The Homes (Life at the Homes)
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 lifeatthehomes for photographs and additional content.
Episodes
22 episodes
Guest in the Homes: Ron Klein
In a special episode of Guest in the Homes, we interview the Klein's grandson Ron Klein. Ron is a Professor Emeritus at Columbus State University in Georgia. His father was Rev. and Mrs. Klein's oldest son Herb. Ron shares his recollections of ...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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39:08
Season 2: February of 1930
Welcome to February of 1930! Wedding bells are ringing as the Klein's oldest son Herb gets married. The orphans celebrate Valentine's Day and receive special treats from a teacher and her class in Kansas and a friend of the Homes who made his V...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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32:34
Season 2: January of 1930
We're back for Season 2 and we're excited to share what life was like at the Homes in 1930. At midnight on January 1st, Muscatine rang in the new year with church bells and a parade. On Burlington Road, the Homes were caring for 60 children and...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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29:41
Episode 13 - December of 1929
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 t...
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36:17
Guest in the Homes - Rev. William Thalacker
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 pr...
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24:01
Guest in the Homes - Ruth Nelson
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'...
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39:03
Guest in the Homes - Barbara Fritschel
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 Age...
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25:06
Episode 12 - November of 1929
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 ...
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32:11
Guest in the Homes - Rev. Paul Ostrem
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 Haefne...
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35:24
Guest in the Homes - Coby Budridge
Podcast guest Coby Budridge talks about her family's journey to the Homes. Her father and aunt were residents of the orphanage as children and learn how Coby uncovered their story and her family's history.
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35:48
Episode 11 - October of 1929
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 d...
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27:26
Episode 10 - September of 1929
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 bui...
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25:33
Episode 9 - August of 1929
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 Thoma...
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25:01
Episode 8 - July of 1929
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 ...
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29:03
Episode 7 - June of 1929
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 succe...
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27:11
Episode 6 - May of 1929
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 Count...
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29:53
Episode 5 - April of 1929
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 contai...
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35:45
Episode 4 - March of 1929
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 ...
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28:03
Episode 3 February of 1929
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. ...
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24:51
Episode 2 - January of 1929
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 ever...
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22:10