Elmer Zurakowski has a unique, special way of thanking people. He carves their portraits in wood.
The 89-year-old Warren resident has carved everyone, from famous heads of state to anonymous members of the U.S. military and decorated Michigan State Police troopers. Oh, and he does family members and friends, too.
In January 2021, Zurakowski started receiving Meals on Wheels through the Macomb County Office of Senior Services. For the last year, Zurakowski said he’s come to thoroughly enjoy the healthy, well-balanced meals. Elmer wanted to thank Meals on Wheels and the OSS, the best way he knew how. He told the volunteers who arrived at his door with the hot delicious meals that he wanted to carve their portraits.
But when the volunteers felt unworthy of being thanked that way, Elmer and his daughter, Karil, turned their sights to the Office of Senior Services and the Meals on Wheels program. In January, Karil was contacted by Shelly Bania, program coordinator for the OSS. She suggested Elmer carve a portrait of former President Lyndon Johnson, who signed the Older American Act into law, a catalyst for the Meals on Wheels program as we know it today.
Elmer immediately went to work, and a couple of weeks later the portrait was complete. Today, it was donated to the Office of Senior Services.
Zurakowski, an introverted, quiet man, was surprised to find out how happy the OSS was to receive the carving, and he isn’t quite sure what all of the fuss is about.
“I was stunned that they wanted to do it. But well, that’s what I made it for. I don’t keep any of my carvings. Most of them are gifts,” he said. “I’m very thankful that they will like it, I hope, and that makes me happy.”
“We were so pleased to accept Elmer’s kind offer of a wood carving that we can display in our office,” Office of Senior Services Program Manager Nicole Urban said. “Lyndon B. Johnson is the president that signed the original Older Americans Act that launched senior nutrition programs.”
Zurakowski is a self-taught woodcarver. Karil remembers as a child, her father crafted items out of leather, like wallets, belts and purses. Then he turned to wood and abstract art. In the mid-1970s, he started doing portraits.
“The first thing I remember him carving was a stork,” Karil said. “By the mid to late-70s, he was doing portraits. He always went to the state fair to display his portraits. He loved the state fair. And that’s how he started doing the police trooper of the year carvings.”
At those state fair events, Zurakowski was constantly approached by fairgoers about his carvings and whether he could make a portrait of them. From those conversations, Zurakowski came up with the idea of carving portraits of Michigan State Police troopers. He approached state fair administrators about the idea, and the connection was made with the police force. Now, each year, Zurakowski carves a portrait of the award-winning trooper of the year. Elmer is sent a photo of the winner, creates the carving, and mails it to the winner. He’s been performing that labor of love for more than 30 years, Karil said.
“So many people came up and would talk to me (about the carvings),” Zurakowski said. “I talked to people who run the state fair and asked about doing it. And they thought it was a good idea. And the connections were made somehow. Nobody ever thanks a police officer. They should be thanked more often.”
A retired Army veteran, Zurakowski has a love and appreciation of law enforcement and military service. A couple of years ago, Karil learned of a friend whose husband was a veteran and an Abraham Lincoln fan. Elmer carved a portrait of Lincoln and gave it to him. The Zurakowski family had a friend whose son was killed in combat in Afghanistan. Elmer carved him a portrait of his son.
He’s carved portraits of former presidents Ronald Reagan, Harry Truman and Teddy Roosevelt. He’s carved Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Mary Barra, the chief executive of General Motors, a self-portrait, and two of Karil.
“I have two jobs – my part-time job, and keeping my dad carving,” Karil said. “It’s important for him to keep busy at this age, and this is what he loves to do. He’s probably done hundreds of carvings.”
Each carving takes about 20 hours to produce. Karil said her dad is his own worst critic and often doesn’t want to finish because he always wants to make corrections and improvements. For that reason, Karil was kept the Johnson carving at her house for the last couple of weeks.
“I don’t do much arguing with my daughter. But I got to the point where I was done with it.” Elmer said. “It’s a hobby with me, very relaxing and sometimes very frustrating, but I enjoy it very much.”
It’s no surprise Zurakowski likes to keep busy. He only retired from his job in tool and die with General Motors in 2019, when he was 86-years-old. He was the longest-serving hourly employee ever at General Motors, working for 67.4 years at places like Fisher Body and the Warren Technical Center.
“Elmer is an amazing and talented man, from his more than 67 years working at General Motors to his work as an artisan,” Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said. “I’m sure the Office of Senior Services will find a great place to display his wood carving of Lyndon Johnson.”
Karil said her dad was a little embarrassed about receiving the attention he’s garnered for donating his carving.
“He doesn’t know what the big deal is about. He’s a little introverted, and he likes to thank people,” Karil said. “When he gives them away, it’s a thank you, whether it’s a veteran or a police officer, it’s a thank you. That’s really what it is. And he wanted to thank Meals on Wheels. Now he doesn’t understand why he’s being thanked for a thank you.”
Don Gardner is a communications specialist for Macomb County Planning and Economic Development
