corps 1962 - 1966
Married to Vicki
Four Boys - John, Scott, Daniel, Dustin
Hobbies - Golf, Fishing, Reading, Woodworking

I can attribute my handy-work to my father. When I was 2yrs old (1946) my father built our home himself in Bedford Ohio. I watched and learned. Dad did everything with uncles and my grandfathers and great- grandfathers helping He had to hire a plumber for that work. Four bedrooms, living room, kitchen. full basement, one full bath. Later came the detached 2 car garage. Dad was a machinist by trade always working in thousands of an inch. He was a perfectionist. Since my uncle owned the plant dad used to take me to work with him. I learned to use a metal lathe and was making aluminum ashtrays and ball pein hammers by the time I was 12yrs old.

In 1957, dad wanted a swimming pool. We built a 20ft x 40ft x 10ft deep cement/block pool. Again dad did all the work. We hand dug the hole, laid and filled all the block, poured and finished the floor, plumbed the filter system, everything.

While in high school I took woodworking and machine shop. When I graduated 7 days later I was in the Marine Corps for 4 ½ yrs.

In 1972, I bought my first home. In 1976 I bought some Time Life do-it yourself books and with help from dad built a 17ft x 27ft family room with a cathedral ceiling addition to the house.

In 1981, I moved to an old farm house in Madison my present residence. Around 1987 with help from dad and many, many friends and relatives we began working on this old place. First we tore off the roof, added a second story with four bedrooms and a full bath. Then we gutted the first floor moved the kitchen from the west side to the east side of the house. Took out hallways, three bedroom added beams opening the kitchen, living room and dinning room into one L shaped room and made the master bedroom where the old kitchen was. After that was all completed we added on a billiard room to the south side of the house and onto that attached a three car garage. All this took 8yrs since I was working a full time job at the time.

Since then we've added a full 12ft wide length of the house deck and an attached by bridge to the deck a 16ft across screened in gazebo.

I can go on and on about many other projects I've done before I was able to start doing the things I have time for now as I'm sure all you can. But I believe that if it wasn't for my dad teaching me the fundamentals and instilling in me that “once you start a project finish it and do it to the best of your ability” I wouldn't have had as much fun doing the things I've done and the things I'm going to do.

Thanks Dad

-- Dale, Ohio