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Kathy Borlik<\/span> Eveline O\u2019Neal<\/strong> turned 87 on Sunday, March 22. She expected Saturday, March 21 \u2014 the day for the big celebration \u2014 would be a family day with people coming and going. Lots of food. Hugs and stories.<\/p>\n She said she couldn\u2019t estimate how many guests would be there. She would be ready for all the love and well wishes. It could easily be\u00a0houseful of people. Children, grandchildren and 58 foster children.<\/p>\n Yes, 58 foster children. She keeps a list of the children sitting on her kitchen table \u2014 just to help keep track. She started this mission of love in 1979 and her last foster was in 2015.<\/p>\n Many of the foster children are in the area. She treasures them. They call her Big Mama or Grandma.<\/p>\n Eveline sat in her southwest side kitchen recently recounting her life and the children. She helped them through good and bad times.<\/p>\n \u201cThe best part of it all is that all of them returned to their families,” she said. “A mother got her life together, started working again and the children went home. Other times, it was a grandparent, uncle or aunt who took them back. I told family members that they always had to be involved with the children.\u201d<\/p>\n She couldn\u2019t say anything specific about situations and working with the Department of Child Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe important part was we gave them love. And stability,\u201d she said. \u201cWe never saw color. We were only here to help the children. We never had drama in this house.\u201d<\/p>\n Jenny Lesher<\/strong> is one of the mothers. She had a set of twins, Montell<\/strong> and Maurell<\/strong>, and a little brother, Myron<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cEveline took them when they were 18 months old,” Jenny said. “Myron was a month old. She never treated any child differently. She never judged them. She supported me emotionally.\u201d<\/p>\n Eventually, Eveline adopted Jenny\u2019s three sons.<\/p>\n \u201cThe boys had two mothers \u2014 me and Eveline,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cShe gave them a strong upbringing, a good start.\u201d<\/p>\n The two mothers worked together to get justice for Montell<\/a>, who was shot and killed in\u00a0September 2021<\/a>. He was 24. \u201cShe helped me to handle the grief of losing a child,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cShe has a heart of gold.\u201d<\/p>\n Eveline was originally from Natchez, Mississippi. She married Julius O\u2019Neal Jr.<\/strong> in 1955 and came to\u00a0South Bend a year later. They had two companies, trucking and excavation. Eveline had a daycare. They had five children, Julius III<\/strong>, Darnell<\/strong>,\u00a0Brenda<\/strong>, Janice<\/strong> and Andrea<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Julius Jr. died in 1998. Julius III died in 2015.<\/p>\n Eveline said her four living children have been foster parents for a number of years.<\/p>\n \u201cThe apples didn\u2019t fall from the tree,” she said. “We are a close-knit family. The fosters were added to our family.\u201d<\/p>\n Made it complete.<\/p>\n How did this all start?<\/p>\n \u201cMy cousin was doing foster care and she suggested I try it,” Eveline said. “She said I was already a good parent.\u00a0I filled out the forms and got licensed. That was 1979.\u201d<\/p>\n The calls would come in the middle of the night or anytime. \u201cMy husband said yes to the call with the twins, Montell and Maurell. They were little and so cute,\u201d she said, showing a photo of the boys from back then.<\/p>\n \u201cMy husband said the twins would be good for me and I wouldn\u2019t be alone,\u201d she said. Eveline believes her husband had a notion that the children would help her after his death. They did.<\/p>\n She said the foster children stayed from a few months to several years.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce in a while, a grown foster will stop by,” she said. “I always have extra cereal and milk. The foster will say nothing has changed in all these years.\u201d<\/p>\n It is comforting to them to know things don\u2019t need to change.<\/p>\n Eveline said she tells people to step up and help children if a foster situation happens to come. \u201cYou never know about what they are going through, if there is a bad marriage. People just don\u2019t know. But you don\u2019t want to fail the children.\u201d<\/p>\n Jenny said there were always children there. No matter what, the house was never chaotic. \u201cThey were all well-behaved and followed the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n Eveline lives with Myron, and a granddaughter, Shanda O\u2019Neal. Son Darnell comes by for a cup of coffee every day and they chat about the little and big things in life.<\/p>\n Looking back, what would you change?<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,” she said. “I wouldn’t change a thing. It was a blessing to have those children in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Now for that birthday. Her expectations for the party included lots of family, a cake and \u201cbig-headed hundreds.\u201d That means the $100 bill with a big image of Benjamin Franklin.<\/p>\n \u201cThey ask me what I want, and that\u2019s it \u2014 just the money.\u201d<\/p>\n She had a big laugh about the potential gifts.<\/p>\n
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