Back in the first part of the summer last year as I was busy filling orders in the store I looked out the window to see a man with a walker being assisted by a woman coming up to enter the front door of Raptor Archery.
Good morning I said as they entered , can I help you with something ?
I want to learn to build a bow said Walter, Yep the woman ( Christie) said , Walter would like to know how much it would cost to build a bow?
How old are you I responded , hoping it did not offend . Ninety one Walter said with pride, WOW! , if you are 91 and want to build a bow its a no charge deal, Walter instantly smiled a smile that made me realize I had made a good choice.
Christie was Walters care giver and good friend, she said Walter enjoyed learning new things and made a habit of trying new projects for recreation.
Walter had grown up in PA and said he would like to build a bow from wood that would grow in PA , so it was decided we would build a bow from Hickory.
Every week for months Walter would come into the store to work on his bow , not easy to build bows sitting in a wheelchair, but every week he showed up like clock work, saying hello to Jake (Chocolate Lab) That greats all as they enter Raptor Archery. The progress was slow but his determination grew with every pull of the draw knife.
Christie said after working on his bow Walter would go home and sleep like a stone, worn out but content.
Well one day I saw Christie walking up to the entrance alone , oh no I thought , not Walter!
Christie informed me that Walter had suffered a stroke and was in the hospital, we would have to wait and see how this turned out before we could decide on finishing his bow.
Well by the grace of God Walter survived, a little more frail but determined non the less, so on we went with the bow project.
As the weeks went by Walter and I got to know one another better , what a great sense of humor and wisdom wrapped into this man, not to mention the sense of learning new things even at 91.
Well , we finished the bow some months later and as you can see Walter is proud as can be with his new Hickory bow.
Thank you Walter , for the honor of getting to know you and sharing the love of the wood bow together.        

           

Inspiring story.  That proves you're never too old to take on new challenges.

Way to go Walter. You've inspired me to get off my lazy butt and get back to scraping on my hickory stave. Cudos to you Mister Fry for all the encouragement  

well what can i say    well done sir

Great story, Ted, and great gesture on your part.
I'm sure the hours spent with Walter have meant as much to him as they have to you.

I'm in freakin tears over that one.... Ted, you are a top notch guy!!!!!!  

Ted, that is just outstanding.

First, for Walter to have the gumption to tough it out after a stroke, and secondly for you spending time with him to complete his quest.

         

Good stuff Ted! Thanks for sharing.

I wanna grow up and be like walter!  

Thanks for sharing Ted. Great job sharing your knowledge and skills that you have learned from some great individuals. Know, that you are making them proud as well.
Osagetree I agree with you.

That is awesome!!  Good on ya Ted!!  

Great story Ted. Tell Walter he has a big fan in Kansas.

Bill

That is a great story Ted!  And I had to choke back a tear or twelve while I read it.  The generosity of the good folks on this site never cease to amaze me.  Good on ya Ted!

Well done Sir

           

F-manny

What a great story to end a crappy day, and I hope Walter has many years left to enjoy the bow.

Great job Ted well done indeed.

Excellent stuff! Great job on the bow!    

Nice work Ted
Nice looking bow Walter
     Kurt

Excellent story Ted, not everyday that you can share knowledge with your elders, you done good, are you loosing some hair?    

JD

I too, hope that when I grow up I'm even slightly similar to Walter with his determination and persistance. In the mean-time, however, I will be perfectly happy being the kind of man that Ted is. My hats off to you sir.

Winterhawk1960

Thank You,Ted. That was a great storey to start my day.--Bone