The girl, named Wendy, soon did, after a corneal transplant that restored the sight in one eye. I said, 'What?!' Two children, J.R. and Twe, died as adults. As it grew, the DeBolt family gained a measure of celebrity, too. The DeBolts later adopted their 20th child, Reynaldo, a Mexican street kid with a paralyzed leg who was part of a sequel. Please try again later. One was born without legs and arms. The Democratic banner., January 20, 1922, Page PAGE THREE, Image 3 MRS. SUSIE DEBOLT DIES AT PALMYRA Mrs. Susie DoBolt, wife of B C. DeBolt, died at her home near Palmyra Monday noon of a complication of diabetes. It was a story Dorothy Atwood DeBolt enjoyed telling, one that any harried parent of young children might find somewhat familiar. Created by a Piedmont, California resident, Meghan Bennett. I really hated to hear the phone ring -- I thought it was Jean with another body. DeBolt's family has spoken out about the crime. Interment In the Ankenytown cemetery. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. Most of all, Bob and Dorothy made the highest use of their public speaking abilities to advocate for multiracial, single-parent and sibling-group adoptions. "But we're very unritualistic. "They would sit and stare at the boob tube and argue about who's going to watch what." We have set your language to Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. "She was a doll," he says. based on information from your browser. The phone rang one day as the busy mother raced around her home, getting ready for an out-of-town trip and wrapping up housework before her kids got home. Mostly, he said, she was motivated by the fact that because these kids were disabled didnt mean they werent adoptable. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Susannah Evangeline Susie Leedy DeBolt I found on Findagrave.com. Dorothy and Bob Debolt with grandmother ad children: Mike, 29, Michelle, 28, Stephanie, 26, Noel, 24, Martin, 23, Tich, 22, Ahn, 22, Dat, 21, Trang, 18, Doni, 17, Melanie, 17, Lee, 17, Twe, 16, John Robert (J.R.) 13, Thong, 11, Karen, 10, Sunee, 10, and Wendy, 9, in October of 1977. (Not associated with the Piedmont Historical Society in Piedmont, California). Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, Robert and Dorothy DeBolt in October of 1977. subject of two films, including an Oscar-winning documentary. "She didn't marry me," he says. Known to find good in everyone and humor . "No one pays any attention to her," says Robert DeBolt. Two months later, with nine children, she met Robert DeBolt. Then she asked me to take a friend of hers to a Christmas party they were having. Three Bay Area men, including justice reform activist, plead guilty in Norteo RICO murder case, Californias hardest to book campground isnt in a famous park. What Happened To Alicia DeBolt? Search above to list available cemeteries. Her mother, from Sweden, and her father, from the Netherlands, owned several Bay Area restaurants. He and my mom were passionate about making the world a better place for children in foster care, Doni DeBolt said. Bob DeBolt, an acclaimed public speaker, recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, recognized by the U.S. Congress and four presidents and once appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the President's Committee on Youth and Families, died Jan. 24 in El Cajon at age 84. Five children are from Dorothy DeBolt's previous marriage. They made no special accommodations in their two-story home in Piedmont, near Oakland, mostly because they were cash-strapped, they said, but each child, with encouragement from the others, learned to navigate through it. At Longoria's sentencing, DeBolt's family admitted that she"had a past" and would often go missinbut that did not justify what Longoria had done not by a longshot. Seconds later, she said aloud: Oh my God, we dont have a kid named Jennifer.. I always think I can give some hope to ladies out there who have kids and think theyll never get married again.. "God knows we've had enough chances.". After the DeBolts were married, they moved into the Piedmont house, with Robert bringing his 10-year-old-daughter, Doni. Is the vulgar anti-Tesla sign on my neighbors truck illegal? PIEDMONT Robert Bob Wesley DeBolt and his late wife, Dorothy, made it their mission in life to help as many children as they possibly could, whether as biological parents, stepparents or adoptive parents, as their nationally renowned family ultimately grew to 20 children. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. "If we had a lot of problems, we wouldn't do it. One is from Robert DeBolt's previous marriage. "It has seven bedrooms, but more importantly it has six bathrooms," says Robert DeBolt. She was 89 and had been in poor health for several years, her husband, Bob DeBolt, said Monday. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. Cause A Commotion Loud Hound Lyrics, You can also look at it the other way. Nor did she figure out which neighbor child might have made that errant call. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Dorothy DeBolt, who laughed along with her family whenever she misplaced the names of the many children she did have, may not have had a daughter named Jennifer. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. "A woman asked if I could recruit families for these two 14-year-olds. Still, Longoria continued contacting Brown, though DeBolt questioned him when she started getting text messages from Brown herself. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. I fell in love on the first date, Dorothy told The Times in 1988. The DeBolts live here!' Thanks for your help! When she found out that he was talking to a much younger girl, she told him to "take care of the problem." "We felt very blessed. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Surprisingly, it worked. And of her husband, who helped her shoulder the enormous load. I don't know how my mother put up with me. . "Dorothy and I have made more mistakes than other parents," says Robert DeBolt. Dorothy DeBolt died in 2013 at 89. I was on the phone with this woman, and God said, 'Okay, Dora, why don't you take them?' ", Their family has been a success, they say, but it has not been without problems. 28, 1972, Dorothy DeBolt dies at 89; adoption advocate raised 20 children, By REBECCA TROUNSON, LOS ANGELES TIMES MARCH 12, 2013 12 AM PT. You can always change this later in your Account settings. This neighbor said the DeBolts were some of the most caring family she had ever seen and the amount of love in that family was admirable. Among his other achievements and accolades, Bob DeBolt served as a board member for the National Council on Adoption in Washington, D.C., and the North American Council on Adoptable Children. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. In the 27 years since, Dorothy DeBolt and her second husband, Robert, have started an agency -- Aid to Adoption of Special Kids -- to promote and facilitate adoption of hard-to-place children, and they have made careers out of speaking on how they have raised their own family. Some of their neighbors would throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at the yard and while yelling "to go back to where they came from." He's a lovely man, good with kids.' It is a large, old, three-story house. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. As lawyers explained in court documents, Longoria and DeBolt first crossed paths at a birthday party in July 2010, and stayed in contact after he told her to let him know that she'd made it home safely. Their $50,000-a-year income comes from lecture tours (the $50,000 Dorothy received with the Stone award will go to their adoption agency). The Sigma Chi Fraternity, of which he was a member, honored him as a Significant Sig.. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. In 2010, 14-year-old DeBolt was killed by a much older man she'd been texting and seeing at parties, Adam Longoria, and fortunately, he's since been brought to justice, although the lives of everyone who loved DeBolt will obviously never be the same. ), They always eat dinner together -- at two tables pushed together when necessary. But most of them nowadayscontrary to days that I . The Democratic banner., January 20, 1922, Page PAGE THREE, Image 3MRS. Theres no words to describe what he is.. He has gray hair, thick eyebrows and a strong face. We didn't have much money, but we had other things. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. And they try to talk about the problems. All had something that made them difficult to be adopted. There was an error deleting this problem. "We took out the television set about seven years ago -- that's what caused friction and arguing," said Dorothy DeBolt. The DeBolts also encouraged other adults to adopt children, especially those with special needs. French soccer legend dies at 89; scored record 13 goals in 1958 World Cup, Obituary: Richard Roth, 83, was former vice mayor of Alameda, Olympic gold medalist Bob Richards dies; was first athlete featured on a Wheaties box, Rapid demise of Dilbert no surprise to some who were watching. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. ", "We believe deeply in God," she says. We've heard a lot of truly heartbreaking stories about murder, but it's always especially tragic when we find out about a child who lost their life and in this case, we're talking about thekilling of Kansas cheerleader Alicia DeBolt. The man who owned the company I ran -- his wife was an avocational matchmaker . There was a problem getting your location. 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