Merle & Ernest Bean

Fourteen days after their high school graduation, Merle and Ernest began their life together. “I was pregnant with our first baby when Ernest was drafted and sent to Vietnam. We didn’t have a phone or television – we didn’t have anything,” remembers Merle. “I had to figure out how to get by.”

Fortunately, Ernest returned from Vietnam, and over the next few years they added three more children to their family. “I always wanted 12 kids,” laughs Merle. “Seriously, I wanted 12 children! So we started looking into fostering.” The Beans held a family meeting to discuss the possibility with their kids. “We told them that they would have to share their rooms, their toys and even us, but the kids were all for it.”

Over the next 20 years, the Beans cared for 80 foster children. Some stayed for a few days; others a few years.

In 1990, Merle and Ernest welcomed two-year-old Michael into their home. His mother had been murdered, and he was placed in foster care temporarily by the man who represented himself as his father (Floyd). Eventually DNA proved that Michael was not his biological child, and after four years in their custody, the Beans began formal adoption proceedings. However, in 1994, Michael was abducted from school by Floyd and never seen again. He is presumed dead.

“After this happened, I couldn’t imagine taking another child, but DHS asked me to go visit an infant at a nearby hospital,” said Merle. “We were told that she would never walk or talk and she was not expected to live more than a year. But she did learn to talk, and she blessed our lives, and everyone she came into contact with before passing away at the age of seven.”

Opening their hearts and home to so many children never diminished the love that Merle and Ernest have for each other. If anything, the children strengthened their bond and commitment. “All of these children simply wanted to be loved,” said Ernest. “It didn’t matter how tough or difficult they were, we were determined to show them love.”

After 40 years, the Beans still radiate their love for each other. “We have a saying: SIDLY. It stands for ‘See, I do love you,’” explains Ernest. “We’ve been leaving notes for each other in random places signed SIDLY for years. It’s been our way of reminding the other that they are loved.”