Coulee Region Wood Carvers Association

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Coulee Region Wood Carvers Association COULEE REGION WOOD CARVERS ASSOCIATION
Bringing Wood Carving To Everyone Proceeds pay for building rental, resources, equipment and program expenses.

Coulee Region Wood Carvers Association
Sinita Dix, President 507-482-6204


Open Mondays, 12:00 - 6:00 PM
We are at the Harry J. Olson Center,
1607 North Street, La Crosse, WI 54603

On regular carving days, CRWC promotes carving in individual and group settings, creating...
• Figure carving
• Walking sticks & canes
• Bark carving
• Santas
• Relief carving
• Chip carving..and enjoy sharing projects and finished carvings

$60.00 Annual Membership Fee
Visitors may attend 2 regular meetings before joining CRWC. CRWC sponsors...
• Beginner carving classes
• Workshops by regional carvers
• Carving technique demonstrations
• Occasional tours to places of interest

Community event participation includes...
• Syttende Mai, Westby
• Norskedalen, C**n Valley
• La Crosse Interstate Fair, West Salem
• Great River Art Festival, La Crosse
• Visits to local schools

CRWC resources include access to tools and carving-related equipment...
• Library of magazines, books, videos, CDs & DVDs
• Many pattern designs
• Copier
• Band saw
• Drill press
• Tool sharpening equipment
• Blanks ready to carve
• Experienced members available to help any carver

We have many members who love to learn new skills. This was a 3 day chip carving class with Jan Jenson, award winner and...
07/31/2026

We have many members who love to learn new skills. This was a 3 day chip carving class with Jan Jenson, award winner and author. They had a great time!

07/26/2026

Our club lost a dear friend, Lyle Ostrander.

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Lyle Ostrander, 92, of Holmen, Wisconsin, passed away on July 20, 2026, after a short, hard-fought battle against leukemia.

He had a great love for his family. He is survived by his son, Mike (Marcy) Ostrander; daughter, Kelley (Rich) Cooper; brother, Robert Ostrander; three beloved grandchildren, David (Miriam) Deming, Zachary Ostrander, Breanne (Rusty) Nordlund; and five great-grandchildren.

A proud U.S. Air Force veteran, Lyle enlisted at age 17 and served from 1951 to 1954. His most memorable assignment was as an air traffic controller at Thule Air Force Base in Greenland.

While home on leave, he met the love of his life, Pat, on a cold but beautiful Christmas Eve. They married in 1956. And were an amazing, inspirational team for 54 years, until her death in 2020.

After his military service, Lyle attended Flint Community College and later earned a master’s degree from the University of Michigan. He worked for Uniroyal Tire before returning to air traffic control with the FAA, serving at airports in Detroit and Ypsilanti. What was supposed to be a temporary move to open the control tower at La Crosse Regional Airport as tower manager, led Lyle and Pat to fall in love with the Coulee region and its people. They changed course and made Holmen their forever home.

An accomplished wood carver, he found joy in transforming ordinary pieces of wood into works of art. As a falconer, he had a love for wildlife and the outdoors.

He had a deep respect for his community and was an active member of the Holmen Historical Society and served as president of the Holmen School Board. He also instructed at Winona State University Aviation program. He was also in charge of running Hi Tek Aviation One, a program for disadvantaged youth in the state of Wisconsin.

He will be remembered for his love of family and friends, a steady hand controlling the skies, his artistry with wood, and deep roots in the Holmen community. A celebration of life will be held in the future, please check back for dates and times.

Coulee Region Cremation Group is assisting the family during this difficult time.

While some of our members are having a BIG week at Creede, others have been busy setting up for the LaCrosse Interstate ...
07/15/2026

While some of our members are having a BIG week at Creede, others have been busy setting up for the LaCrosse Interstate Fair!
It starts TODAY!

The LaCrosse Interstate Fair is next week, July 15-19. The Coulee Region Wood Carvers will be there! As usual, we will h...
07/09/2026

The LaCrosse Interstate Fair is next week, July 15-19. The Coulee Region Wood Carvers will be there!
As usual, we will have a great display. We will also have members demonstrating, as well as talking about the different types of carving, the tools we use, and answering any questions you may have.
Come see us!

06/29/2026

Harry J. Olson will be closed next Monday, so there will be no carving club.
Have a safe 4th of July.
See you next Monday!

Our friend and fellow member, Ann Hess, will bring her carving and wood burning talents to Artspire THIS Saturday!
06/09/2026

Our friend and fellow member, Ann Hess, will bring her carving and wood burning talents to Artspire THIS Saturday!

I'm going to borrow from our friend Dr. Seuss:The sun did not shine.It was too wet to play.So we sat in the ClubAll that...
06/09/2026

I'm going to borrow from our friend Dr. Seuss:

The sun did not shine.
It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the Club
All that warm, warm, wet day.

We were supposed to have our club picnic today, but the weather played a trick on us.

Many thanks to Larry and Judy Baeder who had their home all ready for us at their lovely spot on the Mississippi River. We instead stayed at our home at the Harry J. Olson Center, where it's always comfortable and dry.
It was the next best choice. đź’—

We showcased two more members today!Vicki Buritt started carving in 2017 after visiting a club Open House. She likes try...
06/01/2026

We showcased two more members today!

Vicki Buritt started carving in 2017 after visiting a club Open House. She likes trying all the different styles of carving, but chip carving is probably her favorite.

She finds the club to be a wonderful place of comaraderie and friendship.

Bob Davis has been a member for many years. His first carving is the fat Santa in this photo. He especially likes chip carving. His biggest challenge was the crosses.

And look at his forest! He said when he did his first tree he got carried away. He liked to carve a tree and a chip carved ornament for all his family members.

Bob thinks carving is a great hobby. We agree!

Address

Harry J. Olson Senior Center At 1607 North Street
La Crosse, WI
54603

Opening Hours

12pm - 8pm

Website

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