Unique bed and breakfast opens at Burns
International Country Home?
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
If the walls of the house at 113 N. Cincinatti Ave. in Burns could speak, they would echo the voices of hundreds of University of Kansas international students who have spent time there during Thanksgiving holidays.
It has been more than 50 years since the former owners, Ed and Betty Grimwood, initiated the Burns International Thanksgiving Homestay for students at the University of Kansas.
Their son, Tom, was three years old when the homestay program began and was exposed to students from many countries while growing up.
He and his wife Nedy recently inherited the home, and they and others in the community continue to host international students every Thanksgiving.
Now they plan to take the concept to another level.
They are establishing a bed and breakfast that will cater to people who are learning to speak Spanish, instructors in Spanish, and visitors from Latin America or other parts of the world.
A final decision on the name has not been made, but the Grimwoods are thinking of calling it International Country Home, in line with the Saturday Evening Post's designation of Burns in 1959 as "International Country Town."
"Our purpose of a bed and breakfast is more for social interaction. We like to visit with people and learn to know them," Tom said.
A graduate of Kansas State University, he spent seven years as a soil scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
He went to Bolivia in 1981 and spent the next 15 years doing conservation work and conducting scientific investigations in the subtropical region of the country.
During his time in Bolivia, he became fluent in the Spanish language and became friends with Nedy and her family.
He came back to Burns in 1998 to be with his parents and spend time with his ailing mother. She died in 1999.
He returned to Bolivia in 2000 and married Nedy, a university graduate with a career in accounting.
"It always was my mother's wish that we would be married," Nedy said.
They came back to Burns and joined Tom's father in the home where Tom grew up.
They became instructors of Spanish to business people in Wichita, such as people involved in sales to Latin America. Tom also teaches Italian and they both do translation work.
After their son, Christopher, was born in November 2002, Nedy became a stay-at-home mom. She helped take care of Tom's father until he died in September 2004. Nedy continues to do translation work from home.
Now three years old, the couple's dark-haired, dark-eyed little boy has the unique privilege of growing up in a bilingual home. Nedy converses with him in Spanish and Tom speaks with him in English.
Nedy speaks a broken English and continues to increase her knowledge of the language.
Tom said he and Nedy have been contemplating opening their home as a bed and breakfast for their students for several years.
"We wanted them to have a place to spend time conversing in Spanish," Tom said. "One hour a day is fine, but you need to have it in your ear for a day or two. They can get immersed in the language before traveling overseas."
Foreign language teachers who want to become more proficient in Spanish also could benefit from spending time at the bed and breakfast.
Visitors from Latin America, Asia, and Europe will be welcome, as well.
"We like to have people in our home," said Nedy. The dark-haired beauty has a warm smile that will welcome any guest and make them feel at home. She plans to serve South American style food.
The Grimwoods' simple, two-story, wood-frame home was built in 1913. It features a wide veranda across the front of the house. French doors open from a long living area just inside the front door into the dining room.
Two bedrooms are available for guests and an additional room which serves as a play room for Christopher can accommodate a bed if necessary. Most of the furnishings are sturdy antique pieces, many made of walnut.
Some of Tom's instruction is provided one-on-one in the student's private office and some is conducted with groups in conference rooms. He also provides instruction to families in their homes.
In addition, he teaches a business/Spanish course at Kansas World Trade Center in Wichita, which promotes Kansas products to other countries.
At the present time, Tom has approximately 35 students, including groups of 10 and six, respectively, and one family.
The Grimwoods plan to start their business by hosting Tom's students and then hope to expand it to include foreign visitors.
"I have to figure out how much to charge and how to get the word out," he said.
