Contributions to the tribute of Erwin A. Tschanz

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Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Erv made many beautiful things out of horn for me. He was an artist as well as knowledgeable and talented teacher. He will be sorely missed!

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Reinhard Gsellmeier posted a condolence

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Erv taught me lot about winter camping, he was in many ways a mentor to me. In 2004 I attended the Intro to Winter Camping class & outing that Erv ran for the Adirondack Mountain Club - Genesee Valley Chapter (GVC), he was an excellent teacher. What really distinguished Erv was not only his knowledge, but his willingness to share that knowledge with others. Many years later, I started leading the Intro to Winter Camping class & outing for GVC under Erv's watchful tutelage. Erv very graciously allowed the class to use his property near Harriet Hollister for the outing portion of the class. He kept a watchful eye on our group, always making sure we did things properly and willing to show first timers how things should best be done to survive a night out in the woods during the winter. The best part though was the wonderful stories that Erv shared with the group! I knew that Erv was hurting physically this past year as a result of his bout with cancer - but he never complained. He told me that as long as he had breath left in his body, he was going to continue to be active and live life to the fullest. What an inspiration! I consider Erv to have been my friend, and will miss him dearly. My sincere condolences to the Tschanz family. Reinhard Gsellmeier

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Barb Brenner uploaded photo(s)

Monday, May 22, 2023

Erv and I have been friends since the late 1980's, having met through the Genesee Valley Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain club. We shared many adventures on wilderness canoeing trips and backpacking trips. He was a very kind man, always willing to share knowledge and help others. He caught my interest in woodturning, helping me to turn my first bowl in 1991, actually he was the one who really guided the tools to form the bowl but he lead me through the process and I was hooked. A year or so later, he invited me to use his tools and workshop to turn a platter, while he did paperwork in his office. I have that bowl and platter to this day. Many years later, after our lives went their separate ways, we reconnected once again due to wilderness canoeing and woodturning. My last wilderness trip with Erv was around 2019 when I lead a wilderness canoe camping trip to Low's Lake in the Adirondack's for GVC ADK. Two people on the trip signed up to be in a cook group with Erv and loved it. After the trip everyone said that for future trips they all wanted to be in Erv's cook group since he made the most delicious meal for his partners. Unfortunately, that was the last wilderness canoe trip that Erv participated in, though we often talked about sharing another one some day. I am extremely grateful to Erv for feeding my interest in woodturning. He patiently taught me how to use the tools and mentored me, making me a better woodturner. Even until his last days, he talked about woodturning techniques with me, giving me hints and refining my knowledge. There is no doubt that I can call myself a woodturner because of Erv's teachings and guidance. Here is a picture of Erv in his workshop showing me the details of turning a tree, probably after I said to him "I am not getting something right, can you show me the steps one more time" and he always said "yes". And also, a picture of Erv's turned Christmas Trees. May his wooden trees live on through my hands. Thank you Erv. Julie and Cathy, my heart aches for your loss.

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Dick Weldgen, Lifetime CNLP posted a condolence

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Julie and Catherine, so sorry to hear of the passing of Erv. We had been friends for many years. I would provide lawn care service for his clients and we would help me with landscaping projects for my customers. He had many stories and we enjoyed swapping tales at our annual lunch at the end of the season. A true gentleman, friend and business man. I will greatly miss him.

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Ted Retzlaff posted a condolence

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Erv was a wonderful, memorable presence. I was always amazed by his knowledge of horticulture as well as all of his other interests. He taught me to appreciate how trees grow and how to see ten years into a tree's future growth. His love for nature was contagious. His name was a household word that carried weight in our home. I will miss him.

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Bob Traver posted a condolence

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

I first met the family in 1976 during reinactments with the Brigade of the American Revolution. Having always been interested in flinklocks, knives, and powder horns I went looking for someone to teach me more than I could learn from magazines and I was directed to Erv, possibly the best recommendation I have ever received. He became not only my teacher and mentor, as he was to many others, but a dear friend who over the years always brought joy to me whenever we shared a campfire. I am very proud to own a number of Erv's horn creations a few personalized to me from Erv but I put the greatest value on the memories I carry of the good times we shared over the half century we enjoyed together. You will be sorely missed my old friend but are never forgotten and will live forever in my memory. Please keep a spot around the campfire for me buddy, I look forward to sitting with you again when my work here is done.

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Peter Goebel posted a condolence

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Erv and i collaborated on many projects that stretched our abilities and provided some really funny moments. As a coppersmith i learned from Erv and will forever miss our early morning calls. Rest easy old friend.

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Carl Paulson posted a condolence

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

I’ve known Erv for almost 50 yrs. When I started my woodworking business, he was a valuable mentor: advising me how to get and treat customers, how much to charge and bill them, and the important tip that anyone can to a mediocre job for less, clients will pay for high quality. And he brought me many customers from his own clients and contacts. He reminds me of my Dad with his enthusiasm for how things are made, how things work, and his attention to detail. He was a great problem solver and would spend the time needed to help me out. He introduced me to canoeing, joining him on my 1st Adirondack trips, and he showed me what reenacting was all about. We shared many common interests: business, woodworking and crafts, history, outdoor sports, and even contra dancing in the 1970’s where we first met. He was a great guy, I’ll miss him.

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The family of Erwin A. Tschanz uploaded a photo

Friday, May 12, 2023

Erwin A. Tschanz

1940 - 2023

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