The Homes (Life at the Homes)

Welcome to August of 1930! The U.S. economy is faltering and times are tough at the Homes on Burlington Road. With only $95 left in their treasury, they make an impassioned plea to their supporters in the monthly newsletter. Unfortunately, a recent national Lutheran church merger will limit fundraising opportunities for the Homes even further. Another indicator of bad times is a rise in bank robberies and other crimes and, quite by chance, Rev. Klein finds himself involved in a pursuit of robbers.  Even so, it's summer and a welcome distraction is baseball as the children welcome the cry of "Play Ball!"

Welcome to July of 1930! It's summertime at the Homes and that means a 4th of July celebration and lots of visitors. You'll learn about a book that was used to plan outdoor activities and about the children's participation in a promotion from the Eastman-Kodak company. Even in the midst of all the fun, young and old are canning garden produce for the long winter. On a somber note, Muscatine is on the verge of a rabies outbreak and in a few months will be described by an official as "rotten with rabies." Dogs like Adolph (from our June of 1930 episode) will no longer be free to roam the streets of the city.  

Welcome to June of 1930! Iowa is celebrating its national champion but June at the Homes means only one thing ... the annual Orphans Day celebration. The weather limits attendance in the morning but the afternoon was a success. Andy shows his range of hosting abilities in this episode -- he recites his great-grandfather's Orphans Day sermon from 1939, does his best "Ben Stein" to summarize the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill, and even gives voice to a famous Muscatine dog who starred in a local play -- making Karen laugh out loud. We tip our hats to the Muscatine Journal in this episode. A sincere thanks for the wonderful coverage of the city, the state, and the world almost 100 years ago. 

Welcome to May of 1930! As Iowa leads the way in introducing night baseball, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Bill is argued in Washington, DC. On Burlington Road, money is tight but their love of music is always a welcome distraction. Throughout the years, a variety of individuals and music ensembles performed including an opera singer and a traveling troupe of German men who looked like they stepped right out of the Swiss Alps! A special treat was a violin performance from a former resident of the boys' home. You'll hear a wonderfully detailed description of the children's schedules and responsibilities -- we'll even learn about sock darning. The month of May also brings the preliminary rounds of the state spelling bee which included representatives from the Homes.

Welcome to April of 1930! While the first day of the month is full of light-hearted pranks, the mood turns more serious as President Hoover's first term is evaluated and the 1930 census kicks off. The world is changing -- whether it's demographics as revealed by the information collected by the census enumerators or public opinions about those in need -- the Homes is impacted by an ever-evolving society. We dig deeper into the question we've been asked so often: why was there a need for orphanages during this time in our history? We'll also hear about Confirmation festivities and Holy Week.

Join us for Guest in the Homes as we interview Rev. Larry Stumme, son of former Homes' superintendent Rev. Lawrence Stumme. Larry was 5 years old when his father accepted the call to the Homes and he shares his recollections and what made the Homes such a special place. He also shares incredible stories of his experience and involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.

Welcome to March of 1930! March came in like a lion for the citizens of Muscatine and there was certainly a lot happening including news of the death of Mira Hershey.  Ms. Hershey, daughter of lumber baron Benjamin Hershey, had generously donated her father's home on Burlington Road following his death to Rev. Reinemund so that he could start the orphanage. Learn how she left Muscatine and made her mark in Hollywood! You'll also hear about how a friend of the Homes, Mr. Liebbe, donated his services to assist with the annual slaughter of the hogs and cattle.

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 his grandparents, his family, and also of his time living at the Homes for one year in 1939. Fair warning: this episode was recorded in a broom closet at a family funeral using only a tiny microphone and an iPhone (We’re not joking about that ...) so the audio was a bit of a challenge for our amazing editor Robby Newell -- he did an awesome job! Enjoy! 

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 Valentine's contributions an annual tradition. The "orphan patriots" also celebrate the birthdays of Presidents Washington and Lincoln. We pay special tribute to Rev. W.F. Hertel, the editor of the Messenger, the Homes' monthly newsletter. His work has been invaluable to our research and it's interesting to learn more about him.

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.