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explorer of the“neighborwood” (2wds
of inner orderliness that I would not have had otherwise, given the circumstances of my upbringing,” he notes. “It may sound overdramatic, but I do not think that I would have survived my childhood if it had not been for Hephzibah.”
Elkins suspected that there were other former residents who shared his enduring fondness for “this wonderful place” and believed that many of them would appreciate an invitation to return to Hephzibah for a reunion weekend. So in May 2007—during a visit to Oak Park with his wife, Kathleen— he proposed the idea to Hephzibah’s board of directors. The board’s approval was enthusiastic and unanimous.
Elkins immediately began working with Hephzibah staff to set a date for the event, track down former residents and organize the first reunion since Mary Wessels had founded Hephzibah Home in 1897.
But records were spotty for some decades— and finding his fellow alumni proved to be more challenging than he’d anticipated. During one discouraging week, he sent out four emails, only to have three of them bounce back marked “undeliverable.”
Unwilling to give up on the idea of a reunion, he redoubled his efforts, doggedly combing through old files and conducting Internet searches to find current addresses. His determined search for other “Hephzibah kids”—which eventually turned up more than two dozen former residents—was fueled by a deep personal need to “return to his roots.”
“I felt a need to reconnect with the place in a more meaningful way than simply coming back and looking around,” he explained to Wednesday Journal reporter Marty Stempniak during an interview for a Summer 2007 article about the upcoming reunion. “I suppose it was the sentimentality of an old man, but I wanted to relive my childhood in some fashion, find out more about my Hephzibah years and learn about the life experiences of my fellow Hephzibah Home alumni.”
By Fall 2007, the 76-year-old’s dream of a Hephzibah Homecoming was finally within reach. For one emotional weekend in October, Elkins and 24 other former residents returned to their childhood haven to share their memories of Hephzibah and reconnect with a place that would always feel like home in their hearts. The weekend was so successful that staff members immediately began planning the next homecoming celebration.
The following year, Elkins received the Heart of the Home Award at our 2008 Heart of Gold Ball for his efforts to reunite the former residents of Hephzibah Home.
But, even as he was being recognized for his past contributions, he had another project in the pipeline: a written history featuring the recollections of residents who had lived at Hephzibah Home in the decades between 1930 and 2000.
“In June 2008, as I began to outline the book, I wrote: ‘I have begun my life’s work,’” he recalls. “Later, I realized that those were almost the exact words that Hephzibah founder Mary Wessels had used in 1897 when she wrote to a friend: ‘I have begun my work. I have two boys, ages 6 and 7.’”
True to his nature as a career academic, the retired college professor was meticulous about his research, contacting former residents and their families, who sent him their stories; poring over “mountains of material” dating back to Hephzibah’s founding in 1897; and reading decades worth of board-meeting minutes to gain a better understanding of the societal shifts that drove Hephzibah’s evolution from a 19thcentury orphanage to the comprehensive child care and child welfare organization that it is today.
“When I was writing Hephzibah’s history, I was struck by the fact that—of the five male Hephzibah Home alumni I interviewed for the book—one became a policeman, another became a career military man and two of us became teachers,” he points out. “I think that says something about the safety, stability and security that life at Hephzibah afforded us.”
By 2009, Elkins’s labor of love was printed, bound and published.
“Hephzibah’s Children: 1930 to 2000 tells the story of how an old-fashioned orphanage responded to seismic changes in social policy and local child care codes,” he noted in the book’s introduction. “It shows how Hephzibah grew from the kindness of one woman sheltering two orphaned boys into a children’s association that offers a wide array of programs—including group homes,
daycare, foster care, adoption and family services—for countless children and their families.” While Elkins was preserving Hephzibah’s past, he was also planning for its future by naming Hephzibah as the beneficiary of a bequest in his will. “I treasure the gift that Hephzibah gave me, which was the gift of hope,” he explained in 2015 when he and his wife, Kathleen, notified Hephzibah about their planned gift. “I wanted to return that gift by helping to ensure that Hephzibah can provide as much security, hope and happiness for children in the future as it did for me and my sister back in the 1930s.” In October 2020—as our anniversary approached and we began to reflect on Hephzibah’s 125-year legacy of helping children thrive and families flourish—we reached out to Elkins via Zoom to learn more about Hephzibah’s lasting impact on his life. “As one of many Hephzibah kids, my proudest achievement by far is not what I accomplished in my career, but that I was able to break the chain of family dysfunction and give my daughter the safety, security, stability, caring, constancy and fairness that I found only at Hephzibah during my own childhood,” he confided. When asked about his hopes for Hephzibah’s future, his answer was a simple but powerful one: “My hope is that Hephzibah will always be here to provide a safe haven—because there will always be children and families who need a place like this.” Keith Elkins, PhD,and his daughter, Julie, during a visit to Hephzibah Home in 2007. At the end of the Zoom interview, we had a surprise in store for this alumnus, benefactor and friend: a chorus of happy 89th birthday wishes from our executive director and the “I treasure the gift Hephzibah gave me, children now living at Hephzibah Home. “Happy birthday, Keith!” said Hephzibah Executive Director Merry Beth Sheets, her which was the gift of hope.” face lighting up with a huge smile. “You are such an integral part of our history and KEITH ELKINS our legacy here at Hephzibah. You are so important to us!” Sheets’ birthday greeting was followed by a chorus of happy birthday wishes from a new generation of happy, healthy “Hephzibah Home kids.” As the youngsters held their hand-drawn and colored birthday cards up to the computer’s camera and shouted, “Happy Birthday, Keith!” one by one—Elkins was visibly moved and momentarily at a loss for words. “Oh, that’s wonderful!!” he managed to say as he savored the best birthday present ever from the happiest childhood home that he had ever known.
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New Madison Street location for longtime Thai restaurant
By MELISSA ELSMO
Forest Park Eats
Upon entering Yum Thai’s new location, 7330 Madison St., Forest Park, guests are greeted by a flock of celestial blessing swans swirling around the well-appointed dining room. Wood carvings of this style famously adorn temple roofs in Northern Thailand. The swans symbolize good fortune and signify the lifting of prayers to heaven. The collection of replica carvings inside Yum Thai are representative of Valaiporn Pinyo-Nowlan’s journey from young student craving the foods of her homeland to confident Forest Park restaurant owner and chef.
Born in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, Pinyo-Nowlan, known to many as Vicky, emigrated to the United States in 1994 to study English. Though she always dreamed of coming to America, she barely ate anything after her arrival.
“It was culture shock I think,” said Pinyo-Nowlan, “I just couldn’t eat anymore corn. I missed strong flavored foods and spicy dishes so much. My host family was worried about me and took me to Yum Thai in Forest Park.”
There, in the restaurant she would own two decades later, Pinyo-Nowlan savored familiar dishes and finally relaxed. She began cooking her mother’s recipes in her host family’s kitchen twice a week and visited Yum Thai as often as possible. She stopped in when she was on her way to and from classes so frequently that the owner ultimately offered her a job. She thought she would be working for food, but they paid her $5 an hour plus tips to wait tables two nights a week.
“I thought I was the richest girl in the world,” said Pinyo-Nowlan. “We were not a wealthy family in Thailand and the job made me feel free. When the cook made something, he knew I loved like Mee Krob, he would set some aside for me in a little white bowl. That food brought me back to my hometown.”
During the years she worked at Baisi Thai, Pinyo-Nowlan and her husband John would venture back to Forest Park to dine at Yum Thai to enjoy the authentic dishes that reminded her of home. In 2013, decades after Pinyo-Nowlan’s first Yum Thai meal, the couple purchased the restaurant when the owners announced they were looking to retire.
“John made my dreams come true and he worked three jobs to make sure we would be OK,” said Pinyo-Nowlan. “I perfected all of my recipes and made sure all of my customers entered the land of the smile when they came to Yum Thai.”
In time the owners’ personalized service, attention to detail and home-style dishes cultivated an intensely loyal customer base that sustained their business in Yum Thai’s original location for years. After surviving the pandemic, however, the owners learned their landlord was looking to sell the building and knew they needed to find a new home for their restaurant in Forest Park.
“I love Forest Park,” said the passionate restaurant owner. “The people who work at city hall are my customers, the police and fire fighters are my customers. This village made my dreams come true.”
When the space at 7730 Madison Street become available the couple decided to remodel the space and relocate their restaurant. Construction took four months, but with the help of artists and designers Pinyo-Nowlan managed to build her dream restaurant. She is now welcoming the customers she calls her “angels” into her intimate dining room with wood paneled walls and red accents. She and her staff are hoping to update their kitchen equipment in time to help increase their speed but are already back to whipping up more than 2,000 crab rangoon a week and serving a noteworthy array of authentic Northern and Southern Thai curries. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com
