Researched And Hosted By Andrew Newell And Karen Thalacker Sound Edited By Robert Newell public
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The Homes (Life at the Homes)

Researched and hosted by Andrew Newell and Karen Thalacker. Sound edited by Robert Newell.

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The true stories of life at a Lutheran institution housing orphans and the elderly in rural Iowa on the eve of the Great Depression. Almost lost to the passage of time, these stories of sorrow and joy, compassion and cooperation have been uncovered and can now be shared with you. Join mother and son hosts Karen Thalacker and Andrew Newell as you learn about life at the German Lutheran Orphans and Old Folks Home - or as it was commonly called The Homes. Follow The Homes on Instagram at lifeat ...
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Welcome to December of 1929! Iowans were fascinated by a newspaper's weekly installments of a fictional story about a young woman named Jean Marie. The questions asked and the responses of readers give insight into the controversial topics of the day. At the Homes, Baby Frieda finds a family and the elderly residents take care of the medical needs …
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Welcome to November of 1929! November begins with a birthday celebration for Mrs. Klein and a little girl from Muscatine. Financial woes continue and the threat of foreclosure hangs over every aspect of life on Burlington Road. But there are happy times, too, as Thanksgiving is celebrated. We also learn about weddings at the Homes. Do you know what…
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Barbara Fritschel joins us for Guest in the Homes. She is the daughter of the Klein's oldest daughter Sammy and she and her brother Curt visited their grandparents often when the Kleins lived on the 2nd floor of the Home for the Aged. Barb and one of the orphan girls became friends and Barb was allowed to spend the night in the girls' dormitory. On…
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Ruth Nelson joins us for Guest in the Homes. She is the daughter of the Klein's daughter Erna and she shares her recollections of her visits to the Homes and also of her grandparents and mother. She recalls the stories of the Klein's time in North Dakota and also what happened when her grandfather brought home his first (and only) automobile.…
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Rev. William Thalacker joins us for Guest in the Homes. He is the son of the Klein's daughter Erna and was named after his grandfather William Klein. He shares his recollections of his grandparents and his visits to the Homes. He provides insight into what Rev. Klein may have experienced as a German Lutheran pastor. Rev. Thalacker also shares recol…
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Podcast guest Rev. Paul Ostrem is the former pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Muscatine. Zion's history and the history the Homes have been intertwined since the very beginning. Rev. Ostrem talks about his research involving Pastor John Haefner that culminated in a book entitled "Dennoch!" Pastor Haefner's triumphs and struggles within the Muscati…
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Welcome to October of 1929! As the month begins, aviation advances continue to be made around the the world but, at the Homes, they are welcoming visitors and preparing for a long winter. Money woes continue and in asking for money to pay the debt, the newsletter urged: "The more debts we pay, the sooner we will be able to banish the wolf of intere…
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Welcome to September of 1929! Newspapers around the world are analyzing President Hoover's first 6 months in office and the stock market takes an ominous tumble. On Burlington Road, everyone at the Homes is making final preparations as they build a sufficient food store for winter. Professor Ziegler, the director of the Orphans' Band, shares some o…
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Welcome to August of 1929! So much in the world has changed since the children, the elderly, the workers, and the Kleins were living down on Burlington Road as shown by the August newspapers being filled with aviation news and comments by Thomas Edison. Even though the Homes' newsletter gives only a brief mention of the orphans' surprise contact wi…
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Welcome to May of 1929! The month starts with news of tariffs and also the reemergence of the 17 year cicadas. The newspaper in May contained an article about one of the elderly residents of the Homes. He had been the Sheriff of Muscatine County in 1893 and we learn about the Saloon Wars and its shocking result. There is also a delightful story of …
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Welcome to June of 1929! June bring Orphan's Fest - the largest event of the year at the Homes. Visitors come from far and wide for worship and fellowship and to see the Homes. They need good weather and good publicity to make the event a success. Having as many visitors as possible was especially important this year because they would be dedicatin…
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Welcome to July of 1929! In July, President Hoover tasked a committee of experts to study the health and protection of children. He was an orphan himself and the New York Times speculated that "it is not too early to predict that whatever else he does, he will be remembered above all for what he has done for the children of the world." The workers …
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Welcome to March of 1929! The people of Iowa are excited for the inauguration of a new U.S. President. Herbert Hoover was born just up the road in West Branch. Financial troubles continue in March and calls for bigger donations continue. There is also concern about the Messenger newsletter not paying for itself. The newsletter is a vital pipeline t…
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Welcome to April of 1929! Muscatine is celebrating April Fool's Day and one of the old folks at the Homes pulls a prank that makes the front page of the newspaper. Who is he and why do we want to know more about him? The April newsletter contains a statement regarding Jewish people and instead of ignoring it we wanted to talk about it. Thank you to…
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Welcome to February of 1929! Similar to today, February brings talk of the groundhog and people wondering whether he will see his shadow. Unlike today, the Homes' newsletter shares personal information about the children and the old folks. The February episode has the special story of one of the most important people in the Homes history - Miss Lou…
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Welcome to the Homes! In Episode 1, you meet Rev. William Klein, his wife Emma, and their 5 children. In 1921, the Kleins moved from the plains of North Dakota to the bustling river town of Muscatine, Iowa, to take over the leadership of the Homes. For the next 20 years, the Kleins and a small group of workers dedicated their lives to turning an in…
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Welcome to January of 1929! Rev. and Mrs. Klein and their family have been at the Homes for 7 years. Their youngest daughter Em was just 9 months old when they moved to Muscatine in 1921 and her recollections provide important insight into everyday life. The monthly newsletter called the Messenger kept individuals and organizations updated on the n…
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