Parker County Today PCT January 2019 | Page 53

Keith and his wife, Carol ing course presented by well-known second-generation bootmaker Carl Chappell in Saint Jo, Texas. “Each student made one pair; there were six students that year,” said Rohwedder. “It was two weeks, 12 hours a day. You learned all he could cram into you.” Over the years since, Rohwedder, who has a shop at his home north of Weatherford off Ric Williamson Memorial Highway, has worked to hone his skills. While he hasn’t kept a hard count of boots made, he said he makes about 10 pair a year. A glance at his boots confirms Rohwedder is a true artisan, one who believes “handmade” means just that — each aspect of the construction is done by hand, whether the boots are basic and unadorned or full-blown fancy stitched and gussied-up with stars, brands, longhorns, feathers or sunflowers. What about store-bought boots? “You can’t compare a factory boot to the workmanship of a handmade boot,” he said. “In a handmade boot, of course, everything is done White’s Funeral Home Our family serving your family since 1908 Full Service Funeral Home • Cremation Services • Pre-Need Plans Azle • Springtown • Mineral Wells • Weatherford • 817-596-4811 • www.whitesfuneral.com Kari Drake, Andy Browning, Anita White, Ken Corzine, Bob White, Richard Woodman, Jillian Johnston, Bruce Duncan, Robert Sheffield 51