While attending a wedding in the small town of Belmond, Iowa a few weeks ago we stayed at a lovely, local bed and breakfast called Klemme House. Named after Ray and Lucy Klemme, the couple who built the house, this B & B has a rustic charm. If you Google Ray or Lucy Klemme you won’t find out much. You have to speak to someone who has heard their story passed down from generation to generation – mostly by word of mouth.
The Klemmes were a prominent family in this Iowa community who actually founded a town by the same name about 19 miles north of Belmond. However, when Ray and Lucy Klemme decided to marry in 1910, they settled in Belmond where they raised three sons.
The Klemme family owned the lumberyard, furniture store, and funeral home. In addition to running those businesses Ray was a pioneer in casting cement so he started a concrete company and later a portable farm building company. He was an inventor, president of an insurance company, plus served on town committees such as the library board.
Lucy was heavily involved in community activities. She played the piano in church plus directed the choir. She ran the local Red Cross, helped with food ration stamps during WW 2, and was a member of the Century Club, Kensington Club, and Progress Club. She was also quite artistic. Klemme House has some placemats and napkins made by Lucy, plus one of her hand painted teacups and saucers.
Lucy continued her community involvement even in her old age. After Ray died and Lucy aged to the point she couldn’t get around as well as she used to, the hospital auxiliary called to let her know they were starting a new shut-ins visitation program. They were about to ask when they could come see her when she said, “That’s a great idea. Who do you want me to visit?”
Klemme House has the original hardwood floors, actually made from the Klemme Lumber Company, and woodwork including 12 inch baseboards. You just don’t see this kind of craftsmanship anymore. Original ceiling beams highlight the living room. The original pewter chandelier in the dining room where two dress forms display Lucy’s wedding dress and Ray’s Knights of Columbus uniform.
I find it so interesting to stay in a house such as this. Each home has a story. As the old saying goes, “If only these walls could talk, what a story they could tell.” It was fun to sip coffee with the current owners, Al and Connie Mattison, and learn about the heritage of this fine, old house.
Oddly enough, the Mattisons aren’t related to the Klemmes. Years after the Klemmes moved away, the Mattisons moved down the street from the deteriorating house. That’s when Connie fell in love with it and even had dreams about how she would restore and decorate it one day. It was out of their price range, but they thought if they could use it as a bed and breakfast perhaps they could afford to live there. So when the house came on the market in 1997 they bought it, started remodeling, and officially opened Klemme House in February 1998.
Although located in a small town, Klemme House does a lot of business. The Mattisons continue to gather information about the original owners. The Klemme family is delighted that someone has taken an interest in their heritage. Through others, their legacy lives on.
But here’s the point, not every interesting or even important person can be found with Google. In fact, most of the people we meet in life won’t be found on the Internet. However each is unique in God’s eyes. Each has a specific journey he/she is on. Each has a story or two they could share if we only took the time to ask them.
