Show Foster Parents Honored In County This Week 1 This is the week which has I been set aside by the State Welfare Welfare Wel- Wel I fare Department for honoring that compassionate group of people known as foster parents They will be honored at a special special cial meeting on Friday May 6 at pm p.m. In the multipurpose multi pur pose room of the Farmington Elementary School THESE DEDICATED people take children from the ages of infancy to 18 into their homes for te temporary periods until the Welfare Department is able to remedy the Ule family problems affecting af- af the child Two excellent examples of such foster parents in Davis County are Mr and Mrs Mark Johnson on West Gentile Street in Layton and Mr and Mrs Chester Montgomery of West WestPoint PoInt MRS ms JOHNSON had her first experience as a foster parent in 1931 when she offered to take a little girl into her home who had been staying with one of Mrs l Johnsons Johnson's n neighbors e i gh b 0 r s while the neighbor made an emergency trip to California When the neighbor got back the little girl who was under the supervision of the Salt Lake Childrens Children's Service begged to continue s staying t a y i n g with Mrs Johnson The Service got the neighbor another child and allowed allowed al- al lowed the little girl to remain at the Johnson Johnsons SINCE THEN Mrs l Johnson has mothered 31 children who were under the supervision of the Welfare Department Only four of these have been girls She sort of specializes in teenage teenage teen teen- age boys This wasn't exactly her Idea though In fact after the department had sent her several boys she asked them I why she couldn't get a girl once In a while The answer was you handle handleI I these teen age boys so well that whenever we get a boy of that age we naturally think of you first CURRENTLY she has three boys two her brothers broth broth- ers Barry 15 and Bill 16 and Steve 17 The two brothers have been with her nearly two years and with her only six weeks One of her boys boys' If came to live with her when he was nine See LIFES LIFE'S REWARDS page 2 I I r i iI df I g q I I 1 t f r r I j t tV tr r V 4 t tf f t f LIFES LIFE'S RICH REWARDS Being a foster parent for the County Welfare Department can be very rewarding as Mr and Mrs Chester Montgomery Montgomery Mont Mont- gomery of West Point have found out Shown here relaxing relaxing re- re in the their r back yard with the their r family including Being foster mother to three teen age boys is quite a challenge but a challenge which Mrs Mark Johnson has come to know well since she first took a foster child into h her r home in 1931 Shown with their own son and daughter plus two other sets of a I sister brother combination they are from left Jesse David Barbara Eddie Montgomery with the family cat Tiger Cathy and Annice Montgomery T I r. A r 1 r- r R r y ti A T her three current charges carry earry Bill Steve feeding two lambs that were given to one of the boys and the family dog Princess as they relax on the lawn at atthe atthe the Johnson residence in lay Layton ton I Continued from front page and stayed until he was 15 He went back to his family famy then for about 18 months but asked the welfare board to let to the Johnson Johnsons After much deliberation deliberation de- de liberation the board granted his request He continued to tomake tomake make his home with the Johnsons Johnsons John John- sons after he became 18 and went on to com complete lete a year of college at Weber state College NEARLY TWO years ago this boy was sent to serve a two two- year mission In the Southwest British Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints Just before he left the two brothers came to live with the JOhnsons and they consider him their bIg brother As Mrs Wilma McC McClellan 1 e 11 a n the Welfare case worker put it Roger always did everything I thoroughly with all his heart and andi i soul even when he was getting into trouble I ANOTHER SET of foster Aar who are very enthusiastic I I about the program are the Chester Chester Ches- Ches ter They began i sharing theIr home when they I took an Indian girl In as a com acorn to their own daughter eIght years ago Then sIx years I II I ago they took another Indian girl Nona Into theIr home under under un- un der the foster parents program program pro pro- gram for Indian children and she Is still with them although she is now 19 years old They had a son who died ot of cancer on the day he was to tobe tobe be graduated from Davis High School Just before he died he asked his parents to get a boy in their home to take his place as asa asa a companion to his younger brother Eddie That was when the enlisted with the County Welfare re Department as foster parents four years ago They have had 21 children stay wIth them sInce that time CUR CURRENTLY RENT L Y they have three sets of brothers and sIsters sisters sIs sIs- making theIr home with them their own son EddIe 14 and daughter Annice 20 Barbara Bar Bar- tiara bara 17 and David 12 and Jesse 13 and Cathy 11 11 David was the first child they took from the Welfare Department so he has been wIth them four years now The brother and sister combination com com- could get to be quite a problem If we let it H so one thing we do to create more harmony harmony har- har mony Is part of our work chart Mrs Montgomery said She explaIned explained ex- ex that each child has J I II I tal n chores to do before he leaves for school each morn morn- Ing One of these Is doIng the dishes FOR THIS chore we always have one boy and one gIrl workIng working work work- Ing together but never a broth broth- brother er and sister sh she said They have many ways to keep their children busy Mr Ir Montgomery Montgomery Mont Mont- gomery who was for nine years took the boys with him each Saturday morning morningto to clean the church while the girls stayed home and helped Mrs Montgomery c clean 1 e a n the house THEY'VE encouraged th the e children to carry out various projects and hobbies And one of the best thIngs weve we've accomplished ac- ac which we probably never would have done if we hadn't been foster parents is the nice addition weve we've made to our house Mr Montgomery said This addition consists of ofa a televIsion room a sewing room a small bedroom tor B arbara ar- ar bara a large bedroom and playroom combInation for the I boys and a bath With this addition the Mont Mont- have additional sleeping sleeping sleep sleep- ing space and so frequently the Welfare Department uses their home as a separation center where children may stay overnight overnight over over- night or for just a couple days while arrangements are beIng made for their place placement men t Darrell Hall Child supervisor su- su explained THESE ARE just two of the I families who are taking care of some 40 to 50 youngsters under I thIs foster parents program But sInce we are havIng to place between five and ten new youngsters each month we do need more resIdents who will assIst us In thIs program Mr Hall saId He said anyone who wIshes to know more about the program may call him or Mrs McClellan McClellan- at the County Welfare office orrIce in Farmington |