Draft:Western Home

The Western Old People's Home had their groundbreaking on August 21, 1911, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. They opened with the help of the Evangelical Association, in partnership with the Pfeiffer family of Cedar Falls. However, they officially opened June 18, 1912, accepting 2 members with the dedication ceremony taking place on September 20, 1912. Since 1903, the Evangelical Association attempted to find a Home for church members in the denomination's western states. Board members looked and rejected 9 different states including places in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois until the Pfeiffer Family helped. The name was changed to Western Home in August/September of 1955. Then, the continued to have another name change of Western Home Communities in 2001.

In the Summer of 1937, the Kendal Christian Women's Home from Nashua, Iowa had proposed a merging with Western Old People's Home through their attorney as they had too few members that they couldn't successfully continue. After some meetings with their Attorney, the Executive Committee voted for the merger, resulting in two women from the Kendal Home coming to Western Home along with assets being turned over. These assets included approximately $40,000. A Kendall Trust was also made.

Church Affiliation
The Old People's Western Home was a part of the Evangelical Association in the beginning. Prior to the Western Home, all institutions under the Association were located in 'eastern states.' However, in Western Home's 1950 Superintendent Report and the 1956 and 1961 information booklets, it shows that they are under the Evangelical United Brethren Church, perhaps due to the merger in 1946 of the Evangelical Association and Church of the United Brethren in Christ (New Constitution). In 1969, the United Methodist Church was created due to the Evangelical United Brethren and Methodists joining. However, in 1983, the ownership agreement with the United Methodist Church dissolves and the Home then becomes a non-profit organization. This means that they are now held in a trust by a board of volunteer directors. Today, Western Home continues to consider itself a Christian organization.

In the 15th annual report, Lang discusses how German was spoken exclusively in services for the Home when he first came there. However, in 1927, there were 30 non-German speakers at that point with most people being able to 'get along very well' with the English language, save for three people. German was quite prominent in the early 1900s in Iowa. It is estimated that about 12% around 1900 either spoke it as their primary or secondary language.

Locations of the Home
Proposed new building was discussed in 1920 by the Board. They created a building fund to carry out the project, as they included it in the Financial Budget under Forward Movement to the amount of $50,000.

Automobile
On the New Years in 1921, a Ford Sedan was purchased exclusively for the Home's use instead of using the Superintendent's personal car. There was already a car fund of $600. For 9 months, expenses for the car cost them less than $40. At the time, a Ford Sedan might have cost $795 in the US.

In 1935, the Hudson car that the Home owned for 10 years was sold. This car was big enough for 7 passengers. However, by trading this in, they ended up with a second-hand Packard.

In 1941, it is mentioned that the Home had 2 automobiles (Plymouth and Packard). These both had their own uses. The Packard was used to take members to various church activities. However, this caused quite an expense --with $66 a year on insurance. Meanwhile, the Plymouth was a 1936 model and, although in good condition, had 62k miles on it. Knowing that cars would be more expensive in 1942, they went ahead and traded in both cars to get a new one --a Chrysler. They hoped to get an additional car after saving some money.

The Pfeiffer Family
The Pfeiffer Family not only helped to start the Western Old People's Home with donations but also with direct continued involvement in the Home.

A lot of involvement came from:


 * Gustavas Adollphus Pfeiffer with his wife (Louise F. Pfeiffer).
 * Henry Pfeiffer Jr. with his wife (Annie Maria Merner Pfeiffer).

Trustees
The first Superintendent's Report is from 1912, 1 year after their opening.

Numbers of People in the Home
= Historical Events =

La Grippe or Influenza
Colloquially known as "La Grippe" or "Grippe," influenza or the flu took place in Western Home for a 3-year period. In 1915, Western Home appears to have had struggles with an Influenza outbreak. This took place after Russian Flu/Asiatic Flu, an Influenza pandemic that hit the US in 1889-1890 and prior to the Spanish Flu, an influenza pandemic that took place from 1918-1920. La Grippe in the Superintendent's Report is reported to have come through during the Spring of 1915, causing them to have 11 patients, about 25 years after the Russian Flu Pandemic ended. However, it seems that the only 2 deaths at the Home during this annual period were from old age.

This continued to affect residents of the Home in the following year, particularly in February and March of 1916. It was quite severe as 15 patients were bedridden, and they had to call in for a special nurse (besides the faculties usual nurse). Although it isn't specified what they died of exactly, there were 4 deaths that year. At this time, they reported their enrollment at 29 with their capacity at 35. Since their start in 1911, 8 residents had died whereas 4 were dismissed with a total of 41 residents having entered in this 5-year span.

In 1917, it is reported that La Grippe had left the home and that health conditions of residents were better than they had been previously. However, there were residents who were 'sorely afflicted' in the Home, who ended up dying after suffering for a long time. They continued to use the help of a special nurse (aside from their usual help) during this time. Alongside this, residents also helped with the sick with their aid helping to alleviate a financial burden to the Home. There were 4 deaths of residents at the Home that year, none appearing to be from La Grippe.

Much later, in 1938, they discuss only 1 instance of the flu in the Home when there were quite a few cases in the community and city as a whole.

The Bureau of the Census during this time only collected data from a limited number of states which had grown but did not include Iowa through this time. However, there is information from neighboring states to Iowa: [The below data showing the [https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/uscs/technical_notes/stat_methods/rates.htm#:~:text=Crude%20rates%20are%20influenced%20by%20the%20underlying%20age,rates%20for%20most%20cancers%20increase%20with%20increasing%20age. adjusted and crude rates.]]


 * Minnesota, North of Iowa
 * Mortality rates from 1910 to 1920 was reported to be:
 * Adjusted rate: 5.2 per 100,000 in 1910, climbing up to 69.7 per 100,000 in 1920.
 * Crude rate: these numbers go from 4.7 to 70.3.


 * Illinois, East of Iowa
 * Mortality rates from 1920 alone:
 * Adjusted rate at 79.1
 * Crude rate at 80.1


 * Missouri, south of Iowa
 * Mortality rates from 1920 alone:
 * Adjusted rate at 97.9
 * Crude rate at 97.2

Overall, these numbers from these three states alone vary in 1920 between 69.7 to 97.9 in the adjusted rate. Meanwhile, even the crude rate go from 70.3 to 97.2. This helps illustrate the rise of the Spanish Flu, especially as Minnesota had quite low numbers in comparison just 10 years prior, in 1910, at 5.2 (adjusted rate) or 4.7 (crude rate).

The University of Northern Iowa, located in Cedar Falls, then known as the Iowa State Teachers College (1909–1961) also had quite a few problems with influenza -even before Western Home's existence. During Western Home's existence, however, they discuss a variety of peaks, including those in 1911 and 1913, along with the Spanish Flu.

World War I
World War I, taking place from 1914-1918 had affected Western Home. The US entered the war with the allied forces on April 6, 1917, with Congress declaring war on Germany. One such instance includes the higher prices affecting the Home according to 1918 Superintendent's Report, making them economize whenever possible without curtailing expenses on necessities. Some government regulations include having lived without meat and wheat some days as well as restrictions on things such as flour and sugar. Pre-war, the cost of maintenance per capita was $150, now increasing by $60 (making it $210). Besides suffering financially, Hauser -the trustee Superintendent during this time- also reports that 4 from the Home registered as 'enemy aliens.' The term enemy alien was used during this time for German Nationals along with German allies (including Austrians, Hungarians, Bulgarians, and Turks). This seemed to have happened even with regulations placed by President Woodrow Wilson.

Alongside this, the Babel Proclamation, made by IA Governor William L. Harding forbade any other language than English in public on May 23, 1918 which was later repealed that same year -on December 4th. This had targeted the German population in Iowa due to the anti-German sentiments (as part of World War I). As seen in 1927 alone (under 'Church Affiliation') Western Home's German population was quite prominent meaning that this could have affected how the Home did sermons at this time. In general, the German population in Iowa was quite big in the early 1900s. It is estimated that about 12% around 1900 either spoke it as their primary or secondary language.

The Great Depression
The Great Depression lasted in the United States from 1929 until 1939. Western Home discusses this through several Superintendent's Reports as follows:

The 1934 Superintendent's Report discussed assets being at $383,000, distributing through building and equipment, the superintendent's home, land and other buildings, as well as money and credits. These assets have increased more than 3 times what they were in 1920 (with them being $113,000 beforehand). However, it cost $257,000 to maintain the home during that time period, costing them well-over half a million dollars in spite of the Depression taking place, according to Lang. However, during this year, 12 residents passed away resulting in a loss of $7,545 to the Home or $686 per person. However, this wasn't concerning to Lang as last year (1933) resulted in a profit of $5,745.

In the 1935 Superintendent's Report, the cost to run the Home was $1,685.55 more than it was in 1934. The Superintendent believes this is due to the New Deal, discussing how every item cost more this year than last year, more specifically $17.32 more per person.

In 1936, Lang -then Superintendent of Trustees- describes the Home (on its 25th anniversary) as flourishing. After all, they had both physical assets well over a quarter million dollars and a substantial balance. On top of this, they now have 13 workers, up from the 3 workers in 1920, with both Lang and his wife having helped the Home greatly during this period, together serving as farmer, laundryman, chore boy (for Mr. Lang) and nurse, cook, and particularly floor girl (for Mrs. Lang). As far as experiences in the past year, the winter was the coldest they had known in many years, coinciding with records of the 1936 North American Cold Wave. Alongside this, the 1936 North American Heat Wave had its effect on residents and (the caring of) crops. With this and with efforts to increase the endowment fund to $100,000 (i.e. adding on $40,000), Lang realized that this was not possible with the Depression as it was a huge financial undertaking and that --with the Summer-- people lacked hope. Therefore, he did not press the matter that year with the Endowment Fund only having been raised to over $75,000 instead of $100,000 like they wished.

When overviewing the years in the Home up to 1934, W.C. Lang --the Superintendent at the time-- discusses the Depression briefly. Looking at receipts of the Home in 1920, their assets totaled 113,000. In 1934, that had since increased to $383,000. In the Superintendent's Report, he is quite impressed with these numbers --even those from the Great Depression.

1936 North American Cold Wave and 1936 North American Heat Wave
As far as experiences discussed in the 1936 Superintendent Report, the winter was the coldest they had known in many years, coinciding with records of the 1936 North American Cold Wave. There were long periods of sub-zero weather, but they were able to keep the Home warm and comfortable through this time. Generally, in Iowa, the heavy snow covered was worsened by a blizzard on February 8-10, 1936. This made it so that people could not travel, therefore resulting in towns being isolated.

Following this terrible winter was a blistering heat in the Summer, known as the 1936 North American Heat Wave. Six residents in particular struggled with this heat. However, with the help of cool rooms in the basement and use of icepacks, they helped save their lives. Besides this, the garden and field crops suffered due to the long dry spell resulting in this heat. However, through this, the gardener and a few old men continued watering and mulching the ground, resulting in fair crop minus potatoes. Lang -the trustee's Superintendent- also notes that this exception is important due to the price of potatoes at the time. More specifically, ten pounds of potatoes in 1935 were $0.19 with number raising to $0.32 in 1936, with this only decreasing a bit in 1937 at $0.28. This is something that also coincides with general sentiments in Iowa during that period with corn hardly growing due to the weather. In records of the temperatures during this time, New Hampton -only 43 minutes away from Cedar Falls- set a record high of 110°F on July 13, 1936 with Fayette (at 110°F) and Decorah (at 111°F) also setting record highs the day after.

The year following these extreme weather events, in the Superintendent's Report, Faust -the trustee's Superintendent following Lang- discusses the Barn and Garden. Here, quite a lot was produced: * Data excludes food from vegetable gardens (radishes, lettuce, carrots, spinach, cabbage, rhubarb, and strawberries).

On top of this, the orchard was considered to be a total failure. The orchard also seemed to be quite a struggle in general, as shown in the 1939 Superintendent's Report. For 1937, the total valuation of products is $1,953.66. Meanwhile, expenses include $1,598 for various things such as feed, seed, chicks, wages, etc. This gave a profit of $355.66.

World War II
World War II started on September 1, 1939, and ended on September 2, 1945. The United States became involved after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

In the 1941 Superintendent Report, H.J. Faust --the Superintendent at the time-- points out the uncertainty of economic conditions and the rising finances of the Home. This is something that becomes a point of concern and interest for them. Especially after the financial depression the Home experienced a year ago, this is something that Faust points out as making them fearful of the future with this current world war. The cost of various food items (bread, butter, egg, and milk but especially meat) had gone up by 10-50%.