During the thirty years we broadcast Monday's Child on WBIR, Bill Williams introduced about 1500 children, in the hope that they would find permanent homes.
Many of them did, including a group of five youngsters that we first met in 1981-- Lisa, Peggy, David, Marie and Danny, ranging in age from 5 to 12.
Bill caught up with them and their adoptive parents, Fred and Diane Mundt, as the celebrated the Mundt's 50th wedding anniversary, and they looked back on the time they became a family.
David remembers that day.
"I was wearing cowboy boots at the time," he said. "I wanted to be part of a family, a whole family."
The Mundts already had three children – birth children, Beth and Michael – and Doug, who had been adopted, and he remembers seeing the five kids on Monday's Child.
"Mom was cooking dinner, me and Dad were doing homework on the couch and she came out and she said, 'I want to call on the kids'," said Doug.
And she did, and that was the answer to dreams and prayers of Marie, the oldest one of the five.
"From the time I was little until we were adopted I was like we have to stay together," Marie said.
At that time the five kids were in three different foster homes. Then the Mundts came into their lives.
"They were the ones we went to visit, we saw them, they took us and that was the end of that. And here we are however many years later," said Marie, living what she agreed was a beautiful life.
So the Mundt family doubled in size, and has since grown exponentially.
There were two more adoptions, one formal, one informal, and now there are 10 children, 26 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
They came to the anniversary celebration from all over the country and from as far away as Denmark. It was the first time in 20 years that all the Mundt children were back together.
All parties come with cake, and this one served a dual purpose- as an anniversary and wedding cake. Fred and Diane didn't have one 50 years ago, when they eloped.
Each of the 10 kids expressed their thanks and their love to their parents.
"Our parents have always focused on family. It didn't matter who you were, they still treated you like family. As far as their concerned everyone is family and family has always come first," said Beth.
Son Michael Mundt revealed what he said was the secret to his parents 50 years of marriage.
"The first one to file for divorce had to take all the kids," he joked.
"It's been a real trip. It's been fun, it's been challenging at times, it's been a great experience. I don't think we would trade it for anything," said Fred.
The Mundts. A huge family. A family that Fred and Diane say were made complete with the addition of five Monday's Children.
