Visitors need not enter the Clearfield Township home of LaVerne and Shirley Protzman to know that a true craftsman is at work.

The home's single-panel front door made of 249 pieces of black cherry, walnut and maple glued together is evidence of the talent of the family patriarch.

At age 76, LaVerne has been working with wood for more than 60 years.

"I always liked to work with wood," said LaVerne, who learned his skills from school woodshop classes and his father, who did carpentry work. "I think it's in the genes or something."

Years of practice turning out products has kept wife Shirley out of furniture stores during most of their 50 years of marriage.

"When she needs something, I build it instead of buy it," he said.

Yet before he filled their home with tables made of thick slabs of wood, bookshelves and turned wooden lamps, he took on a much bigger project.

In 1962, LaVerne began construction on the home that housed his family of five, including three bedrooms, a basement family room, a detached garage and a tidy, well-organized woodshop.

Though his passion and talent for carpentry developed early, LaVerne worked in his family's sawmill and coal mine and later at Armco Steel, doing carpentry jobs only on the side.

"My wife used to say, 'You work too much,' but that's (her) opinion, I don't call it work," he said.

Since retiring in 1991, he has had much more time to experiment with his skills.LaVerne's sense of style is reflected throughout his home, where tables are made of thick wood slabs, and headboards, made of single pieces of wood, still show the shape and texture of the tree's exterior.Much of his work has been installed in the house as permanent fixtures, including a built-in china hutch in the dining room and two chests of drawers connected by a vanity attached to the wall in the bedroom his two daughters once shared."I always say we'll never be able to move, because we'd have to buy all new furniture," he said.When not filling orders for his wife and family, LaVerne looks to woodworking magazines for new ideas.Without using any written plans, he has recreated lamps and a holiday candy dish resembling a red bulb from a string of Christmas lights.

One of his most challenging projects was a grandfather clock made of walnut, which took him three to four months to build, even while using purchased plans.Each of his three children have taken some of their father's work into their own homes as well.Daughter Kate LaSota of Patton, Pa.,still uses a cedar chest her father built her in high school and a bookshelf he built while she was in college."He just does beautiful, beautiful work," she said.In addition to projects made while she was still living with her parents, LaSota commissioned a cherry cradle from her father, which she used for both of her children."Those pieces will always be special to me."LaVerne has also created wall clocks for each of his children and is ready to fill any other needs.Recently, LaVerne was diagnosed with cancer when a tumor was discovered on his esophagus.Though still regaining strength after surgery to remove the tumor, he is looking forward to returning to his shop, though he has no set plans on what to make next."(He) can't think of anything else he wants," said Shirley.