The Independent-News, Volume 103, Number 31, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 5 January 1978 — Page 8

JANUARY 5, 1978 - THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS

Dr. Furst Completes Two Boats WMbtao i Ju " H j r —Of Ik * « ’ < , 9 ^BME ■ Mn Awn ^wSlI 1 ' ■ *>• । ’ M iSLj > । -* '*w!k !k j* * 1 i ■ r * * ’ TL ■■ 11 * — 7 ^'. 4^^ Dr. and Mrs. Burton Furst are seated on “Albert E” which Dr. Furst built in his front yard at their New Buffalo. Michigan home, with completion and the lowering of the boat into the manna last July, after three years in the making.

Dr. Burton L. Furst. DDS, who practiced for 40 years in Walkerton, retired three years ago. He had been pondering with the idea of building a boat for some time before retiring and when he did retire he sent to California for the plans which he went nght to work on. He wanted to stay active and take advantage of each day and he wasn't going to get soft for he wanted to keep his mind occupied and active. Dr. Furst in 1976 learned he had terminal cancer. The hopes of finishing his project looked doubtful but a week after having surgery he was back outside racing against the clock trying to finish his dream. Dr. Furst, 68. was bom into a boat-minded family, his father was

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a 35-year veteran of the Coast Guard, his brother, cousin and dad's brother were also all Coast Guard alumni. When he was young he and his brother would go with their father out on the boats and visit the tool and boat rooms watching and learning how the pros built and repaired the big ships. He visited the coast guard stations in Traverse City, Ludington, Charlevoix and Michigan City. He graduated from Michigan City High School in 1929 and chose not to go into the Coast Guard but instead headed for St. Louis University to initiate his dentistry schooling. He graduated in 1937 and learned that Walkerton was in need of a dentist and he came and served the community for 40 years

1 88,11 1 11 After completing the cabin cruiser. Dr. Furst is shown here working on the dory boat which he uses for hunting and fishing on the river.

only leaving in 1942 for a threeyear hitch with the America's chief dental commanders during World War II in Europe. Fond memories of the war were revealed by Dr. Furst, one being his flying into Moscow to cure Ambassador Averill Harrimann's toothache. He cured the toothache and was asked to stay with the Ambassador for a couple of months in the embassy and then go back to the states with him but Dr Furst asked to go back to his own outfit which he did. He also recalled having cocktails with actor Clark Gable, meeting the King of England. Bob Hope and taking the same North Sea route the day after bandleader Glenn Miller's plane was gunned down by enemy fighters. After returning to Walkerton from the war, Furst built a home on Lake Michigan at New Buffalo. The home was only used in the summers but then soon became his year-round home with commuting back and forth from Walkerton each day. He built his first boat in 1952 at his new home. The undertaking of the building of his second boat began in 1974 when he was semi-retired. He battled blizzards, rainstorms, summer heat waves and even cancer to complete a job he said would be fun doing. He had a man in Michigan City cut down an oak tree to give the lengths of oak that he wanted and then used mahogany and white oak as well as marine plywood. There are two layers built up on the bottom and diagonal to one another to make “Albert E” absolutely waterproof. He used blue and bronze

screws, not brass, but bronze, to give a half-inch bottom and a fiveeights sides. Two layers of fiberglass on the side and one layer on the deck and cabin. The engine had to be redone since the trucking company dropped it otherwise the boat would have been launched before July. He built this on his front lawn which caused much excitement. talk and became the conversation piece of the neighborhood. His third boat, a dory. Furst uses when he goes duck hunting and fishing close to shore. The dory only took three or four weeks to build. The doctors told him that he is responding well to the treatments and is doing pretty good. He is now just enjoying the projects he has built and staying busy doing a lot of hunting and fishing. He and his wife, Louise, enjoy the boat very much and spend a great deal of time on it. New Books At The K.L. Library New books at the Koontz Lake Library include: “Dynasty”, Elegant — The author is a former Hong Kong Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times. He tells a compelling story of a powerful Eurasian family divided by ambition, adultery, power, death and a country torn apart by ideology, revolution, intrigue and bloodshed. “America, Why I Love Her”, John Wayne — The writer speaks directly to “the good things about America”. As he says, “For a number of years I have tried to express a deep and profound love for these things; to be able to say what I feel in my heart.” Full of color photos as well as words and music from John Wayne’s best-sel-ling record album arranged for piano and guitar. "You Can Stop", Rogers — Mrs. Rogers is persuasive when she holds that people can stop smoking, that they would enjoy being free of cigarettes, cigars or pipes and that it is not so difficult to change a lot of preconceived ideas about one’s smoking, about quitting, and about oneself. "The Silmarillion”, Tolkein — This is the book that J. R. R. Tolkein could not publish in his lifetime because it grew with him. He considered “The Silmarillion” his most important work. "Star Wars”, Lucas — A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away lived a twenty year old named Luke Skywalker. Boredom from working on his uncle's farm spurred Luke to adventures that took him beyond the farthest galaxies to alien worlds. Obey the 55 m.p.h. speed limit! Over 100,000 patent appli cations are filed each year.

WILDLIFE TODAY By Jim New Wildlife Biologist Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife Beaver damage complaints reached an all time high throughout all of Indiana this year. Even though the number of pelts being sold increases each year, these flattailed critters continue to multiply. Beaver often get themselves in trouble by building dams in small drainage ditches and flooding cropland and roads, destroying valuable trees or impairing farm drainage. If you have such a problem, it can be remedied by use of a special permit even in the protected season. I Contact the Indiana Depart ment of Natural Resources in such an event. However, it makes a lot more sense to solve the problem and remove the beaver when the pelt can be sold. The regular beaver trapping season opens December 15 and extends through February 15. Landowners with beaver or a beaver population that could cause future problems should contact a local trapper. He will be glad to help you with your problem. Os course, he may twist your arm and ask permission to trap your muskrat. but I'm sure that through such an association there would be an increase of mutual respect and benefit. Please do not wait until after the season to contact the IDNR about a beaver problem. Although we are only well into the hunting season, all too soon, we will be staring the new year in the face. Before going hunting on January 1 or later, remember, you will need a 1978 hunting license in your possession. If you’re a fisherman, the ice fishing season is here and you will need a 1978 Indiana fishing license. Licenses are on sale at most outlets (county clerk's offices, sporting goods stores, bait shops, etc.) now. ON DEAN’S UST Laura Jane Carter, a student at Wheaton College has been named to the dean’s list for the first quarter of the 1977-78 academic year. Miss Carter is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William, Walkerton. Dean's list honors are earned by students who carry 12 or more hours and average 3.4 grade points (4 is perfect) per quarter. Wheaton College is coeducational Christian liberal arts college located 25 miles west of Chicago. Every year the earth travels 600 million miles through space. Send a Happy Ad — only $1 00! The play “Macbeth'' was not printed in Shakespeare's lifetime