Long-Term
Love Affair
children of merchants: her parents
owned Karbal's Department Store in
'Utica, and his parents owned Korn's
Drygoods store in Highland Park.
t was a disastrous car accident
Both work as financial planners, and
on the former Willow Run
he is also an attorney and radio talk
Freeway that finally pushed
show host on 690 AM from 11 a.m.
Eleanor Karbal to accept her
until noon. "He doesn't act his age,"
sweetheart's marriage proposal.
Eleanor said.
Eleanor had just began her sopho-
Since 1960, the Korns and their
more year at the University of Michi-
children have made an almost-yearly
gan when Monte Korn first proposed
pilgrimage to Niagara Falls, riding
to her, so she turned him down.
the "Maid of the Mist" underneath
Monte drove to Ann Arbor to see her
the waterfalls.
every day, and also wrote her letters
"We still go today with whatev-
every day.
er kids and grandkids can
"I still keep all those let-
come," Eleanor said.
ters," Eleanor said.
Despite the regular
When his car was
trip to Ann Arbor
smashed up in a six-
during Monte's
car accident during a
courtship of
wintry night in
Eleanor, the two
1947, Monte final-
packed up an
ly had had
Oldsmobile sta-
enough of the
tion wagon in
commute.
1963, with air
"He told me
conditioning
he had enough of
that didn't reach
driving back and
the back seat,
forth and he
and set out on a
wanted an
30-day, cross-
answer," recalled
country road trip
69-year-old Eleanor.
across
the United
Said Monte, 10
States.
years his wife's senior,
"We went to San
"Eleanor had rachmanas
Francisco via Yosemite
(mercy) and finally said
National Park and Lake
yes." Eleanor came home
Elean or and
Tahoe, down the Pacific
from school after the first
Mon to Korn
Coast Highway to Los
semester of her second
at their wedding
Angeles
and took the
in
Ju
ly
1948.
year, and the two were
southern route home,"
married on July 11, 1948.
Monte said in what he
"From the time we met
describes as the one of bravest things
it's been a great love affair," Monte
he and his wife did. "Driving
said. "We've done everything we've
through the desert made the trip
wanted to do."
even more memorable."
In honor of their 50 years togeth-
Said Eleanor, "We're still very
er, the Korns' seven children —
romantic. We still do most of the
Stephen, Larry, Linda, Joanne,
same things we did when we were
Richard, Howard and Nancy — and
courting: hold hands, smooch and go
5 grandchildren held a party for
dancing."
them at Morels, and Monte and
Said Monte, "I give her 150 per-
Eleanor went to Stratford, Ontario,
cent more than she could ever give
to see "A Man For All Seasons," and
me, but when you're in love, you
a Shakespeare play.
always want to give more."
Both Eleanor and Monte are the
LONNY GOLDSMITH
Staff Writer
Celebrating their 50th anniversary: Eleanor and Monte Korn.
The Korns quickly made up
their minds to get married.
It was a good thing.
9/4
1998
52 Detroit Jewish News
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