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.

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The Homes (Life at the Homes)

Season 2: January of 1930

November 30, 2024 • Season 2 • Episode 1

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 39 elderly residents and financial pressures were mounting. We share more information about what brought the Kleins to the Homes in 1921. A special treat in this episode is that after Season 1, we found audio interviews on cassette tapes from 1981 where one of the Klein's grandsons interviewed the Klein children and their spouses about their time in North Dakota and Muscatine. We'll share portions of the interviews throughout this season. We'll also hear about the kindness of the Muscatine theatre owners in arranging for the orphans to go to the movies.