Dorothy Emma Vesper

Newspaper article from "The Leader" CHILDREN AND PLENTY OF THEM

Dorothy Vesper Citizen of the Week by Cezanne McHenry
supplied by Eva Cheesman 2-21-2001
(Note: This lady is my aunt on my mother's side -she is still alive and in her 90's)

"Like the old woman who lived in the shoe, 80 year old Sand Springs resident Dorothy Vesper at one time had so many children she didn't knowwhat to do.
"I wouldn't know from one day to the next how many children would be in the house that I needed to feed," Vesper said.
In 1945, Vesper and her husband Earl started taking care of children who needed a loving home. The Vespers were unable to have children oftheir own. But working through various agencies over the years likeFamily Children Services, they ended up taking care of 540 babies,toddlers, and teenagers.
For some of the children, Vesper had charge of them only for a day. She cared for others for up to 7 years. She and her husband adopted 6children as their own.
"Almost every child that came along I would have liked to adopt," Vesper said. "I could have ended up with 500 children of my own."
Vesper has a spiral notebook she has kept since the 1950's where she has listed pages and pages of names of the children who have passed inand out of her life.
Names include "Baby X" a baby boy she took care of only for 6 days many years ago. The child was in the process of being adopted by an anonymouswealthy family. Vesper never was told the baby's name, or where the babywas eventually placed.
Other names, some with last names -- several without, are neatly penned on the yellowing pages.
Vesper said she had been able to keep up with quite a few of her children, but not as many as she would have liked.
"I cried every time I had to give up a baby. It like to have broke my heart," Vesper said. "But I came to understand it made an opening foranother child."
Adopted daughter Sue Walker remembers what it was like growing up in the Vesper home.
"I didn't have to leave home to have fun. It was kind of like a pajama party---Mom was always in the middle of us," Walker said.
Another thing Walker remembers is playing games. "We never watched television. There were always so many of us, we didn't need to. If weweren't playing Monopoly, or jumping rope-- we were popping corn ormaking taffy. We made our own fun," Walker said.
Sometimes Vesper had so many children in her home for supper, they'd have to eat in shifts. "It wasn't always just the kids I was feedingeither. They often had their friends over to eat." Vesper said.
One of Walker's fondest memories is Vesper's bread pudding. "Oh, it was wonderful. It was always a treat. On the way home from school wecould smell it baking down the alley, we would always run that lastlittle bit home," Walker recalled.
Vesper turned 80 on Friday. Walker planned a drop-in-open house. "I'm sure I've missed inviting somebody". Walker laughed. "But it is open foranyone who Mom took care of, or her friends or anyone who would like towish her a happy birthday."
After all the years and all the children she has taken care of Vesper summed up, "We never had a stranger in our house."

Born Dorothy Emma Williams.
Dorothy adopted my mother, Judith Ann Vesper, and my sister,
Jessica Marie (Penny) Vesper. I have met Dorothy, and she was a
wonderful woman.When I last saw her, December 1999, she had a
houseful of dogs, and a houseful of people. Everyone in our family
loved Grandma Dorothy to death, especially the kids. But she could
be strict, too. Grandma Dorothy was really my mother's great aunt
by marriage. When my mother ended up in foster care, she and her
husband, Earl, adopted my mother and at least one of her siblings.
She and Earl fostered children for most of their lives together,
and adopted several, as well. Dorothy also adopted my sister,
Jessica (Penny). When I met her, at age 16, she seemed like a sweet
woman. She had several dogs that she loved. She was always taking
in anyone who needed help.

Vital Statistics Birth: 09/29/1909
Death: 01/2004 Cause of Death: Natural Causes Family Spouse: Earl
Preston Vesper - deceased 10/16/1978 in Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Children: (All adopted) Tonya Renee Hogan of Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Donna Jeane Vesper Billy Gordon Vesper Susan Irene Vesper Judith
Ann Burriss (originally Williams) of Drumright, Oklahoma Jessica
Marie Schrick (Judith's daughter) of Drumright, Oklahoma
Grandchildren Janettee Story of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Jessica
Marie Schrick (adopted as daughter) of Drumright, Oklahoma
Greatgrandchildren: Trystan Schrick - deceased in Sand Springs,
Oklahoma Christopher (Story) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Drayven
Schrick of Drumright, Oklahoma