Holiday Home Tour becomes part of a regional tradition

Like many of the other tourists, Deborah Price and her mother, Andrea Tripoli, have made the annual Lutheran Family and Children’s Services Holiday Home Tour a tradition.

“We go every year,” Price said. “It’s a mother-daughter time.”

“Yes, we love Christmas,” Tripoli agreed. “This is my favorite time of the year.”

Maybe it’s the cozy lighting, the smell of cloves and cinnamon or the scrupulously adorned trees and tables found in the exhibition homes, but they agreed something about the annual tour always helped put them in the spirit of the season.

This year was the 29th home tour, and it featured homes in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

A view of Rademaker's Rusted Route Farms on Saturday during the 29th annual Lutheran Family and Children's Services Holiday Home Tour.ANDREW J. WHITAKER

Price and Tripoli visited all of them, saving the home of Bert and Mary Ann Kellerman for last.

“It’s nice to see how the other half lives,” Price joked. “But this year, I saw a lot of decorations on fireplaces. Lots of different uses of the garland and poinsettias that were really pretty.”

But Tripoli said some of the more subtle touches make the difference.

“The ones that weren’t as fancy were just as nice as the million-dollar homes,” she said. “And the way the houses are decorated differently brings out the personality of the owners.”

The best part, they said, was getting decoration ideas for their own homes. Tripoli said she planned to put her Jackson home on display as part of next year’s tour if she can figure out a way to puppy-proof the Christmas tree.

A view of the Bert and Mary Ann Kellerman house Saturday during the 29th annual Lutheran Family and Children's Services Holiday Home Tour in Cape Girardeau.ANDREW J. WHITAKER

Other visitors, such Janet Miller and Debbie Clifton, said they enjoyed seeing the houses themselves just as much as the decorations.

“This is one of those houses that I’ve wanted to see all my life,” she said, standing on the broad back deck of the Kellerman house. “I like to see the architecture and that kind of thing, and this one is historical.”

Several blocks away at the Marquette Tower, Belinda Goggins, Mary Margaret Wiginton and Elaine Hayden were finishing their visit to the recently revived historic downtown building.

“We totally enjoyed it,” Goggins said of the tour, which is an annual tradition for the women.

“It’s a fun time to get together, make a day of it and see all the Christmas decorations of course,” Wiginton said, nibbling at a sugar cookie. “And eat the snacks.”

Marge Janssen helps her husband John Janssen put on shoe scrubs Saturday before touring the Bert and Mary Ann Kellerman house during the 29th annual Lutheran Family and Children's Services Holiday Home Tour in Cape Girardeau.ANDREW J. WHITAKER

“This means a lot to me,” Goggins said, adding she grew up in Cape Girardeau, and going on the home tour offered an added amount of nostalgia.

“As a girl, I can remember sometimes coming here on special occasions,” she said. “Never to stay here, but to go to the restaurant.”

Plus, Hayden said, they feel good knowing proceeds from ticket sales go to fund good work through Lutheran Family and Children’s Services.

Inside, Lutheran Family and Children’s Services regional development officer Michelle Ramsey said they had been pleasantly surprised at the heavy turnout.

“It’s been really, really busy,” she said, estimating up to 900 visitors had filtered through the Marquette Tower lobby over the course of the day.

With such a successful tour, she said, the organization could expect to raise between $25,000 to $30,000.

“And it gives us a chance to let people know what we do,” she said.

That list of services includes adoption services, crisis pregnancy counseling, Alzheimer’s support and more.

And because next year’s tour will mark the 30th anniversary, Ramsey said, organizers hope it will be even bigger.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627