News & Events
Parker Family Welcomes Back Seven Exchange Students
Posted on 08.27.2009
Dexter's Parker family welcomes back seven exchange students
PUBLISHED: August 20, 2009
Reposted with permission from The Dexter Leader, A Heritage Newspaper
Seven exchange students from all over the world came to be a part of Barb and Jim Parker's anniversary celebration.
It was Dexter's Jim and Barb Parker's 50th wedding anniversary. Surrounding them were their closest friends and family, and seven people who had traveled from all over the world to be a part of their celebration.
From 1970 to 1979, Barb was the local representative for the Youth For Understanding exchange program. She found homes for exchange students and dealt with any problems they had. Barb and Jim and their children Jeff and Jenny hosted 12 exchange students during that time.
In celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary, six of the 12 exchange students made their way back to their second family. One exchange student, who never lived with Barb and Jim, but was affected by their open hearts and open home, made the trip to Michigan as well.
"They are like our children to us," Jim said. "The combination of the 50th and having these people here that we love so much is overwhelming."
For Barb, having all of them here was a dream come true. They had gotten to know all of the exchange students individually, but they'd never all been together before.
"We are so close to most of these kids and it's kind of sad ... that they don't know each other," Barb said.
But when they all met each other for the first time it was like they already knew each other because they had so much in common.
"We have seven different people from seven different countries here and they are all ours," Barb said to the people who came to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
Monica Mation
The Parker's first exchange student was Monica Mation, of Sao Paulo, Brasil, who came to live with them for six months in January 1970. Monica would have come for a full year, but she would have been a year and a half behind in her schooling in Brasil.
Monica started school at Dexter High School, but moved with the Parker family to Owasso, when Jim, who was an executive at Ford, was relocated to Owasso. Monica graduated from Owasso High School.
One of Monica's favorite memories includes going on a sleigh ride, which was a new experience for her. It also was unusual for her to sit on hay. After the sleigh ride she ate marshmallows on a stick, something she never did again.
"It was a once in a lifetime thing," she said.
The Parker's took her to Pennsylvania to see the Hershey factory, which she remembers fondly because she considers herself a chocoholic.
"We saw the swimming pools of chocolate ... I wanted to jump in," she said.
Monica said everything she learned about American literature she learned here. Her English improved a great deal while she was here and that has helped her in her career as an engineer.
Monica, 55, is married to Helvio Mation. They have three children: Camila, 29, Lucas, 25 and Gisela, 22.
"Three days before I came I only knew their names," Monica said. By the time she left, they were family.
Liisa Luostarinen
Liisa Luostarinen, of Outokumpu, Finland lived with the Parker's from 1970 to 1971. She started school in Owasso High School and graduated from Dexter High School, because Ford relocated the Parker family back to Dexter.
Liisa was involved with the girl scouts while she was an exchange student and she was also a girl scout in Finland.
The Parker's taught Liisa how to bowl, something she still does today. Barb recalls her getting on the plane to go back to Finland with a bowling ball. Once Liisa was back in Finland she joined a bowling team.
Liisa, 56, is a health nurse who works with people with dementia.
"I'm doing it from the bottom of my heart," she said. "They need people to fight for them."
Liisa is married to Jorma Luostarinen. They have three children: Sanna, 32, Minna, 30, and Matti, 25. They also have three grandchildren and are expecting their fourth in December.
Her favorite memory of her experience as an exchange student is the Parker family.
"Before I came here I looked at photos and had many good memories. After I looked at the pictures I started dreaming about you in English," Liisa told Barb as they reminisced about their year together.
Noriko Ohata
Noriko Ohata, of Yokohama, Japan, lived with the Parker's from 1971 to 1972 and graduated from Dexter High School.
She remembers what it was like meeting the Parker's for the first time.
"They opened their arms and I walked into them," she said. "I'm Japanese and it's not normal to hug very much ... but it was so natural. Now we do it all the time."
Noriko refers to her year as an exchange student as the start of her life. Her self-confidence grew and the Parker's love for her helped her aspire to do great things.
"After I came here I decided to be a doctor," she said.
Noriko, 55, is a general practioner and the CEO of Hoshikawa Medical and Surgical Clinic. She's married to Toshiyasu Ohata and they have three boys: Yoshki, 27, Tomoro, 24 and Yasuhiro, 22. She said she Americanized them by hugging them.
"I'm thankful to them (Barb and Jim) and all of my life," Noriko said. "I should be here because I'm one of this family."
Lieve Denollet
Lieve Denollet, of Antwerp, Belgium, lived with the Parker's from 1972 to 1973. While she was a student at Dexter High School she was involved in the drama club, took journalism and painting and worked on the school newspaper.
"Mom and dad overwhelmed me with a whole new concept of what your culture is like," she said. "From fishing, to camping, to late, late movies. Any idea you could possibly have before you arrived here were broken."
Her experience as an exchange student forever changed her.
"You will never as a person be the same," she said. "It stays there like a stamp; it will never go away."
Lieve said Barb and Jim are more than parents and her favorite thing about them is "their complete honesty."
Lieve, 54, is a literature teacher and is married to Dirk Vanhoeck. They have two children: Roel, 31 and Maarten, 29 and one grandchild.
Annegret Walther
Annegret Walther, of Bern, Switzerland lived with the Parker's from 1974 to 1975. Her favorite memory of her year in Dexter is "the hugs and the attention I got here," she said.
When she thinks of Barb and Jim her favorite memory of them was just watching them together. "Seeing them sitting in the living room together, mom doing some knitting ... and talking to me ... dad reading the newspaper."
"That has been one of the most important, memorable years of my life," Annegret said.
Annegret learned a lot from the Parker's but the one thing she took away from her experience was "to have an open heart, an open mind to accept people how they are and not by what they have."
Annegret, 52, is a biomedical scientist. She is married to Martin Walther and they have two children: Florian, 24 and Barbara, 22.
Annegret and Martin are in the middle of a 4,500 mile bicycle trip across the United States. They'd been planning on doing the bike trip for years and saw their opportunity when they were invited to the anniversary celebration.
They flew from Switzerland to Vancouver, Wash., rode their bicycles from Vancouver to Bellingham, Wash., and ended up in Fargo, North Dakota, where they left their bikes and rented a car to drive to the retirement party. They will drive back to Fargo, get back on their bikes and ride to Boston, Mass. They plan on getting there by Oct. 9.
"This bike trip just proves once more that this is my second home," she said. "To belong to this family, it's so wonderful."
Oscar Lozano
Oscar Lozano, of Cali, Columbia, stayed with the Parker's from 1977 to 1978. He was a member of the drama club, Spanish club and running club at Dexter High School.
"When I came here I didn't speak a word of English," Oscar said. "This beautiful family took me and tried to teach me."
From the first day he came to live with them they were a family.
"I call them mom and dad since the first day," he said. "I cannot call them Jim and Barb."
He said his experience "was totally life changing." He became close with Barb and Jim's son Jeff, who he calls his brother.
"I learned that the world is not a small spot. It's something bigger than that," he said. "In one way or another we're the same. The one thing we have in common is love."
"After I went home I was changed," he said. "I was more mature; I knew what I wanted. I knew I would have this family for the rest of my life."
Oscar, 48, is the owner of the restaurant Yerbabuena in Columbia. He said he is single and enjoying life.
Joachim Steinig
Joachim Steinig, of Oldenburg, Germany, lived with a family in Dexter from 1971 to 1972 and had a close relationship with Barb and Jim. He has kept in touch with them since he was an exchange student and attended their anniversary celebration.
"If it weren't for them I wouldn't have had a positive experience here," he said. They are beautiful, lovely people."
All seven exchange students surprised Jim and Bard by singing a verse from John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" song at the anniversary party.
"(Mom and dad) we don't want to go, but we'll promise we'll be back," Oscar said at the end of their performa
