Remembrance Blog

Joe will be greatly missed by friends and family. He was an integral and important part of our lives. His smile was contagious, his talent immense and his heart seemed to grow lighter every day. Joe was a humble man, he just couldn't believe that so many folks could have a deep love and respect for him. It was hard for him to envision himself as a celebrity. To us he'll always be simply, Joe. Our friend. There's a void in our lives now, that cannot be filled but can be honored with memories.

Monday, December 19, 2005

In Memory of Joe...

Joe will be greatly missed by friends and family and those of us here at Piragis who got so used to seeing his face in our store. From the summer evenings when he would sit at the front counter and greet people, to the times when he would pop in for lunch or one of the great birthday get-togethers we shared with him, he was an integral and important part of our lives. His smile was contagious, his talent immense and his heart seemed to grow lighter every day. On Thanksgiving Night, Joe was here at the store to sign books, and he pulled me aside to tell me again, as he had so often before, "You'll never believe how many good people I've met because of this book... I can't tell you how much my life has changed... I'd never thought it would be like this..."

Joe was a humble man, through and through, and even with his master craftsman reputation, he still just couldn't believe that so many folks could have a deep love and respect for him. It was hard for him to envision himself as a celebrity.

To us he'll always be simply, Joe. Our friend. There's a void in our lives now, that cannot be filled but can be honored with memories. For that reason, we've begun this web page. Tim Stouffer (Piragis webmaster)

As a Widji camper, I feel a great loss in knowing that I will not return this year and see Joe. I always enjoyed seeing Joe smiling at the banquets, as energetic and fast paced as anyone half his age. This past summer was the first time I met Joe face to face. Despite his shaking hands, there was something in his eyes that spoke volumes about his liveliness. He laughed at my jokes, and happily talked about his book with me. He always seemed immortal to me, and that made him a hero in my eyes as well as the eyes of many other campers. I always felt that to handle a Seliga canoe was like handling a relic. The canvas was painted the color of water, and it completely immersed the vessel into its natural surroundings. I remember following a family of loons on my Quetico trip in the sleek and silent Seliga. It remains one of my fondest camping memories. I hope the inspiration that Joe Seliga is to each and every one of us transforms into a legacy for generations to come. There is no doubt in my mind that Joe will be remembered forever by the Widjiwagan community.

It's our first work day in Ely without hope of Joe showing at work to keep an eye on the troops. We miss ya Joe. The sun is out in Ely today and Joe is the Sun in our Hearts.
Steve Piragis

I met Joe at Piragis before a trip into the BW a few years ago. I recognized him right away and reluctantly went up to say hi. We had never met before this. He answered as if he knew me all along and we went upstairs to the book store to sit and talk about my trip, his past trips and canoeing. We spent about 15 minutes chatting although it seemed longer somehow to me. I could not get over how much life this man had. How much knowledge and compassion this man had. I truly felt fortunate to meet and talk to him. Even though I do not know him well, I feel I can count him as a friend. It seems like everyone he met was his friend. I know I'll see you again on the water Joe Seliga-may God bless you and your family. We will paddle together someday in the future, you and I.

Steve Freeman aka Bogwalker

My daughter and I purchased Bell canoe works' very first Seliga from Piragis in October of 2004. Imagine my surprise to meet Joe at the front desk. He grasped my hand and held it firmly as we talked, in the true Slavic tradition. And imagine my wife's surprise when we got home, to receive not only the canoe, but a book signed "to Marybeth, enjoy your new plastic canoe, Joe."
The most prized possessions are the ones that come with a story. Joe gave me something more valuable than an expensive canoe: a story.
David Mataya
Hudson, Wisconsin

Though I never had the opportunity to meet Joe in person I would like to send my condolences to his family. With the loss of the likes of Betty Ketter, Gene Jensen, Tom Estes and now Joe the canoeing world has lost some great people. These 'old timers' have been responsible for many of the wonderful experiences we all are able to enjoy and I thank them all for their contributions to the canoeing experience.

At Sommers Canoe Base BSA, Moose Lake, Joe Seliga was the father of the guide canoe. In 1966, I was assigned my first Seliga. It was early June before the crews began to arrive and we guides were soon busy fixing our canoes. The temporary patches of the prior year needed to be made permanent, new green paint applied, and of course there were the names and symbols to paint on the stern. We gladly did this in our spare time after our other tasks were completed. My canoes were Cynstarson and Cristinonone with a red hand print. The ribs and planking had a rich worn patina which improved with sanding and a fresh coat of varnish. We customized our stern seats so that we would sit high, finishing our stroke behind the canoe for easy steering with a simple slip stroke. The superior design of the Seliga allowed it to glide quietly and swiftly through flat water, waves and beaver streams while carrying three with over 120 pounds of gear in three packs. It was an honor to take extra special care of the canoe which in turn taught the campers about respect of the canoe, a true North American original. After traveling thousands of miles in Seliga canoes and hundreds of miles in others made of aluminum, foam sandwich, PEX, and Kevlar, I will always know that Joe’s canoes were and are best. Not the easiest to portage. Not the easiest to take care of at landings, over beaver dams or down streams and rivers. But they remain the best way to experience the beauty, the silence, and the grace of the Boundary Waters and Quetico Canoe country. Thank you Joe, for you gave me and thousands of others the gift of a truly spiritual canoeing experience.

My prayers are with the family. I never met Joe but have always admired his craftsmanship. In about 1975 I helped a friend, H. Collins of St. Paul, work on rebuilding one of Joe’s boats. What a wonderful work of art that boat was. I hope to paddle one some day.

I did not have the honor of meeting Mr. Seliga. I did have privilege of examining one of his canoes. What a wonderful craftsman he was. My deepest sympathy at his passing

A year or so ago a fella brought in a Seliga that he had purchased from Joe. He had the bill of sale signed by Joe and a pint can of the orange Pettit Boat paint that Joe had given him when he picked up the canoe... The receipt was from some where in the late 60's or early 70's and the canoe was just perfect, nary a scratch... All I did was re-varnish the trim. The guy sez "what's it worth? How much should I insure it for..?" I didn't know what to say right off. How do you put a value on one of those canoes? I mean look what's in it...a work ethic that's vanished...a commitment to excellence...a whole lifetime of labor willingly given to make objects of such worth that you can't put a value on them. I told him the biggest value was that Joe made it and that he wouldn't be making a lot more of them... I don't know if they'll ever make another Joe Seliga either....

My son Grant and I took our Seliga canoe to the Boundary waters for its first BWCA trip in July 2005. The night before our trip we had dinner with Joe. We had another wonderful conversation talking about Joe’s children, canoes, Ely, politics and who knows what else. It was truly a joy to spend some time with him again, and it was very special to have Joe in our truck with a Seliga canoe on top. After dinner we walked down to Piragis to say Hi to everyone working there that night. When we dropped Joe off at home, we wished him well and told him we would stop in and see him again the next time we were in Ely. While I talked to him on the phone after that, it was unfortunately the last time we were able to be there with him. Reading the remembrances of the Piragis staff and others, I can hear his voice, see that smile on his face and that twinkle in his eye, and hear that laughter in the middle of one of his stories that made it nearly impossible for him to finish. I am so thankful we had the opportunity to get to know Joe. We will miss him tremendously; he will always be in our thoughts and in our heart.

Marlyn Sjaarda

When I made my first trip to the Boundary Waters at age 15 our guide at the Charles L. Sommers Wilderness Canoe Base paddled a deep green Seliga and I was immediately smitten by the beautiful craft. The next summer we made a more difficult trip accompanied by another guide and his Seliga. Both years the guides spoke of this legendary canoe builder in Ely.

I worked at the base the next year so I could guide when I became 18. Nearly every evening I paddled a Seliga dreaming of the next year when it would be in the wilderness. Joe came to the base and we visited Joe and Nora many times. He was all I thought he would be. He was a mentor to many hundreds of “Charlie Guides” over the years.

I’ll never forget the call from Joe in July of 2001. “Hey John… I got a nice green one for you. When do you want to pick her up?” Labor Day weekend, my daughter, grandson and I sat with Joe in his kitchen. We had a long visit; mostly about Nora, how he loved her, how she helped him with each canoe and how he helped her through her last days. He described a partner, a deep love and friendship. As we drove to Moose Lake with our new Seliga, #651, my daughter said, “If I ever re-marry… that’s the kind of love I want.” We treasure that canoe… and the example provided by man who built it.

I have the “Secret Bay” lithograph in my office in South Texas and my Seliga hangs where I see it when I leave and arrive back at my home each day. I think of Joe every day. I am taking my grandkids paddling over the holiday. We will admire his handiwork and talk of my friend, mentor and hero. I think Joe would like knowing that we are out paddling with our grandkids.

Like you, I feel stunned by this loss. I pray that he knew… and that his family knows… how several generations of canoeists and wilderness advocates feel. Joe's old friend, Sig Olson, describes how I feel at this moment in his book, Listening Point on page 203 & 204. I suspect that this passage will have great significance as each of us recalls and treasures our relationship with this good man.

This is from “Listening Point” by Sigurd F. Olson.

“Paddles mean many things to those who know the hinterlands of the north. They are symbolic of a way of life and of the deep feeling of all voyageurs for the lake and river country they have known. Some time ago I received an envelope bordered in black, one of those old fashioned conventional letters of mourning which today are no longer used. I glanced at the date and address, tried hard to remember from whom it might be. With hesitation and foreboding, I tore open the seal. Inside was a simple card edged in black and across the face of it the sketch of a broken paddle. In the lower corner was the name.

The significance of this death announcement struck me like a blow. The paddle was broken and my friend who had been with me down the wilderness lakes of the border regions on many trips had cached his outfit forever. That broken blade meant more than a thousand words of eulogy, said far more than words could ever convey. It told of the years that had gone into all of his expeditions, of campsites and waterways. In its simple tribute were memories of the rushing thunder of rapids, the crash of waves against cliffs, of nights when the loons called madly and mornings when the wilds were sparkling with dew. It told of comradeship and meetings on the trail, of long talks in front of campfires and the smell of them, of pine and muskeg and the song of whitethroats and hermit thrushes at dusk.

I know now, thinking of the broken paddle and what it really meant, that if a man in the course of time can so identify himself with a way of life that when he goes it is not just another passing, then he has achieved a lasting place in the memories of his fellows, a bond they will cherish forever. The broken paddle was an insignia forged in the wilds, of loyalty not only of men to each other but devotion to lasting and eternal things.”

God, bless Joe and his family and friends. We know that if there is sorrow today… it can only be for ourselves. For, through our faith, we know that Joe has awakened from the sleep and discomfort of recent times… and has outrun us to our Father's house.

John O. Thurston – “Charlie Guide” 1962 - 66

I first met Joe about half a dozen years ago when I was teaching a seminar at the Piragis store. I was espousing about navigation when I saw a stranger with a huge smile in the audience. He was just sitting there and smiling, taking it all in. Seconds later, Steve P. came in and said hey, don’t you know Joe Seliga? Why you could have bowled me over with a marble. So THIS was the famous Seliga—the guy who builds those beautiful wood canvas canoes. I had just met one of my life long idols. Right after the event I took Joe home to see one of his canoes being built. He gave me quite a tour. Joe told me he had orders for dozens of boats—boats that at his advanced age, he’d never have time to build. Said that if you wanted to get at the head of his list you had to be a really nice person, and that he was only going to make canoe for folks he liked. That really made me smile. Shortly thereafter I pleaded with Bell Canoe Works to build his famous canoe in composite construction. Joe thought that was a great idea; he was really proud of that boat.
My biggest smile was when I got to paddle a genuine wood-canvas Seliga canoe with Joe himself. (That’s the red canoe that currently hangs in the Piragis NWC store) This was when Joe was 92 years young. And he could still paddle! I cherish the memory of canoeing with Joe and of giving him a great big bear hug afterwards.
Goodbye old friend. We’ll miss you. But we’ll never forget your love of life, your cheery smile, and the wonderful canoes you built.
Cliff Jacobson

Like so many others, it is overwhelming to think of what to write about Joe Seliga, and yet impossible to not let feelings and memories flow. I first met Joe as we swapped canvas filler for brass canoe tacks when I was working in the Trail Building at Camp Widjiwagan in the late 1960s. From the beginning I met a man with an open, welcoming heart, and without an ounce of self-importance. When our Seliga canoe burned in a cabin fire in 1979, I asked to be put on the long list he had even then, for a replacement. It was done by that fall, and I was humbled to suspect he had interrupted the list to respond to a disaster. That’s how he was.

My wife Jane, daughter Kathryn, son Greg and I, with all our gear, took several 5 day trips in that boat. She could carry a lot then, and still performed wonderfully last summer. She is baby blue, perhaps an unusual color for his canoes, and he took us aback a few years ago when we stopped in to his shop and he greeted us by asking how the trip was up on Basswood. We looked at each other, wondering how he could know we were there! After the gleam in his eye and the chuckle had disappeared, he said that a fishing buddy of his had seen a baby blue canoe on Basswood that looked like his. It must have been at least part guess, but I always was amazed at how Joe knew his canoes, and who owned them.

Certainly a Seliga canoe is a wonderful craft. Not only is it an amazingly beautiful boat, but it is a terrific tripping boat, able to carry a load safely in wind and wave. And the soft warm thump of paddle shaft or boot heel on the honey colored wood makes a paddler feel as though he is a part of the forest, not so much an intruder. But the legacy that Joe Seliga leaves for me, and I know for many at Camp Widjiwagan, is not just his skill as a builder, but his incredible enjoyment of people. He respected people, and made them feel valued. He adored his life partner, Nora, and talked about her with love in his voice. As much as he was lauded, I never saw him take on an air of superiority, or look down on someone as less important. He modeled life’s most important values. I only hope I can take that lesson as my own.

There will be a void in Ely for lots of us who are summer visitors. There will be a void for those who reside there. Jane will miss her opportunities to “charge his batteries”, as will many others. We’ll miss having him out for gatherings, to hear his vast store of tales, told with laughter and gusto. But as long as Seliga canoes, whether wood and canvas or Kevlar, travel the waterways of the north, there will be people who tell the story of care for one’s surroundings, pride in craftsmanship, joy for life, and respect for each other. That too, will be Joe Seliga’s legacy. Let’s never forget it.

For me it was never about the canoes, it was the man. That man was my grandpa. He was the man that looked at me in my crib and wondered if he would ever see me graduate, well he saw that and a whole lot more. He was the man who told me that my freckles were angel dust, that my 80's hair looked like an antelope and the man that told my husband on our wedding day that he had better take good care of me. Last Sunday was a very sad day for me and has opened a new chapter in my life, life without my grandpa. He takes a piece of my heart with him.

I love you grandpa, you are forever in my heart.

I called Joe to ask about building me a canoe only to find out he had just had a fire which burned his shop. He told me he didn't know when he might be back building canoes again. I figured I would never get one. One day out of the blue Joe called and asked if I still wanted a canoe. I didn’t even ask my wife but blurted out "you better believe it". So in 1995 I became the owner of Seliga #602. When I picked it up I went over to Burntside Lake and a preacher friend of mine baptized it. This past summer I had the privilege of working in the Outfitting department at Piragis and got to see Joe weekly when he would come by to just say hi. You would have thought I was his best friend even though he didn't know me very well. The highlight of my summer was having supper at Diane and Bert Heep's home along with Drew Brocket from Piragis and Joe. I have a picture of Joe and myself sitting in Bert's cabin just sharing a wonderful evening. I feel blessed to have been a small part of Joe's life. I'll miss you friend.

Latta Johnston
Chattanooga, TN
canoe #602

Joe's passing is a tough lesson for me. I've known about Joe and his craftsman skills for many years. I do solo and partner trips in the BWCA at least twice a year, for the past 10 years. I don't know how many times I told myself to make it a point to try to meet Joe while in Ely. This Christmas my wife gave me a copy of his 2002 book. As I was reading through the book on Christmas day, I said I absolutely was going to try to meet him when I was in Ely the weekend of January 14th. Yesterday I went online because I had forgotten the street he lived on, only to get the sad news of his passing. From what I read from those that knew him, I have missed a great opportunity to meet one of a kind.

In memory of Joe Seliga

Monday, December 19, 2005

In Memory of Joe...