Posted in Alice Paak DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Paak, Peek, tagged DeKorn family, DeKorn genealogy, family history, genealogy, Michigan history, Paak genealogy, Peek family on February 7, 2013| 17 Comments »
This fine woolen shawl was owned by Alice Paak (Peek) DeKorn. The predominant color is a dark green. My great great grandmother passed away in 1908, so this family artifact is over 100 years ago. It is in perfectly pristine condition.
Posted in Alice Paak DeKorn, Cora DeKorn Zuidweg, DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Jennie DeKorn Culver, Paak, Peek, tagged Adrian Zuidweg, DeKorn family, DeKorn genealogy, Dutch Genealogy, family history, genealogy, history of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Michigan, Michigan history, Paak genealogy, Peek family, Yvette Hoitink on February 4, 2013| 14 Comments »
Alice Paak DeKorn (Aaltje Peek)
She died May 5, 1908. My grandfather, her grandson, was born October 31, 1908, so she never even saw him. I think she has a kind face, but I don’t know any stories about her.
Yvette Hoitink observed that Alice’s marriage certificate states that she was born in Leymond.
Yvette says that this is “presumably Lexmond in Zuid-Holland. The Lexmond birth records are indexed on Genlias.nl. A search for Peek children born between 1850 and 1855 showed one candidate for Aleye Peek: Aaltje Peek b. 9 September 1852, daughter of Teunis Peek and Jacoba Bassa. The birth month and year match perfectly with Alice’s listing in the 1900 census.”
I noticed that Alice lived for 55 years. Her daughter Cora, my great grandmother, died at the age of 57, so I can’t help but wonder if they both died of the same cause. Cora died of leukemia or “cancer of the brain.” Alice’s other daughter, Jennie, who was in last week’s post died at the age of 95. Alice’s own mother died at the age of 41.
Although she was known as Alice for most of her life in the U.S., her American marriage certificate shows Alice as Aleye, which would have been Aaltje in the Netherlands. I’m going to guess that some of the people filling out the documents in Kalamazoo were not Dutch.
Growing up in Kalamazoo, I had no idea that one of the family lines of my ancestry was Paak/Peek. I went to school with kids with names like Peek and Peake, and I wonder if there is a connection.
Yvette discovered that Alice’s father, Teunis Peek, was found in the lists of emigrants at the National Archives website and that he left Lexmond for the U.S. in 1868. She shows Alice emigrating in 1869, but it’s possible that they came together.
Jacoba had passed away in 1865, before her family emigrated. Alice was one of six children, and I am guessing that Teunis brought all his children to the U.S.–or at least most of them. The eldest was Joost, and he was 19 when the family moved. It’s possible he stayed behind.
I’ll pick up the story of the Peeks in a future post.
Posted in Alice Paak DeKorn, Cora DeKorn Zuidweg, DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Jennie DeKorn Culver, Joseph Peter DeKorn, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Paak, Peek, Richard DeKorn, tagged DeKorn, DeKorn family, DeKorn genealogy, early 1900s, family history, genealogy, history of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan history, Paak genealogy on November 18, 2012| 13 Comments »
My great-great-grandfather, Richard DeKorn, was a brick mason who worked on many public buildings in the Kalamazoo area. He was a brick mason on the beautiful Ladies’ Library Association in 1878-79 and lead brick mason on theKalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital Water Tower in 1895. According to his obituary he was the contractor for the Pythian building and the Merchants Publishing Company building.
Richard was born on August 21, 1851* in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands to Boudewijn and Johanna (Remijinse) DeKorn. When he was four or five years old, the family immigrated to Zeeland, Michigan. I have not yet discovered when or why Richard moved to Kalamazoo.
Richard was sometimes called Dick or Dirk, but more importantly, his birth name was Derrick and it’s likely that Richard was actually his middle name.
On May 10, 1872, at the age of 20, Richard married Alice Paak in Kalamazoo. They lived in Kalamazoo, in the Burdick and Balch Street area, for the rest of their lives. For much of the time, they lived in a house which Richard built with his characteristic style: dark brown brick with stripes of light brick or stone.
Richard and Alice had three children: Joseph, Cora, and Jennie. After Alice’s death in 1908, he married Jennie Sootsman who had two daughters, Marian and Marge.
The family refers to him as “Richard DeKorn” with great respect for the reputation he achieved as a wonderful craftsman and contractor. Richard did a little gardening on the property, but he really enjoyed relaxing with a pipe and spending time with his family. His door was open to any friend or family member and he was a good stepfather to his 2nd wife’s daughters.
*
*On his marriage document, Richard’s birth date is given as 1852, not 1851, and it states that he was born in Kapelle, not Goes.
Richard DeKorn’s home at the corner of Burdick and Balch, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Richard surrounded by family, including son-in-law Lou Leeuwenhoek (L), daughter Jennie (to Richard’s right), wife Alice in front.
Richard picking strawberries
Richard with his beloved pipe
Richard holding unidentified baby
Richard with his granddaughter Alice Leeuwenhoek (Moerdyke)
Richard DeKorn crew at work in an area which would become The Kalamazoo Mall
Lou Leeuwenhoek and Richard DeKorn
Ladies’ Library Association, Kalamazoo, MI
Photo from LLA website
KPH Water Tower, Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, MI
KPH Water Tower article, February 2010
Here’s a video which shows a climb up the inside of the tower!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JweuIAU-Gg
The Family Kalamazoo 