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Washington Evening Journal
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‘Quaintness’ draws new owners to Homestead inn
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
HOMESTEAD — An Arizona native who did a stint in Iowa City as a traveling nurse is now operating a popular bed-and-breakfast in the Amana Colonies.
Karin Fuson and her husband, John, closed on Die Heimat Country Inn in Homestead in February and took over operation March 20.
“I grew up in Arizona,” said Karin. John grew up in North Carolina and Texas. The couple lived in Colorado before buying the bed-and-breakfast in Homestead.
A couple of years ago, Karin’s youngest son was attending school in Dubuque, so she took a travel assignment in Iowa City.
Karin liked the area and, in 2024, returned to Iowa City hospital for the summer. Karin asked owners Marc and June Herschberger if she could stay at Die Heimat as long-term resident while she worked in Iowa City. They agreed.
Knowing that the Die Heimat was for sale (Marc and June wanted to retire) Karin and John made a deal with the Herschbergers to buy the inn.
Karin said she’s always wanted to have a B&B. “I like the quaintness. I like to stay in them when I travel,” she said.
“I like visiting with people. People who travel are interesting to talk to.”
Karin particularly likes the history behind the B&B in Homestead.
Die Heimat (pronounced dee hi-maht) is German for home or homeland, said Karin. The building at 4434 V St. was constructed around 1856 as a stagecoach stop, she said.
The building was used as some sort of lodging in its early years. In the early 1920s it served as a communal kitchen for about 20 years.
In 1932, when the community gave up communal living, the building became a hotel. A man operated a radio show out of the building for a while, but Karin’s not sure when.
The property has been a bed-and-breakfast since the 1960s. It’s set up like a county inn, said Karin. “It reminds me of going to my grandmother’s house.”
Framed photos on the walls show Homestead’s history, and some guests have recognized people in the photos, Karin said.
The walls are decorated with antique items that would have been found in the Amana Colonies when they were founded.
“I like the history of it. I like the quiet and peacefulness,” said Karin. Guests tell her the same thing.
The Country Inn has 16 rooms which can be reserved online at dieheimat.com. It has an EV2 electric car charging station and an outdoor lift. It provides a smoke-free, pet-free environment for guests.
Karin makes breakfast for her visitors every morning. “I like cooking,” she said, and so does John, but he’s still in Colorado at the moment. John is in information technology and is helping build a data center for Space Force, Karin said.
Right now Karin is taking care of outdoor tasks, like gardening. A friend mows, and a woman comes by to take care of the flowers, but Karin has been watering, weeding and feeding birds.
Though she and her husband are not natives of the area, people in Homestead are friendly and willing to help, said Karin. A lot of the original families still live in the area.
Some guests come for Amana’s festivals, such as Maifest, Oktoberfest and Wurstfest, said Karin, but others make Homestead an overnight stop while passing through Iowa.
“I get a fair amount of people traveling through to see relatives,” Karin said.
The Fusons hope to entice people to the area for other reasons as well, such as golf and skeet shooting.
“We are planning to get a van,” said Karin, to transport people from the inn to wedding venues or to Main Amana, the Koru Berry Farm or the Distillary in Swisher.
“There’s a lavender farm fairly close too,” Karin said.
They’re also in the process of partnering with other businesses and putting together travel packages. They already have some Iowa football tickets, said Karin.
John and Karin have traveled extensively themselves, so they understand people who stay with them.
They were married in 2023 in Borgia Castle on the border of Tuscany and Umbria in Italy and have a blended family of five children, four boys and one girl. They’re expecting their first grandchild in July.
