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One of the standard designs
available for purchase. |
Wrought Iron Work of Jeff Malm
Kulm, North Dakota
Contact information for designs and ordering an iron cross:
Jeff Malm
7071 70th St. SE
Kulm, ND 58456
Tel: 701-647-2729
E-mail: jucyleff@drtel.net
Brochure
Hyra, Jackie. Kulm
man makes iron crosses. Jamestown Sun,
8 August 20
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Jeff and Lucinda Schmitt Malm, rural
Kulm, ND donating Iron Cross in September, 2005. |
Jeff Malm explaining the rose design
on the Iron Cross. |
Jeff and his wife, Lucinda Malm, live north of Kulm on the farm
where he grew up and worked until 1990 when he was injured in a
farm accident. Although confined to a wheelchair, Jeff is still
able to enjoy wood and metal work with his tools adapted to meet
his needs. In 2003, through the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship
Program of North Dakota Council on the Arts, he learned to build
German-Russian Iron Crosses from Herman Kraft, an experienced artist
at Timber Lake, South Dakota. Jeff is very thankful for the God
given ability to design and build these beautiful symbols of the
Christian faith.
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Double Arm Cross,
2005
This is an original design. Traditionally these crosses were
used to mark graves. Today their use is broader |
Decorative Wall Cross, 2005
Based on traditional Swedish design. |
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Single Arm Cross, 2004 |
Decorative Wall Cross, 2005 |
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Jeff Malm displays his work at the Lehr Tabernacle, Dakota Memories Heritage Tour, 16 September 2009, Lehr, ND. |
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North Dakota Council on the Arts Apprenticeship Program
Decorative Blacksmithing with Emphasis on German Russian Iron Crosses
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Jeff Malm by iron cross made for child
burial near Mott, North Dakota. |
Jeff Malm began to learn the art of Iron Cross building in the
summer of 2003 as the result of a program funded by a grant from
the North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA). The Traditional Arts
Apprenticeship program is designed to honor and encourage the preservation
of North Dakota's diverse living traditions by providing grants
that allow master traditional artists to pass their skills and knowledge
to apprentices on a one to one basis over an extended period of
time.
The grant was approved for Jeff to learn decorative blacksmithing,
with an emphasis on iron cross grave markers, from a master artist
named Herman Kraft, from Timber Lake, South Dakota. Mr. Kraft came
to Kulm to work with Jeff in his workshop on three separate occasions
that summer.
Mr. Kraft, a well known blacksmith whose specialty is Damascus
steel knives, has built a number of crosses himself and has also
traveled extensively throughout the region to study iron crosses.
His knowledge is extensive in the history and building of Iron Crosses.
He was one of the participants in the famous video, Prairie
Crosses, Prairie Voices: Iron Crosses of the Great Plains,
which has been aired on Prairie Public Television.
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Herman Kraft, Timber Lake, South Dakota
(left) works with Jeff Malm make a rose for iron cross. |
It was decided that the goal for the summer would be to build three
different crosses. The first phase of the project involved the creation
of iron roses, which would be used as a decoration on all of the
crosses. The building of the first and largest of the 3 crosses
was next on the agenda. With help from Troyd Geist, the folklorist,
North Dakota Council on the Arts, the design was created. He is
familiar with the religious significance of the various art forms,
such as angels, doves, flowers, etc. This cross is an acceptable
size for use on the grave of an adult.
The second cross was designed by Jeff and is of a smaller size.
This sized cross is commonly used to mark the grave of a child.
This cross was used to mark the site of the graves of two siblings
of Jeff's father in law, who are buried on a farm site near Mott,
North Dakota. It was placed there in the summer of 2004.
The small cross was created to be used as a wall decoration. It
was also designed by Jeff and was a replica of the second cross.
The process of building iron crosses is not exactly the same as
it was in the past. Most of the iron is bent cold not heated in
a forge like blacksmiths did. Electric welding has replaced many
of the traditional methods joining the pieces of the crosses. Jeff
has been working hard to get back to using those old methods by
using shrink clamps to cover welds and also using rivets wherever
possible. He also enjoys doing much of the detail work with a hacksaw,
files, and other hand tools.
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Herman Kraft and Jeff Malm working
on iron cross at Jeff's workshop on the Mal farm north of Kulm,
North Dakota. |
Jeff Malm and Herman Kraft working
on cutting out the angles for the iron cross. |
The real challenge has always been, and always will be, the designing
of the tools and jigs needed to make the various bends in the iron.
Some of these tools can be purchased, but many are designed and
built in the shop a result of much thinking and experimentation.
The learning process is ongoing with the continued search for information.
Jeff always keeps his eyes open for history and photos to help develop
new ideas. It also includes stops in cemeteries to look at the actual
crosses. His own designs for crosses come mainly from the study
of old crosses mixed in with his own creativity. Most of the cross
builders in the past could be identified by the style in which they
built their crosses. Jeff has been using roses, sunbursts, and twists
as distinctive items in the building of his crosses.
As a result of his searching he has even discovered that there are
old iron crosses in the cemetery in Northern Sweden where his ancestors
lived. (see photos) The small cross on display is based on one of
those crosses.
Jeff thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working with Mr. Kraft,
learning the techniques and history, and building the crosses. He
is very thankful for the God given ability to build these beautiful
symbols of our Christian faith.
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Jeff
Malm and Herman Kraft displaying finished crosses. |
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