All aboard for love: Demuths find love at End-O-Line – The Globe

SLAYTON – When Nicholas Demuth and Korin Koch Demuth met in 2018 while working as seasonal workers at the End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum in Currie, love quickly blossomed between them.

And the rest is history.

“My grandmother, Kathy Koch, sent me the job posting,” said Korin, daughter of Steve and Lori Koch. “She likes to think of herself as a matchmaker.”

“I was a student at Emporia (Kansas) State University, living with my parents (in rural Slayton) for the summer, and needed some work.

“My duties included giving tours and personally greeting guests. And since I had worked as a nanny for a few years during high school and played Cinderella or Aurora at ‘princess parties’ for young children at an entertainment company, she thought this might fit my skills.”

Contributed by Nicholas and Korin Demuth

Korin was on the right path to true love.

There, on Korin’s first day at End-O-Line, was Nicholas Demuth – who Korin sweetly thought was the museum director.

Nicholas, who is beginning his second summer at the Murray County tourist attraction, graduated from Worthington High School in 2015. The son of Pat and Lynette Demuth, he is studying history at the University of South Dakota and found the railroad museum to be a perfect fit for his interests — and as it turns out, so was Korin.

“I came in and asked, ‘Are you Jacob?'” Korin recalled.

“I really wanted to say yes, but I didn’t,” Nicholas said.

Korin describes herself as the more outgoing of the two; while the sweet but quiet Nicholas briefed her, she quickly hatched a plan.

“I thought I would have to pester him a little until he would become my friend, so I bombarded him with questions and he reluctantly answered,” Korin said. “Over time, I liked his answers and we realized we had a lot in common.”

Nicholas agreed.

Contributed by Nicholas and Korin Demuth

“That’s exactly how it was,” he said, remembering that she had asked him about his favorite color.

“He got nervous and said red and blue alternately,” Korin said.

“I chose purple,” laughed Nicholas.

Their banter was so successful that they went on a first date to Round Lake Vineyards & Winery on June 30, 2018. Several dates followed, including one to a local drive-in movie theater, and when the couple split up at the end of the summer to go to their respective colleges, continuing the relationship was pretty much a no-brainer.

“I thought we were going to have to talk about it at length, but Nicholas said, ‘Of course we’re going to go ahead; it’s no big deal, we’re only seven hours apart,'” Korin laughed.

The following spring, Korin completed her undergraduate degree in education and accepted a teaching position in Canby, while Nicholas began his history-focused career as a collections manager for Stevens County in Morris after graduating.

This shortened their long-distance relationship considerably.

“We saw each other most weekends,” Nicholas said. “An hour and a half felt very relaxed, not like a heartbreaking distance.”

In April 2022, Nicholas was hired as a site coordinator at End-O-Line – the place where their romance began.

“I asked Korin at the end of May if she would help with school trips, and when everyone had left, I proposed to her,” Nicholas said.

“It was actually quite romantic,” Korin corrected. “We’re not actually allowed to climb on the trains, but we had our first kiss on the company car and on May 26, 2022, he asked me to go up there to reminisce with him – and close my eyes.”

When she was given a box with a written token for a favor she had done for him during their first summer together, and then given a choice between two rings (Korin kept both, one as an engagement ring and the other as a wedding ring), her answer to his question, “Would you do me the huge favor of marrying me?” was a resounding “yes.”

On August 19, 2023, the couple married on a 95-degree afternoon in an outdoor ceremony on the property of Korin’s parents and grandparents near Shetek Lake.

Korin, resplendent in an ivory satin V-neck gown by David’s Bridal, carried a bouquet of white roses and lilies. Nicholas wore a burgundy suit by Mister Cool’s Clothing of Marshall.

Contributed by Nicholas and Korin Demuth

The service was led by Reverend Jeanette McCormick of First Lutheran Church in Worthington, and the 200 guests enjoyed a meal provided by Blue Stem of Luverne catering company, topped with white frosted cupcakes from Hy-Vee.

Nicholas is now the Murray County Museum Director and Korin, who has a master’s degree in English from Minnesota State University Mankato, teaches language arts at Marshall High School.

They are happy at home in Garvin, together with their cats Coco and Fefe. Housework is their talent; Korin takes care of the gardening, while Nicholas is mainly involved in cooking and baking.

“Nick never ceases to amaze me,” Korin said. “He’s kind, interesting, compassionate, thoughtful and smart.”

“I was fascinated by how much Korin cares about other people,” Nicholas said.

And that’s love at the end-o-line.