The annual La Porte City Women’s Club holiday tour of homes takes place this year on Sunday, Dec. 7. The tour will feature homes owned by the following La Porte City residents (homes pictured clockwise from top left): Bridget Fuller, Phil and Kathy Norris, Terry and Julie Sturtz, Eric and Paula Pencenka, Jeremy and Dannielle Wolff, and Mike and Kathy Strubel. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

LA PORTE CITY – The annual La Porte City Women’s Club Tour of Homes will be held this Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, from 4-7 p.m. and will feature more homes than ever before, complete with an abundance of lights and warmth indicative of the season.

There are six homes on the tour this year, including: Bridget Fuller, 102 Westridge Ct; Jeremy and Danielle Wolff, 607 Chestnut St.; Phil and Kathy Norris, 507 Gates St.; Mike & Kathy Strubel, 302 Bowers St.; Terry and Julie Strutz, 7070 Gilbertville Rd.; and Eric and Paul Pecenka, 7320 Gilbertville Rd. All are La Porte City addresses.

Tour participants may pre-purchase tickets at the Old Stone Bistro or Cedar Valley Bank in La Porte City – or purchase at the first house visited. For those who do not want to make the 15-minute drive out to the Sturtz and Pecenka Homes, the Club has arranged for a bus: Chad Hansen’s Funbus will pick up riders at 3:45 and 5:15 for the two homes on Gilbertville Road and return afterwards. Bus reservations can be made at the Old Stone Bistro prior to the event. Arrive at the City Parking Lot (across from the Fire Station) by your reserved time. While the bus ride is free, tips are appreciated.

For those hungry before, during or after the Tour of Homes, enjoy soup at the freewill donation Soup Supper sponsored by the Little Knights Learning Center at the LPC Community Center, 300 First Street. Soups, baked goods, bread and hot cocoa will be on the menu from 4-8 p.m.

All fundraising by the La Porte City Women’s Club goes back to the community in the form of donations and scholarships.

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For more information on this year’s tour homes, see below.

Bridget Fuller, 102 Westridge Ct, La Porte City

Bridget Fullers’ home at 102 Westridge Court is a townhouse but feels much larger due to the open kitchen, dining room, and living room concept. When Bridget bought the home, she did extensive remodeling and even added an additional room. Her decorated home for Christmas features her North Pole Christmas Village that she has had forever and ever. The home is decorated throughout with a multitude of lights which makes you feel warm and cozy. In addition, she has a simple tinsel tree that reminds us that the beauty of Christmas is for a simple reason, time to spend with our family and friends while remembering the reason for the season.

Jeremy and Dannielle Wolff, 607 Chestnut St, La Porte City

Jeremy and Dannielle Wolff bought their home at 607 Chestnut Street in 2022 and have been working on it steadily. Dannielle’s knack for decorating is shown throughout the house with her love of red. They have added a fireplace in the dining room which appears as if it hosts a collection of antiques mirrors, but are they really antique? The woodwork of the old Victorian style home has remained intact, and the Wolff’s spend time continuing to maintain it while adding much greenery, red ribbon and lights around the house at Christmas time.

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Phil and Kathy Norris, 507 Gates St, La Porte City

Phil and Kathy Norris’s home at 507 Gates Street has an open concept dining/kitchen/living room which comes in handy when they are hosting their entire family of 27. The Norrises love to host their family and others with Kathy especially excited when she can set a perfect Christmas table set with Christmas dishware and gold silverware to match. One of their prized possessions is their “Night Before Christmas” book that they started reading to their first grandchild, Nick, when he was a baby. The reading continued while more grandchildren arrived and soon, Nick took over the reading of the book to the younger grandchildren. They grands have even written special notes in the book throughout the years.

Mike and Kathy Strubel, 302 Bowers St, La Porte City

Mike and Kathy Strubel’s home at 302 Bowers Street boasts of Mike’s construction skills and Kathy’s decorating sense. They have been the original owners of the home since 2018. Kathy has a very large Nutcracker collection, and she tries to add to it each year, getting one that reminds her of Mike. In addition, she has two Nutcrackers she received in memory of her brothers with one being a pirate and another a cowboy. Check out the ladder which frames the seven grandchildren in the hallway of the Strubel home Family pictures are featured on the upper ladder. This ladder is the very first ladder that Mike had when he started his construction business. Notice the white scarf wrapped around the ladder which was Kathy’s late mothers, and the scarf reminds them that she is still with them. Check out Strubel’s master bedroom with the cozy Christmas bedspread. It’s as soft and cozy as it looks.

Terry and Julie Sturtz, 7070 Gilbertville Road, La Porte City

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A short drive out to Terry and Julie Sturtz’s home is well worth the drive at 7070 Gilbertville Road. The Sturtz home boasts a reading nook on the second floor and a private guest bedroom which Julie states is more like an apartment. Terry bought the home and the first look Julie had of it was on moving day when they decided to move back to Iowa from Arizona in 2021. The entire house has a multitude of windows which allows them to see the surrounding woods no matter what time of the year. Julie’s daughter and granddaughter claim that Julie has over 50 trees, small and large in the house which her daughter Teresa makes. The Sturtz’s have also planted 21 trees on the property since purchasing it. Notice the little red truck and camper under the Strutz’s tree in the living room.

Eric and Paula Pencenka, 7320 Gilbertville Road, La Porte City

One half mile down the road from the Sturtz home is Eric and Paula Pencenka’s home at 7320 Gilbertville Rd. In March 2023, the Pecenka home was a total loss in a house fire. They rebuilt the home on the original foundation and Paula states; they got to rebuild the house the way they wanted the layout to be. It is an open concept home with kitchen/dining/living room and boasts of many windows to view the surrounding trees. Paula decorates year-round but especially enjoys Christmas. An original Pecenka sign with a large “P” is in the hallway, one of the very few items that survived the fire. Ask the Pecenka’s to point out the small tree which one of the neighbors gave them when they moved in on December 12th, as a welcome back gift. The fireplace with the television above and the stockings hung with care make you want to curl up and enjoy the warmth of the season. The Pecenkas have four rescue dogs. Friends, family and dogs are always welcome in their home.

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