I am looking for information on these three orphanages in IA. Bremwood was an orhpanage in Waverly. Mitchellville used to be a girls home and there was a boys home in Eldora, IA. My grandfather and his brothers and sisters were in and out of these homes and I am wondering how I can get records of their stays. They were taken out several times by their mother and they also ran away to find work when things got rough. I would appreciate any help or suggestions.

Try this site - you maybe able to find out how to get information.
http://www.dhs.state.ia.us/institutions/Eldora.asp
Liz

there was another home located in Tama/Toledo. But it was for orphans who were in their teens and had been in trouble for bad behavior in the orphanages, like running away, we call it "acting out" today.

The records of orphans in the Des Moines orphanage "Iowa Soldiers Home were destroyed in a fire that was supposedly completely destroyed. I can't remember, but I think the home burned down like in the 60's. A newspaper article certainly would be in the local newspaper. I'm not sure if the paper back then was called The Des Moines Register.

Any records associated with orphans who were adopted out are sealed and will take an act of a federal judge to allow the records to be unsealed for public access.

The orphanage didn't operate within legal constraints, or those "loopholes". When my mother was adopted out (she was there about 1938 to 1942) at the age 7yrs, and was told her father was killed in a train accident. In truth, he obtained a divorce from her mother (who was in a mental hospital: because he babied her to death and left her to fend for herself often), and remarried and moved to Council Bluffs.

You may be able to find your information at the reform school in Tama/Toledo.(I think it was actually called the Toledo Reform School). It's still there, just called something else.

Another detail about the orphanage in Des Moines. When the children reached the age of 12 years, they were sent out to local citizens, farmers etc to do work. Some were gone as long as several months or less, and then returned to the home when the work was done. The orphans got education until they reached 12 yrs, then sent out to work too.

So I recommend trying to get information from the reform school in Toledo, IA too.

I realize this is over a year old but thught I'd chime in.I can tell you some about Bremwood when it was an orphanage in the 1930's and 40's as my Grandpa (Walter C.W. Block) grew up there and after turning 18 lived in the attic awhile as he attended Wartburg College. Not sure exactly what you'd like to know but Bremwood was started as an orphanage for Civil War orphans in 1864 and moved to it's current main location in Waverly in 1900.So I now that it was a custodial orphanage that was run by the Lutheran Church from 1864 until at least 1955. The ladies who ran it were called "sisters" - like nuns are called. It has since transitioned from an orphanage into a psychiatric facility for children that focuses on trauma sensitive care for children who have experienced severe trauma. Great place. If you want to know more I'm happy to answer what I can - Gramps passed away 5 years ago but we did talk about it quite a bit and my family still donates to it:)

Thanks for the reply. I am really just grasping at straws trying to find my grandfather after 1920. His family had been living in Cedar Rapids before he and 2 brothers were given away to a home and I don't know which one. In 1920 my grandfather was 8 and his siblings were 7 & 6. If you can think of any advice to help me out it would be greatly appreciated! I don't live in Iowa so I haven't been able to do any research on this personally. Thanks. Cheri

Hi,

I too am searching for info on relatives who were at Bremwood, probably early 1900s. Would you know how I could get info on names of persons who were there?

Thanks much.