Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Kalamazoo State Hospital’

What Was the Kalamazoo State Hospital Like?

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Kalamazoo mid 20th century, Michigan history, Paak, Peek, Waldeck, tagged , , , , , , on May 27, 2020| 11 Comments »

I have a lot of catchup to do on my fill-in-the-gaps project, so I thought I would share with you a link that Jose sent me of the Kalamazoo State Hospital.

I’ve written about the hospital a couple of times in the past. First there were my posts about my grandmother’s uncle Fred Waldeck. He was severely brain-injured in an accident and, subsequently, lived out the rest of his life at the State Hospital.

Fred Waldeck Mystery Solved

Waldeck Family Research with Fred’s Death Certificate

My research and writing on Fred Waldeck’s wife Caroline featured in Broad Street Magazine

Then more recently, I wrote about my great-great grandmother’s sister Annie Paak Verhulst. I discovered that she passed away at the State Hospital, and the best guess is that she went there as so many had because she was elderly with health issues and it was the only place that could take care of her. There were no nursing homes in those days.

So what did this place, the Kalamazoo State Hospital, look like? Here is the link Jose sent.

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECONSTRUCTION OF KALAMAZOO STATE HOSPITAL

This is really an amazing project. Enjoy.

Read Full Post »

George Paak’s Legacy, Part IV: A Letter to His Daughter

Posted in Alice Paak DeKorn, DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Paak, Peek, Richard DeKorn, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2014| 18 Comments »

I didn’t abandon Theresa or the Paake/Pake/Peek/Paak family. Here is George, Theresa’s father.

George Paake

When Theresa was sixteen or seventeen, her father wrote her a letter. (Note that the spelling of the surname for George that I settled on is not one used further on in this post).

He wrote it in Dutch, but Theresa no longer could read or speak Dutch. Professor Lawrence introduces the translation he had prepared of the original letter:

 

The mention of the floods reminds me of a book I read when I was a child. The Little Ark, by Jan De Hartog, was the story of two children caught up in a horrific flood in Holland. I remember that the book seemed to be an adult book, although it was about children. It was very realistic, but like a good “adventure story,” it gave me confidence that if I were faced with a similar situation I could use my wits to survive.

Professor Van Zeitoff who translated for Professor Lawrence gave him the information to prepare this “glossary” for some of the first names, surnames, and geographical names associated with the family.

 

Most of my knowledge of The Netherlands comes from my early education and the books I read that romanticized Dutch culture. The book Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates, by Mary Mapes Dodge, is one of those books. She was an American writer and at the time she wrote the book she had never even visited Holland. Part of the romance of the culture was the threat of flooding and the significance of the dikes.

What I want to know is why we never hear on the news about these Dutch floods? Is there technology today that prevents these floods from occurring?

A Series of Disasters

The Children After the Fire, 1902

Paak-a-boo

Saved from the Fire

Who is George Paake, Sr.?

Curious about George

George Paake’s Legacy, Part I

George Paake’s Legacy, Part II: Theresa’s Pre-Professional Education

George Paake’s Legacy, Part III: Theresa’s Professional Education

 

 

Read Full Post »

George Paak’s Legacy, Part III: Theresa’s Professional Education

Posted in Alice Paak DeKorn, DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Paak, Peek, Richard DeKorn, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 2, 2014| 20 Comments »

In Part II, I described Theresa Pake’s high school and college education, but although she was 25 years old and had had a great deal of education for a young woman of her time, she wasn’t satisfied.

Her next step was to attend nursing school at the Kalamazoo State Hospital. I’ve written here about how my great-great-grandfather Richard DeKorn built the historic landmark water tower at the state hospital.

 

Here is an engraving of the hospital circa 1863:

Kalamazoo State Hospital

Kalamazoo State Hospital

The Michigan Asylum for the Insane was built in 1859, the water tower in 1895, and, in 1911, was renamed the Kalamazoo State Hospital. According to internet sources, nurse’s training was a pioneering program (perhaps started in 1906? I’m not certain), and Theresa would have been there during a vibrant period for the program. After Theresa left Asbury College, she began training as a nurse and graduated in 1925. On May 15, 1925, Theresa was registered by the state.

Notice the pin she wears in this graduation portrait. She actually received two pins. One says “Kalamazoo State Hospital” and the other has the initials KSTS for Kalamazoo State Nursing School.

Theresa Pake Graduate nursing school

Theresa Pake
Graduate nursing school

Here is Theresa with a classmate or coworker sitting outside the hospital. The caps they wear do not yet have the black stripe that is on Theresa’s graduation cap. Also, I wonder if the pinafore style uniform is an example of a student nurse costume.

And here Theresa sits alone:

Theresa’s career as a nurse meant that she worked hard her whole life. She was employed as a private duty nurse for many years. She also worked at Beloit Memorial Hospital in Wisconsin:

 

After graduating with a nursing degree, Theresa was free to begin her life with a career, quite a feat for a young woman in 1925.

A Series of Disasters

The Children After the Fire, 1902

Paak-a-boo

Saved from the Fire

Who is George Paake, Sr.?

Curious about George

George Paake’s Legacy, Part I

George Paake’s Legacy, Part II: Theresa’s Pre-Professional Education

 

Read Full Post »