The art of hand repairing fishing nets is something every commercial fishing family used to know, when the fishing industry dominated small Washington Island, north of Door County. Today, one man is keeping that tradition alive.

As Jake Ellefson looks at himself through an artists eyes he says, "man, I didn't think I looked quite that bad!"

The 88-year old is looking at paintings that capture Jake's upholding of tradition; hand repairing fishing nets.

"She did very well to paint that darn thing," Jake laughs.

The story behind the paintings, and behind the man, starts with Jake's father.

"He was a commercial fisherman and we grew up in the business," says Jake. "[I] had two brothers, they were each older than I am, and we were all in World War II. We enlisted, all three of us, in the service."

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