Published: November 23, 2007 11:27 am      

Full house | Local couple have parented 72 foster children

By TOM LAVIS

TLAVIS@TRIBDEM.COM

John and Velma Grumbling gush with emotion as they talk about the Christmas when a son, who was 19 at the time, called from Korea to tell them he couldn’t be home for Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, a knock came at the door, and in walked their son.

“He used all his leave and blew all his money to get home for Christmas,” said John Grumbling, his voice trembling as he remembered the occasion. “He said he didn’t want to miss Christmas with his family.”

The son to whom they were referring is one of the 72 foster children welcomed into the Grumblings’ home during the past four decades. In addition, the couple have adopted 11.

The Walnut Grove couple blush at the notion that they are special people.

They completed a nearly three-year process in October of adopting four siblings who are now part of the expansive Grumbling household.

“Our children range in age from our newly adopted twin daughters, Kayla and Kylee, age 5, to our oldest son, Bill, who is 44,” said John Grumbling, 64.

Since 1966, the Grumblings have adopted or welcomed foster children into their modest three-story home, which is tucked into the hillside off Arthur Street.

The home is a work in progress, with upgrades being made on a continual basis to accommodate the burgeoning family.

Few visitors would notice that finishing touches on remodeled rooms needed completed. What they would notice is the homeyness of the dwelling.

The older home, with its six bedrooms, is clean, comfortable and welcoming.

Each holiday is special at the Grumblings. At Thanksgiving, the trestle table was set for 16 people. Dinner was served about 4 p.m., but the Grumblings welcomed many more of their children along with their families who stopped by for a visit later in the evening.

“The house was filled with Christmas music because Thanksgiving marks the kick off of our holiday season,” Velma Grumbling said. “The leftover turkey, ham and side dishes are sent home with the other kids.”

After the Grumblings had Bill, their only child by natural birth, Velma Grumbling learned she needed surgery, which precluded her from having more children.

“We have a big house, and we always believed it should be full of kids,” said Velma Grumbling, 61.

The couple contacted Cambria County Children and Youth Services and expressed an interest in adopting children or becoming foster parents.

For the past 11 years, the family has been dealing with Professional Family Care Services in Southmont.

The couple had only boys in their home until seven years ago, when they began welcoming girls.

Ironically, Velma Grumbling has a collection of Precious Moment figurines in a curio that has taken years to gather, and all figurines represent little girls.

John worked at Bethlehem Steel Corp. for 28 years and Velma worked at the former Mercy Hospital for 11 years.

“Once we started getting the kids, I felt that I should be home,” Velma Grumbling said.

The Grumblings were paid a $23 per diem to care for foster children, but it was not the money that prompted them to open their home.

John Grumbling said his rewards have come in special ways. Such as when a child goes from calling him sir or pap to finally addressing him as dad. Or when he gets a heartfelt goodnight hug that took months or years to achieve.

“If people are not doing it for the kids, they shouldn’t be doing it anyway,” John Grumbling said. “Of all the children we welcomed into our home, they either all stayed until they were 18 or we adopted them.”

Michelle Rager, Cambria County’s Children and Youth Services assistant administrator, described the Grumblings as model foster parents.

“The are outstanding advocates of the foster and adoptive programs,” Rager said.

“The county has 40 active families involved in the foster-care program, and we are associated with additional private agencies in Cambria, Somerset and Westmoreland counties that are providing services.”

Jeff Goss, 27, of the West End section of Johnstown was 15 years old when he went to live with the Grumblings. He said they were there for him when he needed them most.

“Most people wouldn’t take the time to do something like that,” he said. “They put me on the right path, and I joined the Army for three years after I turned 18.”

Goss is a regular visitor to the Grumbling’s home and enjoys watching football games with his foster family.

Six of the Grumblings’ 11 adopted children still live at home.

Along with the twins, there are 7-year-old Destinee, 14-year-old Michael and another set of twins, Barron and Brandi, ages 12.

The Grumblings are dedicated to providing a loving, safe home.

They refrain from talking about how the children were treated by their natural parents, and instead maintain that love and respect are the keys they use when raising children.

“In disciplining the children, we use time-outs for the younger ones and groundings for the others,” John Grumbling said. “They all do chores and have other responsibilities, Respect is a two-way street.”

John Grumbling does a majority of the cooking, and his wife said the laundry room is her domain.

“Laundry is never ending,” she laughed. “We get by because my husband is always looking for deals, whether it’s for buying food in bulk, entertainment or clothing.”

The Grumblings are dedicated to giving their children every advantage.

“Every little girl wants to be a ballerina, so the girls are in dance class, and the boys play football in school,” Velma Grumbling said.

“It’s our responsibility to help nurture them.”

The couple say they are just regular people doing something they love.

“Anyone could do this and there are many people who do,” John Grumbling said.



How to help

Who: Cambria County Children and Youth Services.

Information: 539-7454 or (800) 260-5860.