Remember that genealogy research “to do” list I made back in December?
Good, I’ll forget about it, too.
I’ve been so busy at work lately that I am behind in everything. But readers are so helpful, that I will post something that is a bit of a mystery to me (what isn’t?!).
This “Class Day Exercises” announcement for the Kalamazoo High School Class of 1902 was with some other papers and clippings my grandparents held for years.
But who did it originally belong to? Who in the family graduated from high school in 1902?
My first guess was Joseph DeKorn because he seemed about the right age. Joseph Peter DeKorn: June 30, 1881. Look at that! He was born under the astrological sign of Cancer, just like me.
How old would he have been in 1902? My advanced math skills tell me he would have been 21. Hmm, that seems a little old for graduating from high school. Especially for a very smart young man like Uncle Joe.
Grandpa wasn’t born until 1908. I wondered about Alice Leeuwenhoek, but she was born in 1897. The daughters of Richard DeKorn’s second wife were born in the 1890s, as well. The first VanLiere boy wasn’t born until 1902 (in Goes, the Netherlands). It is possible that it could belong to a child of Mary DeKorn DeSmit and John DeSmit, but that seems unlikely.
It could have belonged to a friend, but then why would the family have held onto it all these years?
Any ideas on how I get a list of 1902 graduates of Kalamazoo High School from the comfort of my computer chair?
Another thing I wonder about is exactly what Class Day Exercises are. I believe they are still held today, but what role does it play in the graduation process that includes commencement, baccalaureate service, etc.?
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