The Family: Home for Christmas

When Donald and Jean Meyers were married some 20 years ago, they wanted to have at least a dozen children. It didn't work out that way; two girls were born to them, and they adopted two boys. This week, though, they sat down to Christmas dinner 15 strong.

The nine new Meyers children—five daughters and four sons ranging in age from 13 to two—had their last Christmas with their mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Baker, at their home in Battle Lake. Minn. Three weeks later they were orphans, when the Bakers' pickup truck flipped over and killed both parents. In Charlotte, N.C.. Donald, an executive at the local plant of the Celanese Corp.. read the newspaper account of the accident and at once knew what to do. His wife quickly agreed. "There is room for them here—in our home and in our hearts." the Meyers told their local priest, and asked him to negotiate with Catholic Charities to see if the Meyers could adopt all nine of the children.

The Baker children arrived at Charlotte airport last week and met their new parents, brothers and sisters for the first time. "If those children were put in the world together, they should stay together," said Jean Meyers, who deprecated suggestions that she was doing a wonderful thing. "We aren't being wonderful," she insisted. ''We need children. We want these children. We are going to have a lot of fun." Then the Meyers family unbelievably squeezed into a single car and drove home to get ready for Christmas.