Paint manufacturer's head office copied after Harlingen's city hall

Founder Andrew Vogel dead at age 103

ORANGE CITY, Iowa - One of Iowa's best-known Dutch-American entrepreneurs and Dutch identity boosters recently died just weeks short of his 104th birthday. Andrew Vogel still went to his office at Diamond Vogel Paints Company's head office - a replica of Harlingen's city hall - several times a week after he became a centennarian in April 1996. One of his hobbies was building models, including windmills of various sizes.

Vogel who was 17 when he arrived with his parental family of ten sons in the U.S.A., served in the U.S. Army during World War I but did not see action. After a short stint as a farmer, he took up his father's trade as a painter and also started to make his own paint: ‘barn red’ and ‘house white’.

When Vogel's sons were discharged from the army after WWII, they joined their father's Vogel Paint and Wax. The current company name was introduced in 1967.

The deceased's grandsons now operate Diamond Vogel Paint and employ 800 people in five factories and 70 service outlets throughout the Midwest. The company which is approaching its 75th anniversary, has sales of $100 million.

Vogel visited his hometown of Berlikum several times and usually would be on hand to greet traveling Dutch groups coming through Orange City. He was predeceased by Jennie Reinders, his wife of nearly 71 years, a daughter and eight brothers. He leaves behind seven children, 27 grandchildren, 64 greatgrandchildren, 6 great-greatgrandchildren and his brother Frank of Lynden, WA.