Manitoba Carver, Warren Breyfogle, Donates “Miranda & Jeremiah” to Grain Elevator Interpretive Centre in Warren, MB

“I decided that because I have lived in the area and because Warren may be starting a museum or something that they would feel at home there. These carvings represent pioneers, which came to Manitoba by ox-cart and settled.”

Warren Breyfogle was born on his grandparent’s farm in Union Point Manitoba (a place Warren says used to exist between Ste. Agathe and Morris on highway 75) It was called Union Point because the Paddle Boat and Stage Coach stopped there (on the Red River). If you go there today you can still see tracks that the stage coach cut into the ground 100 years ago.

Warren lived in Union Point with his family until 1938 (except for a few years that the family spent in Chicago from 1924-28). In 1938 his Father and Grandfather built a new homestead on a farm in the same area.

Warren attended the proverbial “one room school house” where one teacher taught 36 children, (every grade from 1-8) and graduated from grade 8 when he was 13 years old. He proudly states, “I never had a day of high school.” His many skills are mainly self-taught and it sounds like, he has always been a very creative and industrious person.

Warren started running the family farm when he was 14 and joined the Air Force when he was 20. There, he worked as an aero-engine mechanic until the end of the 2^nd World War, in 1946. After the war, Warren qualified to attend University and got his diploma in Agriculture at the University of Manitoba.

After University, Warren went back to his family farm, got married to Joyce Gluck in 1951 and raised 7 children with her. In 1953 his brother took over the farm and Warren moved to Winnipeg where he went into “sales” which caused him to travel extensively.

When Joyce fell ill and had to be hospitalized for a year, Warren stayed closer to home to care for his children. Eventually, Joyce got out of the hospital and Warren purchased another farm and moved the family to Rosser Manitoba. “My wife just loved gardening.” In Rosser he took a very active interest in youth and sports. He helped to run recreation programs, coached, organized field days, dances and skating evenings. As he himself puts it, “I did it all!”

Joyce and Warren lived happily in Rosser, which he felt was “an ideal place to raise and educate a family.”

In 1963, he and Joyce retired, and they moved to a little cottage in Sandy Hook from where they enjoyed traveling to distant lands. They spent thirteen winters going to Texas where he started carving at the age of 75 or so. “I took to it very well and got a lot of satisfaction out of it,” he said.

Eventually Warren was approached by the seniors club at Gimli New Horizons and asked to consider becoming a carving instructor. This worked out well with the carving group topping out at 25 people. He also instructed several other programs and entered many carving competitions winning in both Canada and the U.S. Eventually, he limited himself to doing carving on consignment only and over the years he has carved hundreds of pieces.

At time of writing in 2010 Warren is 88 years old and Joyce has passed away. Warren now lives in Stonewall’s Lion’s Manor and only does very “special” assignments.

Warren has had many interests over his lifetime and has been what you might call a true Renaissance Man. He says that carving is very “enjoyable, relaxing, and take my full concentration” and laughs, “it takes you mind off of all your problems.” Now Warren gets most of his enjoyment in life by helping others.

 “I carved these because I felt it was something that very few people would or could do and I had something to prove to myself.” Most of Warren’s other carvings are much smaller than Miranda and Jeremiah and have been sold or given to friends and family. “I decided that because I have lived in the area and because the West Interlake Trading Company  may be starting an interpretive centre or something that they would feel at home there. These carvings represent pioneers, which came to Manitoba by Ox-cart and settled in Vita.”

Warren Breyfogle with Miranda & Jeremiah

These two amazing pieces of hand-carved folk art were made from one tree, cut down in 1998 on 5^th Avenue in Sandy Hook. The wood was left to season for 3 years before it was cut into 8-foot lengths and stored to season indoors for another 2 years. The carving was mainly done by chainsaw, with more delicate finishing touches done by hand. They were left in their natural state, mostly unpainted, until this past winter when they were completed for the Grain Elevator Museum/Interpretive Centre in Warren.

Warren states, “If things do not develop like I hope they will in Warren, Miranda and Jeremiah are to be relocated.” The Woodlands Pioneer Museum would be another great choice for their home.

To visit Warren’s larger than life carvings, come to the Warren Country Market & Grain Elevator.