This obit confirms that Richard’s (Dirk de Korne) sister, Jennie Culver, did move to Seattle and raise her family there. Also, although the genealogy research done by Yvette Hoitink shows Richard was born in Kapelle, this obituary states what I had always been told, that he was from Goes. Those towns are not far from each other.
I’ve written a couple of other posts about Richard DeKorn, including Richard DeKorn, Brick Mason and General Contractor. This obituary mentions two other buildings I didn’t realize he had built: the Pythian Building and the Merchants Publishing Company building. I also learned that he was a member of the brick masons union.
Pythian Building
I’ve mentioned before that he built the Telegraph building, the tower at the state hospital, and the Ladies Library Association building (and many others).
You see Park Cafe in the low building to the side of the building? I remember them from the sixties and seventies when they used to make the best olive burgers anywhere in the world. The grease would soak right through the waxed paper, and they were absolutely smothered in green olives. I recall walking past the building to get my burger and thinking what a beautiful old building it was, never dreaming that my great-great grandfather had built it.
NEW INFORMATION ADDED IN THE NEXT POST!! EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!
The Family Kalamazoo 
Tha’s amazing. And wonderful. To actually have this bit of local and personal history in town. It truly is a connection to the past.
Thanks, EmilyAnn. I know. I wish I had known this stuff when I was a kid and when I still lived in Kalamazoo.
P.S. Is the diner still there?
No, sadly, it closed up a long time ago, I believe.
But I just posted a google pic of the area in a new post which has a lot more info. https://thefamilykalamazoo.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/extra-extra-read-all-about-it/
I also have an ancestor who was a builder and brick mason. I’ve always wanted to know which buildings he built in Connersville, Indiana. I know some of them were torn down and some cousins collected some of his bricks before they were destroyed. So it is really swell that you have pictures of existing buildings.
I wonder if you could search archives of the local libraries, etc., and see if there are some pix of the buildings. I am finding that there are more than I thought there would be!
My biggest obstacle to that is the couple of thousand plus miles between me and the “local” library. 🙂
Haha, I have that, too, but lucky for me one of the local libraries has some of the pix on the internet, so you might want to check that out, just in case.
I do circle back every few months but I haven’t seen anything yet. I am not currently focusing on that side of the family right now either.
What street is this, Luanne?
Wilma, it’s South Street. I just posted new info about it: https://thefamilykalamazoo.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/extra-extra-read-all-about-it/
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