My dad cut with a crosscut on the farm when he was a kid in the early depression. He hated it, gramps died and grammaw moved to the city, couldn't run the farm. Dad only recalls hard work, no money, poverty, etc. Not good times.
So years later he and mom get married, they have kids, I am the oldest. We are living in a house with a fireplace. he had self taught himself electronics after his stint in the war, then went to tech school, and got into computers in the 50s and started making money.
He bought cut and split nice fruitwood, delivered. That's what we burned, apple, cherry, pear wood, etc. That's the tip, one way to do it anyway, just mjake enough money to buy it. He wanted to go fishing on the weekends, not go cutting.
I am the first one in the family to own and run chainsaws. And I started with a hand powered bowsaw.
I enjoy it though, really. I could use propane..meh..no soul to it! No fun! Always liked burnhing wood. ME, I don't care, could be a millionaire (sure ain't) and I would still cut and split my own wood. My tip..get a fiskars! hahahaha!
Sorry about your dad man, but sounds like you got it together. Mine is still kicking but has alzheimers now, sad.