Kuhn Construction

Rick is heading to Lui... Again!

 

 Rick was once again asked by the Episcopal Bishop of Missouri to lead a team of Episcopalians on a mission trip to Lui, South Sudan. The trip is scheduled for the end of August to the beginning of September. This will be Rick’s third trip to Lui, and he couldn’t be more excited. You could call Rick a mission trip pro. He has been to West Virginia, Kentucky, South Dakota, Louisiana, North Carolina, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Illinois on mission trips, and most of those places more than once. He’s also done a few in Missouri as well. Here is the t-shirt quilt to prove it!

 

 

 

Today, tools that have been donated by Kuhn Construction and two other sources will be shipped to Lui in preparation for the team’s arrival. While in Lui, Rick will work a Carpentry school that was started last year by another diocese team. 15 young men were taught some basics of carpentry and each took home a chair they had built. This year they will complete a roof on a chapel that is on the grounds of a school in Lui. The chapel has walls but has been waiting on a roof to be built. Most importantly the team will help to further the carpentry skills of the young men of Lui. We’ll teach them to work with tools and build things themselves. The tools that are being shipped to Lui today will be left there for their use. It’s like the saying “You can give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and you’ll feed him for a lifetime.” We hope teaching these men will help improve the development of their community and their lives.

 

Check out this link for a video of Rick's previous trip to Lui.

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Here's another recipe from the Kuhn kitchen!

Sticky Plum Glazed Ribs

2 slabs pork ribs - about 6 pounds
1 bottle (12oz) dark or stout beer
1 jar (12oz) plum jam or preserves
1/2 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced

Remove membrane from back side of ribs. Place ribs in large shallow non-metal baking dish and set aside. In medium bowl combine remaining ingredients. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce, pour remaining sauce over ribs. Cover ribs with plastic wrap. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

In medium saucepan, bring reserved 1 cup sauce to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes.

Let ribs stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling. Remove ribs from marinade and discard. Place ribs bone side down on grill over indirect medium heat, cover and grill until meat is very tender and has pulled back from ends of bones, 3 to 4 hours. During last 20 minutes of grilling time, baste generously with cooked marinade. Remove ribs from grill, cover, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into individual ribs. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

This recipe comes from MJ's mom, Georgia Moxley. This is a favorite around the Kuhn Household! And it makes for a great leftover lunch in the office!

16oz of pasta noodle of choice (Bow tie works great!)
1 cup broccoli florets - blanched
1-2 cups cooked chicken or ham
Sliced black olives
Small bottle of creamy Italian dressing
8oz sour cream

Cook noodles and drain. Mix all ingredients. Let stand several hours before serving. You can add other ingredients as desired such as tomatoes, radishes, mushrooms, etc. Chicken broth can be added to moisten pasta.

Enjoy!

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Ironton, Missouri. {Missouri Church Remodeler}

Kuhn Construction recently finished a restoration and renovation project at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Ironton, Mo. 

    Rick Kuhn got the call for this job from St. Paul’s Priest In Charge, Kitty Hillquist. When Rick showed up to meet with Kitty, she pulled out a large bag full of pieces of wood and roofing that had fallen off of the 150 year old church.

 

 

{Kitty and her Family}    

Rick said, “We worked mainly on the exterior of the church.  We rebuilt the entire upper tier of the historic bell tower, replaced the roof, and restructured the church spires.” Mary Jane Kuhn added, “We used metal roofing that looks historic, but it will last as long as there is a church.” This was the goal with the entire project, to keep the historical features, but also to make sure they can endure years to come.

 

{The new cross, the old one had fallen off.}

     Ironton is about an hour and a half away, so Rick decided to hire local workers, instead of having all of the guys drive out to Ironton everyday. Rick hoped hiring locals would build relationships within the community. “I hired local craftsmen, master builders, and artisans to complete the job and help boost the Ironton economy,” Rick reported.

     Bo Layton is one story of a local that was hired for this job. Bo is a retired shop teacher from the local high school. Bo completely rebuilt all of the church spires. He used a high quality plastic that is more durable then wood, but still fits the look of the church. As a local, Bo had an appreciation for the historic aspect of this project, and this made him a great asset to the job.

 
{Notice the intricacies of the craftsmanship.}

     Rick also chose to purchase supplies locally. Special thanks to Reed & Reed Lumber, and Adam’s Heating and Cooling for helping us with this job.

     Rick always says, “The most important thing Kuhn Construction can build is a relationship.” Kuhn Construction didn’t just build a new roof, bell tower, and spires at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Ironton, Missouri. Kuhn Construction built relationships. 

Kelsey Mitchell Kuhn Allen. {St. Louis Home Remodeler}

Kelsey Mitchell Kuhn Allen. {St. Louis Home Remodeler}

 

 

OK. That’s not really my name, but it pretty much could be. I’m Kelsey Mitchell, the new social media coordinator here at Kuhn Construction.  When they say this is a family business, they aren’t joking around

. When I was little (say about 22 years ago) Mary Jane became my nanny after my mom went back to work. She watched me while she ran Kuhn Construction (pretty impressive, right?) I eventually went on to preschool, but spent every summer at the Kuhn Household. I rode along to job sites, picked up payroll, knew all the guys, and would play office while MJ ran the office. I loved to watch Rick work in the shop and learn all his famous “Rickisms.” My favorite is “You don’t know if you don’t go.” Rick was also the one who made me pray before meals and try everything on my plate at least once.

            Not only was MJ my nanny, she became my 2^nd mom, and I became her 3^rd daughter. They made me part of the family. I attended the family gatherings, went on float trips with the cousins, and went to watch eagles with the neighbors

            A couple of years ago, Parker Jane Allen (the 2^nd grandchild of MJ & Rick) asked me if my name was “Kelsey Mitchell Kuhn Allen.” I laughed, and said no, but that pretty much explains it all. I am part of the family. The grandkids call me “Aunt Kelsey” and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am blessed to be part of this family.

            It’s fitting that I’ve officially joined the family business.  In December, I stepped in to the role of Social Media Coordinator to bring more stories to the blog, update facebook more often, and spread the word about this great family business. I am eager to share stories of our clients, photos of our work, and of course, many more of my favorite “Rickisms.” 

 

Giving back makes the celebration even better!

One of the best days in Webster Groves is The Fourth of July! There is the parade in the morning then the carnival and fireworks! Good times! This year Rick worked hard to get the Art and Air float up and running although he swears he didn't do much because there were so many talented people in charge!

The parade was awesome but the Art and Air float was the BEST one out there!

It was an exact replica of houses and store fronts in Webster hand painted by local artists. It was amazing!

We hope you all had a good holiday also!

Bathrooms: they were plentiful this spring!

It seems that many folks decided this was the spring to update their
bathrooms. We are working on or have finished three currently, and the best part is that
all of these are repeat clients! We love that.

Rick is a Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS) through the National
Home Builders Association so he can help with the design of bathrooms
that are safer as we age. Rick can meet with a client and walk through
their home and help determine areas that are not easily accessible
and areas that might be hazardous. If you are like us, (aging “Baby
Boomers”) you might just want to call and schedule an appointment
with Rick to walk through your home with his “CAPS” hat on.

In one of the bathrooms we expanded a master bath powder room
by taking part of a guest room and installing a walk-in shower unit
from “The Adaptive Living Store”

The second bathroom we took out a deep tub and built a shower that
only requires the homeowners to step up four inches, much easier to
access. The shower is also fitted with grab bars. In both of these cases
the clients have had knee replacements and realized they needed safer,
more accessible bathrooms.



Our third bath project is just a quick update, new bath vanity and new
lighting. A bright new look for a powder room.

If you would like to talk with Rick about your "aging in place" needs please call our office at 314-966-KUHN or email us at kuhnconstruction@scbglobal.net.

KUHN CONSTRUCTION: SOMETIMES KNOWN AS PAW PAW AND GRANDMA

We have two beautiful daughters who have given us five fabulous grandkids. Two of those grands are in
Wisconsin. Rick and I recently traveled north to spend a couple of days with Abbie and her girls. Chris,
our son-in-law, was only there a short time and then had to leave on a business trip. Our main reason
for going was to see Samantha, age 4, sing with her church choir. Abbie is the director and also sings
in the adult choir at their church, Peace Lutheran in Waunakee WI. We had two opportunities to see
Sam sing, first in church Sunday morning when they did a great rendition of “This Little Light of Mine”
and then in the afternoon they had a parish wide talent show and we got to see Sam sing again and see
Abbie sing with her choir. It was great fun and good entertainment and we were so proud of both of
them. Little Miss Avery sat on Paw Paw’s lap and enjoyed the show too. Paw Paw even helped Abbie
with a little building project on the girl’s playhouse. A great visit even if it was only two days.

 

 

From forgotten to loved | St. Louis Home Remodeler

Once there was a house near Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, MO that was crumbling and forgotten. Plaster was falling, floors were rotting and windows were broken. Until one day a sweet family saw its potential, bought it and immediately hired us to bring it back to life.

I know it doesn't even look like the same spaces, but they are. It's been a LONG road of a renovation but we are finally finished and the family has moved in! We're so glad this house gets a chance at life again!