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. But now, he's so motivated he's driving us crazy." My stomach said, 'yes.' Robert DeBolt remembered as tireless adoption, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Robert DeBolt remembered as tireless adoption advocate. One, a girl who was blind, battered and abandoned when she was adopted by the DeBolts at 4, had been named The Child Who Never Smiles by orphanage workers in Korea. . Vernon, where she visited on many occasions She is Survived by her, husband Bryant C DeBolt of Palmyra, her mother, Mrs. Lavlna Leedy of Akenytown, and by the following children:Mrs. Paul Reed of, Oklahoma, Paul DoBolt of near Palmyra, Mrs. Llllle Gregg of Fredericktown, Ethel at home. (Not associated with the Piedmont Historical Society in Piedmont, California). I might have been 35 when I took a close look at myself. (My parents) believed that children should be raised not in an institution but in a nurturing, lifelong loving family, Doni DeBolt said. Divorced from Audre in 1966, DeBolt later met Dorothy Atwood, a widow with nine children five biological and four adopted on a blind date. She told me about how horrible the family and the children were first treated when they got to Piedmont. Vernon, C. B. Leedy of Palmyra, Mrs. J. C. Hess of Fredericktown, Mrs. J. F. Amos of Fredericktown, Mrs. Fred Merrln of Mt. These included children like those in their family who came from abusive homes, had physical handicaps and those from Vietnam who had injuries from the war. . This browser does not support getting your location. 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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 . A civil engineer by profession, he gave up his job as president of an Oakland construction company to help start the adoption agency and launch a full-time speaking career. "Now, when we left home, it was 20," says Robert DeBolt straight-faced, "but it might be more." Actually, only seven of those 20 live in the DeBolt home in Piedmont, Calif., near San Francisco. If she'd said he wanted a sexy broad, I would have said 'No way.' Resend Activation Email. While serving, he married his first wife, Audre Kellogg, in 1958, a union that produced Doni. It has placed 3,500 children in California and thousands more through its affiliates around the country. The largest number of children in the house at one time was 16. For the next two months, he would continue texting her, attempting to get her into his car. DOROTHY AND Robert DeBolt have 20 children. "When she first came, everyone stared. "I don't mean to be Pollyana-ish . Arleen Ng staff 6/17/00 Tribune CueLy DeBolt of Berkeley has a talk with her adoptive father Robert, 69, at Temescal Park in Oakland during their family reunion. GREAT NEWS! Her body was found four days later. Nor did she figure out which neighbor child might have made that errant call. Police found DeBolt's body after employees at an asphalt plant noticed what they thought was a burned mannequin surrounded by flies. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Vernon, where she visited on many. 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. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. I begged service clubs to let me speak. The Sigma Chi Fraternity, of which he was a member, honored him as a Significant Sig.. DeBolt went on to serve in the Air Force, ultimately retiring as a lieutenant. He and my mom were passionate about making the world a better place for children in foster care, Doni DeBolt said. 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. Oops, we were unable to send the email. ", RELATED: How Did Dr. Amie Hardwick Die? Some are blind, some have a combination of problems. . This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Last night, there was an award. 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. DeBolt, whose family became the subject of two films, including an Oscar-winning documentary, died of cardiac arrest at her El Cajon home. The DeBolts live here!' Obviously a lady in the finest sense of the word. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. ". Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Every big newspaper prints obituaries every day, of course. "Jean called and said, 'I know you don't ordinarily do this, but I'd love you to meet this guy. DeBolt's family has spoken out about the crime. She looked like a seal with her stumps flapping. ", On Robert DeBolt's right hand is a large, oval turquoise ring. With life insurance money, she put a down payment on the house in Piedmont. They have a folder of material on themselves and a list of suggested speech topics: "Love, Laughter, and Twenty Kids," "From Burn-Out to Bonfire," "Parenting in the '80s," "Society Says 'Handicapped' -- We Say 'Challenged.' Karen, 16, who uses artificial limbs, walks eight blocks to high school and was voted outstanding musician at her school. She is survived also by five sisters and two brothers, namely: Mrs. C. D, Martin of Ankenytown,Mrs. Susie DoBolt, wife of B C. DeBolt, died at her home near Palmyra Monday noon of a complication of diabetes. "We're not going to say we don't. It the story of a woman, excuse me, a lady, Dorothy DeBolt, born in 1903, who had a heart bigger than a watermelon. Because of these handicaps, the child has to take a close look at himself at an early age. A system error has occurred. for fun and is not collecting any money for this site. . Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). One was born without legs and arms. "Now, people run around saying, 'The DeBolts live here! Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. And they try to talk about the problems. We wouldnt expect any less from him because hes not a man, DeBolt's stepsister, Dawn, said at the time. "We've had kids experiment with marijuana," says Dorothy DeBolt. In the late 1960s, she was a widow with nine kids when a friend set her up on a blind date with Bob DeBolt, a civil engineer who was recently divorced and had one child. Though he flirted with her, DeBolt told Longoria she only wanted to be friends, though at the timehe told her he was only 25. As embodiments of the postive mental attitude that Stone espouses, the DeBolts certainly qualify. 28, 1972, Dorothy DeBolt dies at 89; adoption advocate raised 20 children, By REBECCA TROUNSON, LOS ANGELES TIMES MARCH 12, 2013 12 AM PT. We have set your language to Aside from his passion for helping children, those who knew Bob DeBolt recalled his love for green chiles. Still, Longoria continued contacting Brown, though DeBolt questioned him when she started getting text messages from Brown herself. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Her mother, Tammy Conrad, even shared that she had been told she could never have children but still managed to concieve DeBolt, calling her a "miracle baby.". Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. They all have their problems, their fears, their crushes on boys, whether they're paraplegic or not. Drew Carey's Ex-Fianc Allegedly Murdered By Ex-Boyfriend In Hollywood Hills. Owl Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57374100/susannah-evangeline-debolt. Please reset your password. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 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. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Biography submission guide. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Susannah DeBolt (57374100)? My head said, 'No.' Failed to delete memorial. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, Robert and Dorothy DeBolt in October of 1977. Many of those they adopted had physical or emotional disabilities and most though not all were from other countries. DeBolt and 36-year-old Adam Longoria began talking after meeting at a party. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. "The first time he walked on crutches, he did it for me as a Mother's Day gift. Tallahassee Democrat - Thu - Feb. 15, 1979. Some of the adopted children are paraplegic or have other physical handicaps. After creating the Sidney Dearing website, a woman who had moved from Berkeley to Piedmont in the 70s was eager to talk to me but not knowing how to find me, went to our Chief of Police in Piedmont (2021) asking for my contact information. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Sorry! Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Oops, something didn't work. Learn more about managing a memorial . She went darting around the house, cupping the chins of her brothers and sisters and laughing out loud for the sheer joy of seeing for the first time, Dorothy DeBolt said in a 1988 Times interview. She also swims at the local pool, without her prostheses. She stopped playing professionally after starting a family but taught all her children to play and enjoy music. The family was featured in the 1977 documentary Who Are the DeBolts? (Staff Archivess). And the local school system, the DeBolts say, supported what they were doing from the start. 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. ", Then she got a call from an organization trying to place severely wounded Vietnamese children. Please try again later. "With my first husband, we had four healthy children born to us in four years," Dorothy DeBolt says. Story soon pic.twitter.com/gW2mpqsRmp, Sherman Smith (@sherman_news) March 6, 2015. (She plays marimba.) He would only do things like that for others. Longoria's girlfriend, Eva Brown, told him to end their relationship. is a former sports writer for the Bay Area News Group who especially enjoys soccer and baseball. They began by adopting unwanted children -- those left in hospitals or shuttled through foster homes. Mrs. DoBolt Was 55 years of age and was quite well known In Mt. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. DeBolt's story is featured on the Investigation Discovery showWeb of LiesIn an episode called "Be Right Back. DOROTHY AND Robert DeBolt have 20 children. She attended UC Berkeley, then became a professional pianist, joining a San Francisco combo that played boogie woogie and other popular music. These are either the son of Abraham and a second wife, or Mary did not die in 1748. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. The blended family grew, with each new child learning to contribute to the household and support the others. Started on 4/20/2021. Her goal was to allow every child to have a permanent home.. Cause A Commotion Loud Hound Lyrics, You can also look at it the other way. 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. "She adopted me. "No one pays any attention to her," says Robert DeBolt. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. Known to find good in everyone and humor . My father was an incredibly warm, caring individual with a sense of humor that no one else rivaled, said his daughter, Doni DeBolt, currently the director of outreach and communications for Lilliput Childrens Services and previously executive director for AASK. Order of photos on memorials you manage becoming a Find a Grave is ongoing... And support the others, some have a combination of problems, continued... Episode called `` be right Back be confirmed a professional pianist, joining a San Francisco combo that boogie. 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