Owatonna
Homestead Hospice House Update February 2025
Homestead Hospice House and Seasons Hospice Sign Lease Agreement!
Rochester, MN – February 20, 2025
It is human nature to assume that current services will continue for the foreseeable future, and this is particularly true for what we refer to as a “residential hospice house”.
Like so many other residential hospice houses across the country, the Owatonna-based Homestead Hospice House was closed about a year and a half ago due to budgetary constraints. The closing of this beloved House was heartbreaking news to those in Owatonna and beyond.
Many of those serving on the Board of Directors of Homestead Hospice House are founding members of Homestead, and they felt the loss very deeply. As one Owatonna community member has shared “many of the Board members assumed that they and their loved ones would have the option of spending their final days in this beautiful home that they built. Although they were devastated and heartbroken by the closure, they took action!” Recognizing Seasons’ well-deserved reputation for providing the highest-quality hospice care in our community as well as in our lovely residential hospice house on Weatherhill Road in Southwestern Rochester, a representative of the Homestead Board reached out to Kristina Wright-Peterson, Executive Director of Seasons Hospice, asking for assistance in their efforts to re-open their beloved House.
With the initial intention to help the Homestead Board find a way to reopen their House, Wright-Peterson took a tour of the Homestead Hospice House and was convinced that this beautiful residential facility simply had to reopen. She also recognized that Seasons Hospice was the only organization that could do so in a way that honored the exceptional care traditions that the Owatonna community had come to expect. Reflecting on this moment/on what has transpired over the past 18 months, Wright-Peterson shares “This house is not only welcoming and beautiful, but it was built to serve hospice patients. I could immediately see that this house was a place that needed to have patients in it; it was very disheartening to see it empty. As I have gotten to know the Owatonna and Steele County community, I have also seen their appreciation for end-of-life care which is unique, you don’t find that everywhere.”
As Wright-Peterson and her team set to work to secure the necessary funding to reopen the Homestead Hospice House, Lois Brekke and her late husband, Howard, stepped forward with an exceptionally generous and transformational gift of more than $500,000. It was a gift that many believe was “heaven sent.” This remarkable couple will be in our hearts as we take each step on the journey to re-opening the Homestead Hospice House!
A lease was signed by both organizations on Monday February 17, marking a major milestone in reopening Homestead Hospice House. Seasons Hospice has filed the initial paperwork with the Minnesota Department of Health to begin licensing, a process that is expected to take approximately six months. Seasons will be taking steps forward to prepare the house and hire staff over the next six months as progress is made in the licensing process. Seasons Hospice will use their website, www.seasonshospice.org to communicate updates on the progress towards reopening.
Contact: Nancy Hintz or Kristina Wright-Peterson
Seasons Hospice
507-285-1930
nhintz@seasonshospice.org; kwpeterson@seasonshospice.org
About Residential Hospice Care
Residential hospice care is particularly vulnerable to financial pressures as these 24/7 services are not covered by Medicare, leaving both Seasons Hospice House and Homestead Hospice House reliant upon the generosity of our community members as well as fees paid by our patients and families. The state of Minnesota has a total of 13 residential hospice care facilities.
Seasons Hospice House
Established in 1996, Seasons Hospice is a community-based, non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing the highest quality end-of-life care. The Seasons Hospice House was originally built for a Mayo physician and his family in 1952 and was converted to a residential hospice house in 1997. Located on 13 beautiful acres, the home features simple, open, free-flowing spaces that emphasize the beauty of nature at every turn.
Homestead Hospice House
Homestead Hospice is a community-based, non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to bringing the highest quality end of life care to the Owatonna community. Located on 5 beautiful acres, the Homestead Hospice House was designed and built for the purpose of providing residential hospice care. Opening in 2004, the Homestead House served patients under the operations of Allina for nearly 20 years before closing in 2023 when that partnership ended. Seasons Hospice and Homestead Hospice are eager to begin serving the community once again in 2025.
