The Candy Kitchen

The Candy Kitchen had been owed by a Mr. Anthony Cory. He was, I believe, the second of the three husbands of Olive Manila Dula. Olive was the daughter of Arthur Hill and Mary Jane Coffey Dula.

Cory was born in the Syrian Arabic Republic and immigrated to the United States about 1901. The original spelling of his name may have been Khouri.

He appeared in the 1920 and 1930 Winston-Salem, NC census as Anthony Cory. In 1930 he was a 49-year old divorced man living in the household with his widowed mother, Rosa Jakayre [sic], He listed his occupation as owner of the Candy Kitchen.

Sometime later Mr. Cory sold the store to Zenobian Michael Koontz.

In this photo of the interior, the lady in the white top is Cleta (or Cleda) Dula who married J. T. Nicholson. The lady in black is Ruth Virginia Dula Koontz. Next to her is her husband, Mr. Zenobian Michael Koontz. Ruth and Mr. Koontz were owners of the store. Both ladies were children of Arthur Hill and Mary Jane Coffey Dula, and sisters to Olive Manila.

Ruth was born Aug. 5, 1904 and Cleda was born on Sep. 17, 1917. Ruth and Zenobian married on Nov. 12, 1927 in Forsyth Co. He was born Jul. 12, 1902 in Davidson Co., NC and, died in Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co. in May, 1981. I have found only one child for them: Ramona Jane, born May 3, 1929 in Watauga Co.

I have not found any children that were born to Cleda and Mr. Nicholson.

Mary Jane Coffey Dula was the daughter of Thomas Avery and Louisa E. Gragg Coffey. She was born in Aug., 1874 in Caldwell Co., NC and died on May 26, 1955. Arthur Hill Dula was born Jan., 1867 and died on Sep. 7, 1948. They were married on Oct. 11, 1892 in Watauga Co. Arthur Hill Dula was brother to Mary Laura Dula who married John Wesley Coffey, brother to Mary Jane.


This photo is Mr. Cory at the store front before selling to Koontz. The store was located on the east side of Winston-Salem in Forsyth Co., NC. I have heard that the building is still standing.

Corrections and/or additions can be sent to me using the e-mail address above.