09/16/2025
His legal name, is Herbie North. but all of our guests know him by his show-biz name that we came up with that is an Hawaiian name, and we simply call him: “Kimo The Butler”. we looked on the Internet for various Hawaiian first names, and I encouraged him to choose this one, because it says on the Internet, then in Hawaiian culture, this name honors people were considered to have qualities like ‘ strength, and determination’. And that certainly fits this fine young man is now barely in his mid 30s, with a wonderful family of four children and a wonderful wife named Toya. When Herbie asked me why we had to change his name as the Butler, I told him that I didn’t have very many skills, but marketing and branding was one of my strong skill sets that came naturally to me, and I told him in my educated opinion, that “Herbie” just didn’t sound like a serious Butler to me? (Grin). But I love the fact that in Hawaiian culture is name means people with strength and determination. myself, as a person who has never really had a family most of my life until I met my two blood sisters in a few recent years ago, I had a very violent traumatic childhood, ao when I heard Herbie's story of his childhood as a seriously handicapped kid with cerebral palsy, which he nearly died from at the age of one when they misdiagnosed him., I related to him in a big way. He told me how in school the kids would bully him and make fun of him because of his handicap, one leg is shorter than the other and weaker, and one of his hands shows the debilitating effects of that disease. When he told me how he was physically & verbally bullied as a kid in school, I totally understood what he went through, because my experience as a kid with fetal alcohol syndrome, resulting in uncontrollable, extreme stuttering and stammering, I had no friends in school and they bullied me physically & verbally as well. (they talk a lot about bullying online these days, but when it’s up close and Personal, I think it’s a lot more painful.). I first met Herbie at a birthday party that was being held by either Steve Warmowski or Michael Woods and their children at Lovejoy Hall, (the historic abolitionist Church at 520 West College that I converted into a theater auditorium and event venue). I have since sold that property.
I had a chance to meet his children who were quite young at that time probably six and seven years old and now I think they are 10 and 11. I also met his wife Toya, and they treated me like I was family and I felt very much in a family way toward them. And I and his family have been friends ever since. At some point, I invited him be over to the mansion here while I was getting ready to open the bed and breakfast, and I had already purchased a custom 19 century style Victorian Butler‘s outfit complete with black tie and tails, proper Victorian, striped stroller, pants,and white gloves. After using the excuse to have him come over to wash dishes for me, which I was going to pay him for. I showed him the Butler‘s uniform and told him if he would let me train him, and if he would wear that that he could make very good tips because of the high-end atmosphere of my bed and breakfast and the likelihood that I would have well-off people staying here from all over the country and as it turns out now, even from other places in the world. He didn’t give me much resistance and thought he would give it a try. There was a long process of training and he was a very good student, and I was convinced that he would fill the role perfectly.n In spite of his handicap status, he had a very genuine, pleasant personality and was always polite and projected a good natured, love and interest in other people? My intuitions were correct, and after a process of training on the job., he became very good at this, and all my guests just love him to pieces! And in almost all of our five star reviews, he gets mentioned in a positive light… it doesn’t happen all the time, but there have been times, including One special time when some folks came in a private jet from the East Coast, and he was very accommodating to them and took extra good care of them and at their 4 day stay, as is our tradition, we go out and and see our guests off & tell them we will pray for their safe travels. After he puts their luggage in and the two of us warmly see them off, the gentleman asked Kimo to come over to the driver side and after staying there for just a few days, the gentleman gave him five $100 bills for a tip! And similar things like that and happen from time to time. and even though this is a part-time job where I only use him, as needed, it has definitely been a blessing to his struggle to try to raise a family of four children, which as you all know isn’t easy these days? Like me, Herbie and his wife and children came from California because property is much more reasonable here and they were able to buy themselves a home for their family where in California it was an impossibility even back then. Since I have found the Lord Way late in life not until age 71, when I had a miraculous cure from cancer in a matter of two hours from the time, I arrived home when I was supposed to die of the cancer soon after? and since then, I realize things like meeting Herbie and his family was a God appointment that was meant to happen. As a result of this job of being the butler in this 19 century uniform, he has made many friends all across the country and in countries like Japan and England and other places. As I mentioned, Herbie is the quintessential people person who loves to meet new people and make friends with them? So he started his own page which you can all go to and you will see his enthusiasm for the guest for stayed here over the last three years or so since he has been the Butler of the house. To see his page just go to Facebook: KIMO THE BUTLER. He has chronicled, interesting facts, and photos of the various people who have stayed here, and people interact with him on that page. Soe reach out who have stayed here before because as I said, everybody likes him very much. So because of this, his whole personal self identity has evolved into something unique, and I have mentored him as I would a son, not only on how to deliver five star service at the mansion, ? but I also giving him life coaching and teaching moments along the way as I would if he were my son. As part of his training, I taught him how to greet people at the door, and told him how we would always go out to the street and meet our guests and take their luggage from the street to the house so they wouldn’t have to carry their luggage to the long walkway to the front steps? I also told him that we only had one chance in the beginning to make a good first impression on our guests? So I told him simple as it sounds, all you have to do when you greet people, is welcome them, sincerely and warmly as if you were greeting relatives you hadn’t seen for a long time that you were very happy to see? He has done this consistently and treated everybody in such a way that he couldn’t do enough for them, and everyone without exception has thoroughly enjoyed knowing him and enjoying his warm personal desire to give our guests way more than they ever expected. You can see this reflected in the awesome reviews we get, and have continued to get since the inception of the business here, which has resulted in our consistently having the preeminent position on Google search for five star stays, and yes, we are even above the Hilton hotel and other fine establishments in Springfield. The algorithms have determined our reviews are superior to all of their hospitality, establishments between here and the state capital of Springfield? He is often told me, that he has learned more from me about business and other things that he felt he ever would have had he not met me and had that job? So he is more than an employee, he is like family to me and so is the rest of his family. He has a teenage son, 17, Malakhai, who is a musician who plays awesome alto, saxophone, and performs in Chip Davis‘s drum line here in Jacksonville. He also has a teenage daughter, Makayla age 15. His two youngest daughters are: Malani. aged 11, & Mylah age 10.. The children all treat me as if I were their grandfather that they love very much. So for a man that never had a family, this gives me a lot of joy in my old age to know this wonderful family. His wife Toya was born in Hawaii, and Herbie‘s dad was born in Hawaii, but they came to California and that’s where they came from from Long Beach California to Jacksonville. I just had to tell you what a joy it has been to have known Herbie (Kimo's) family and to have had him here as our iconic black tie and tails 19 century butler's uniform, gives an historical context to the house for the guests that visit us from all over the country and all over the world. He is also a young man of faith, and since I had just recently found the Lord myself, it was always a joy to me how he would come to work always extra early so after he got dressed, he would come and say it’s time to say a prayer so we have a good day and can take good care of our guests, so we get the five star reviews? He started that tradition the very first day he came to work, where we would pray together before the guests were to be served, and he never broke that tradition all this time. Anyway, I thought our Facebook audience and a lot of our previous guests, who often check into our page, might like to get a chance to know something about him and how he became the awesome butler of the Villa DeWolf mansion? In front of guests and when talking with me in front of other people, he always calls me, uncle Jethro… the reason for that, is in his Hawaiian culture, a younger person, who greatly admires an older person, it is a symbol of respect when you call these people either auntie or uncle? Be sure to check out is amazing page., KIMO THE BUTLER, and you will see how closely he follows everything that goes on with the guests that come here, and he always remembers details about the guest, who stayed here previously that often return more than once. To say that Kimo (Herbie) and his wonderful family, have been a blessing and joy in my family-less life, is an understatement
