Tulsa Mother Uses Son's Drawings To Help Other Children

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Why would a mother save copies of her son's pencil drawings for more than 40 years?

Well, she did it because somehow she knew some day they'd be useful. She plans to use them to help other kids.

Grace Boeger is looking through some drawings her son, Fred, made more than 40 years ago. She's saved them all these years.

"Boy, these would make a good coloring book," she said.

That's what she and her husband said back then. So they made copies of his pencil drawings before he colored them and now she plans to use them to help other kids.

"It's something I wanted to do," she said. "It's needed because these children don't have anything."

She says foster children and kids living in shelters make her sad so she contacted the Department of Human Services and Domestic Violence Intervention Services to see what they thought. She says they loved the idea. DHS even said they'd provide the crayons.

"This is a gift and they probably don't get many gifts," Boeger said.

All of her son's drawings had wheels. Big trucks, trains and airplanes, lots of wheels.

"Look where you are going look left and right, or you'll end up as a sad sorry sight," Boeger read.

Over the years she's added little verses to give each of the drawings a bit of a story.

"He drew these all until he was in junior high," she said.

Fred, whose little boy drawings are being assembled into an activity book to help other kids is now a successful mechanical engineer living and working in Wichita.

"He doesn't even remember he did these," Boeger said.

But of course she remembered them and kept them because she knew as only mother's do, someday they'd be useful, maybe important.

"I think it's a worthwhile project, and I'm glad to be able to do it," she said.

Grace didn't ask the News On 6 for any help, but she's doing this project with mostly her own money. She's printing 500 copies of this 60 page activity book.

If you'd like to help you can contact her through the University Village Retirement community.