A Decoy Corner Article
By Bruce Urben, WWA President
Elmer H. Garbrecht was born in 1907 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and lived most of his life there. His outdoor interests began as a child and carried through into his adult life. Elmer was employed at the City of Oshkosh Water Treatment plan for over 40 years.
The Winnebago lakes area was teaming with wildfowl and Elmer was drawn in that direction each fall. In the 1920’s, a realty company in Oshkosh was advertising that the Rivermoor area, just southwest of where the Fox River flows into Lake Butte des Morts, was a “hunter’s paradise”. Lots were being offered at $250 each on the marsh and Elmer jumped at the idea and purchased a lot there. As it turns out, Elmer’s lot was only several lots away from August Guhl, another notable decoy carver from Oshkosh.
In 1938, Elmer married Dorothy Lipke in Oshkosh. They did not have any children. While Elmer’s job required him to live in the Oshkosh city limits to be close in case of emergencies, Elmer and his wife made the short trek to Rivermoor routinely to hunt, fish, carve and build boats. In 1969, Elmer retired from the treatment plant and moved permanently to live in their cottage at Rivermoor.
Elmer started carving his own decoys in 1930. His early birds, which were very “folky”, were all used in his own hunting rig, but he later carved many decorative decoys and shorebirds. He was an excellent, self trained artist, producing over 300 oil paintings, watercolors and pencil drawings. Elmer built a number of boats and skiffs for himself and other relatives. We also know that he tied fishing flies for the local sport shop in Oshkosh.
Elmer produced over 300 decoys in his career. He used no power tools! His heads were cut out with a coping saw and he used a jack knife, assorted chisels and rasps to fashion his decoys. Carving was a hobby to Elmer and he never commercially sold any of his decoys but gave many away to friends and hunting buddies. He was one of a few Winnebago lakes carvers who carved every species of duck as well as screech owls, herons and shorebirds. Later in life he carved many miniature decoys and decoratives as gifts.
Elmer’s decoy heads are known to have great detail in the bill and his paint patterns are very realistic with a lot of feather detail. Most of his decoys are labeled on the bottom “carved and painted by EH Garbrecht, Rivermoor, Wi.”.
While Elmer was not a well known carver outside of Oshkosh, his carvings were truly realistic. Many waterfowlers commented that his duck hunting spread was the most realistic on the lake with seven or eight species in his rig!
Elmer carved decoys up until his death in 1982 at the age of 74. A true artist, sportsman, entrepreneur, inventor and decoy carver. His realistic decoys are in high demand by Wisconsin Collectors and have sold for hundreds of dollars.
Another true Wisconsin original carver!