A Dedication to My Father and My Family

1 / 39
Artwork by Shortness
2 / 39
The house I was raised in. Dad built the house first, garage second, and added on as I was in elementary school. Ma says she helped build the house while with child.
Dad found the house in Better Homes & Gardens. It was the house of the year. He had to reverse the floor plan to make it fit the lot.
3 / 39
The campus center at Dana College in Blair built by Korshoj Construction.
4 / 39
Simon Korshoj's house in Blair built by Korshoj Construction.
5 / 39
St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Blair, NE.
Like our house, SFB was built in phases. I know for sure that Dad worked with lots of volunteers to construct the parish education center where yours truely spent Saturday mornings in CCD.
Dad was a Catholic Deacon. This was the first parish he served as a Deacon.
6 / 39
Low Rent Public Housing in Blair, NE built by Lueder Construction.
I was about five when this was built. It was the first construction project I was thrown off of. Email me for details.
7 / 39
Blair Jr. Sr. High School in Blair, NE built by Lueder Construction.
My brother Dan liked to boast that his class was the first class to complete grades 7-12 here. Most of the family went to school here including your author.
8 / 39
Dana College Library Blair, NE built by Korshoj Construction.
9 / 39
The "Cupcake Bank" built by Lueder Construction. It was our family that gave it this unofficial nickname. By far, it's the most memorable project built one of the companies my father worked for.
10 / 39
The former home of Midland General Construction.
11 / 39
This is a very small project. Located at the top of Dana College Hill, it's a waterworks shed. To my knowledge, it was the first project built by Midland General Construction.
12 / 39
This is the Blair Public Library built by Midland General Construction.
13 / 39
The garage you see was built by Midland General Construction for a friend of the family.
14 / 39
West School in Blair Nebraska. Midland General did a small energy project here closing off the windows resulting in substantial energy savings.
15 / 39
North School in Blair Nebraska. Midland General did another small energy project here.
16 / 39
South School in Blair Nebraska. Midland General did another small energy project here. This was also the family elementary school.
17 / 39
1/2 Milliken Park Elementary School, Fremont NE, built by Midland General Construction.
18 / 39
2/2 Milliken Park Elementary School, Fremont NE, built by Midland General Construction.
19 / 39
1/2 St. Charles Catholic Parish Center in North Bend, Nebraska, by Midland General.
20 / 39
2/2 St. Charles Catholic Parish Center in North Bend, Nebraska, by Midland General.
21 / 39
Trinity Lutheran Church, Glenwood, IA by Midland General - My first ever construction project. We renovated and added more space in the church along with a new education addition.
22 / 39
Neola - Tri-Center High School, Neola, IA - An addition by Midland General - My third construction project.
23 / 39
The I-80 Tower, Loveland, IA by Midland General - Built high on the hill, you can see for miles and miles over the Missouri River Valley.
24 / 39
I'm not 100%, just 99.9% sure that this tower, the Lincoln Journal Tower in the Platte River State Park (Louisville, NE...love that name), was built by Midland General
25 / 39
The Homestead Bank Schuyler, NE built by Midland General. The exterior was originally sandstone.
26 / 39
The Middle School in Seward, NE. Interior renovations and exterior energy savings by Midland General.
27 / 39
The High School in Seward, NE by Midland General.
28 / 39
4-H Center in Gretna, NE by Midland General. The last project by Midland General.
29 / 39
My former home. Before the ink was in the title, Dad was planning to add the garage and convert the existing garage to his office for Midwest Estimating.
30 / 39
This is the office of the Nebraska State Patrol and the Department of Roads along Highway 75 in Nebraska City, NE, I don't know how much of this facility my father was involved with but I do know Midland General did work here.
31 / 39
1/2 This is the First United Methodist Church in Denison, Iowa, Again, I don't know how much of this facility my father was involved with but I do know Midland General did work here.
32 / 39
2/2 This is the First United Methodist Church in Denison, Iowa, Again, I don't know how much of this facility my father was involved with but I do know Midland General did work here.
33 / 39
This is the Hillside Limited Low Rent Housing in Denison, Iowa, I was a laborer on this project for Midland General for a short while.
34 / 39
1/2 This is the United Methodist Church in Geneva, Nebraska, another Midland General project. Photos by Crash
35 / 39
2/2 This is the United Methodist Church in Geneva, Nebraska, another Midland General project. Photos by Crash
36 / 39
1/2 This is the Washington County Bank in Blair, Nebraska, another Midland General project.
37 / 39
2/2 This is the Washington County Bank in Blair, Nebraska, another Midland General project.
38 / 39
Originally built as the Golden Skillet, this is the Runza Restaurant in Blair, Nebraska, one of the first Midland General projects.
39 / 39
It's seen better days. It was built by either Lueder or Korshoj but Dad was part of the construction. It's the Agrico fertilizer tank in Blair, Nebraska.

My father worked for many companies in the Midwest. These photos are but a portion of projects my father was involved in. Born in Canada in 1928, his family moved across the river to Detroit, Michigan when he was five. He became a naturalized US citizen. Rene Joseph "Pete" DesRosiers studied civil engineering at the University of Detroit because there were no other degrees in construction at the time. He went into the Air Force stationed at Offut Air Force Base in Bellevue. He worked for a company in Omaha and Detroit before moving back to the Midwest where he worked at Korshoj Construction in Blair, NE. His next company was Lueder Construction in Omaha. Eventually, he partnered with our next door neighbor to start Midland General Construction in Blair. He worked for a few more companies before he started his own estimating service; Midwest Estimating where he worked until he retired.
Mom and Dad raised seven children. My family was very much involved in these projects as cheerleaders, janitors, secretaries, and laborers. In other words, it became a family project.
He was raised in a devout Catholic home and he emulated this in his home. My father was a Catholic Deacon. One of the first Deacons in the Omaha diocese, he inspired many, including his younger brother, to the Deaconite. With every stamp that came from the Midland General postage meter, came the company slogan, "Praise The Lord, The Master Builder". Among his many projects as a deacon was to counsel prisoners in jail. Hiring many of the prisoners he counseled, he put his money where his mouth is. He even brought them into our home. He practiced what he preached.
Truth be told, if I would be a fraction of the person he was, I d be something. Read the tribute and perhaps, you ll understand. Growing up in a construction family, my father was definitely my inspiration to get into construction. Hesitant at first to get into construction at college, I have no regrets about this career path I ve chosen.
At the time this company (Midland General) went under, it was a profitable company but his financial partner had a tremendous downturn and took their company down in the aftermath. Had circumstances been different, perhaps I d be running that company now and I d have a totally different career path. The physical toll of this corporate downfall on my father was the impetus for me not wanting to have my own company.
When people hear or see my family name, many say they knew my father and speak of him kindly.
The evidence of a career in construction gives the individual a stamp at immortality so long as their work is still around. No, there isn't a bust with Dad's likeliness that I'm aware of. These buildings are enough.
While he had his human faults, it's great to be able to call your father your hero.
Many of these projects happened before I was born or very small so I may not have all the facts correct. In somewhat chronological order, some of the projects my father was involved with.
Korshoj, Lueder, and Midland, were all constuction companies. All of these projects took the effort and dedication of many people. Thank you to all that provided their support.

For my dedication to my mother, click here.
Back to Lou's Homepage