Winter 2024

Photos provided by Kathy Hughes
“
There’s an ornament in here somewhere,”
says Bud Rogers, holding up
a block of wood. “I just have to find it.”
Indeed, he will find it. Bud has made thousands
of ornaments, each by hand, in his backyard
workshop.
“No two are alike,” he explains, “and I never
know what the end product will be.”
Bud’s interest in wood began as a child. Not
having a lot of store-bought toys, he resorted to
making his own.
“Growing up, my daddy worked in a sawmill,
and he would bring small scraps of wood home
to use in our coal-burning stove,” Bud remembers
with a smile, “but I would hide the pretty
scraps so I could make little boats, or cars or
whatever I could, using just a handsaw and a
hammer. It was pre-television days, so I had to
find a way to entertain myself.”
Bud, a native of Jackson, Ala., graduated
from Livingston University and married Julia
Caldwell. The young couple had very few pieces
of furniture, so Bud decided to figure out how to
build what they needed. They were also big fans
of antiquing and bought older pieces for Bud to
refinish. “Working at the paper mill was my real
job, and woodworking was my hobby,” Bud says.
Yet, Bud’s woodworking skills did not go
unnoticed. Many residents of Jackson and the
surrounding area called on him to repair, refinish
or even build their own furniture pieces.
With two young daughters at home, Bud
began honing his talent in a new area: Barbie
EAST ALABAMA LIVING 97