Rainbow colors

LITTLE FALLS — For many Minnesotans, an indoor hobby helps to pass the cold, dark winter months. Jerry Smude spends this time making patterns from glass.

As the previous part-owner of a handful of John Deere dealerships in Minnesota for over 42 years, Smude has acquired an extensive array of antique signs that hang meticulously around the machine shop which also serves as his art studio. Smude has been crafting with stained glass since 1985. Many of Smude's projects take months to complete and although similar projects can be found in specialty shops, he chooses to give them to friends and family.

Since his semi-retirement in 2016, Smude has been spending more time pursuing his hobby, recently completing his last project for the winter. In the summer, Smude said he spends less time crafting with stained glass because he enjoys being outdoors and can find plenty of outside work.

Tucked behind the house on the 10-acre farmstead, a rainbow of colors is visible from the pavement. Stained glass ornaments catch the light in the windows and give one a glimpse of the art Smude makes inside. A lineup of John Deere equipment to maintain lawns or plow snow along with a few fun machines — including a side by side, a gator and a snowmobile for the grandkids to ride around — take up one side of the shop, leaving plenty of space for art on the other side.

Smude’s workbench shows as much wear and tear as some of his favorite project patterns. His tools are handy and efficient. He uses a fine-tip paint pen to trace the pattern shapes. Then, a glass cutter is used to score the glass. With pliers and careful hands, Smude snaps the glass pieces at the score lines.

“It’s a messy process,” Smude said. “You’ve got pieces of glass all over.”

Many of Smude's stained glass designs include water lilies, peonies, roses, bamboo and even a pattern of barley and hops. Green is his most popular color, used in leaves and lily pads, as well as shades of blue to represent the sky and water. For some of his projects, Smude lays everything out, deciding on the colors ahead of time. Other times, he said, he just kind of wings it.

“It’s a lengthy process,” Smude said. “If I get tired of working on a project, I just put it aside and come back to it the next day or two.”

Smude grew up near Pierz and graduated from high school in 1964 and attended the University of Minnesota obtaining a science degree.

Following college, Smude worked briefly in St. Paul before returning to his hometown. It was 1971 when the opportunity came for him and his brother, John, to take over ownership of the John Deere tractor dealership in Pierz. Their partnership quickly grew from the grass roots operation of just six employees to owning five locations. Three years into business, the Smude brothers built a new dealership just outside Little Falls known as Evergreen Equipment, where they sold mainly John Deere and a few lines of equipment. They branched out in 1978, adding a new store in Aitkin. In 1992, they bought the store in Wadena, and in 1998, they bought the Baxter store as well.

Though he never took diesel mechanics classes, he learned along the way, Smude said.

“I always liked tinkering around with machinery,” Smude said. “One learns after a while.”

Smude has farmed approximately 200 acres near Little Falls since 1976. Each of the brothers operated their own farm in addition to working long hours of talking tractors at the dealership. Being a farmer meant long days for Smude, but as soon as his son, Eric, was old enough to help, he was in the combine seat helping his dad, and continues to help run the farm.

In 2013, at the age of 67, Smude and his brother made the decision to sell the dealership they had built.

“It was just time to move on,” Smude said. “We had a lot of great customers and very good employees, loyal people, …. but it was time to retire.”

Smude also transitioned ownership of his farm operation in 2013 to Eric, who now farms around 800 acres. Smude’s grandson, Matthew, also assists on the farm. During spring planting and fall harvest, Smude still helps, too.

It was winter boredom that led him to downtown Little Falls in 1985, Smude said. He entered a shop specializing in stained glass called Fancy Colors, owned by Kathy Tetrault, and was intrigued. He took a couple of classes there to understand the process and left with the materials he needed to get started.

The shop downtown where Smude got many of his supplies and patterns has since gone out of business, he said, so now, he drives to St. Cloud for supplies.

“If I’m making a project, I’ll figure out how much I need; then, I’ll go out and buy it,” Smude said. “Some colors don’t get used a lot, but I always keep my scraps if I need an accent color.”

Smude uses a compact grinding machine that runs a diamond-plated wheel lubricated with water and designed to smooth the glass edges before the soldering can take place. Grinding is the most tedious part, Smude said.

Copper foil is then used to wrap each piece. Next, flux is brushed on. This cleans the surface and helps the solder material stick. Finally, the soldering iron heats the solder and adheres each piece, creating the connecting joints.

“You have to be careful you don’t burn a hole in (the mold),” Smude said. “It does happen.”

This series of steps is already planned out according to a pattern placed on a designated mold. Smude starts at the top with a solid brass cap 3-4 inches in diameter, soldering each piece by moving down and around until all the pieces have been attached. After that, he pulls out the mold, solders it one more time, inside and out, before brushing on a black patina to give the silver solder its finishing touch.

With great care and attention, all of Smude’s patterns are numbered, labeled and neatly organized in his file system next to his workbench. The patterns show wear and tear as he has relied on them time and time again.

“You can’t just throw them in a shoe box and try to find them,” Smude said. “They get kind of tattered and beat up, but I make it work.”

Smude works with different styles and sizes of lampshades. The pub lamp, which is designed to hang, is a little more complex due to it having an open crown concept design at the top. He also makes window ornaments varying in designs. Smude said he has lost count of all the projects he has made over the years.

“A lot of guys will go bowling, … play in a dart league or pool leagues,” Smude said. “I like to work out here.”