Western Kentucky woman opens doors to children in need of home

By LEIGH LANDINI WRIGHT
The Paducah Sun
MURRAY, Ky. (AP) — Activity abounds inside Teresa and Joe Speed’s western Kentucky home every day and night.

With seven children ranging from 7 to 19, someone always has a school project, a ball game or something going on. Besides a house filled with children, Teresa Speed’s grown daughter and her children live behind them. Counted together, Speed has 12 children and 15 grandchildren, and that’s not counting the 486 Murray High School students who feel comfortable enough to walk into the principal’s office for a dose of motherly advice or encouragement.

Speed gave birth to four children in 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980 with her first husband. When she married Joe 15 years ago, he already had a 3-year-old son, and her three daughters and a son were teenagers. Like many couples with children from previous marriages, their house was filled with yours and mine, but not an ours. Since Speed had already undergone a hysterectomy, she didn’t think they could add to their family.

Yet, they have. As Speed’s older children — Candie, Jamie, Miranda and Matthew — began leaving the nest, she opened their home to a cousin’s child whose father had died and whose mother couldn’t care for him. His stay planted the idea that their family wasn’t complete, and they enrolled in training to become foster and adoptive parents. The training lasted for three hours a day for 10 weeks. If they offered their home for foster care, those children could be placed with them if the courts terminated the biological parents’ rights.

The state approved the Speeds as foster parents on May 1, 1998. By the end of the month, they had opened their home to Stephen and Maria. As they adjusted to a fuller house, the call came asking if they could take in a 2 1/2-year-old and an 8-month-old.

The baby later died at 21 months, leaving a hole in the family and in Speed’s heart. Their son, Michael Joe, began praying for a new baby brother.

“We trusted the Lord through that,” she said. “I have to say that we grew through that.”
In October, they received another call asking if they could find room in their home. The social worker told them that the 5-week-old baby came with baggage. Baffled, Speed asked what the social worker meant.

The social worker replied that the baby had a 20-month-old brother and a 35-month-old sister.

“I said, I’ll have to call you back,”’ she recalled. “Joe, you said we could have one more child, and this is three. This is three kids, and I’m 43.”

He told her to call back and take the children. After 15 months, the rights of the children’s biological parents were terminated.

“That’s our seven,” she said. “I’ve had six students live with me since that time.”

Her children range from the third grade to high school senior. She’ll even be allowed to call Jesse’s name on May 23 as he walks across the stage at Lovett Auditorium as he graduates from Murray High.

“It’s a whirlwind, but I love every minute of it,” she said. “We never get the laundry caught up. It’s been such a blessing.”

The Speeds try to divide household chores and homework duties. The older children — Jesse, 19; Maria, 16; and Steven, 14 — help with the younger children — Michael, 12; Zandaleigha, 10; Thomas, 9, and Jayden, 7.

Jesse, a high school senior, plays two sports; Maria, a junior, plays two sports, and Steven, an eighth-grader, plays three sports and is in the band. Zandaleigha, Thomas and Jayden also play sports. With all the constant activity, Speed deemed June and July for family time, including Vacation Bible School at Pryorsburg Community Fellowship Church, which her father founded in 1976.

Speed’s high school-age children know they have to set an example of respect for their classmates. Jesse, the son who graduates later this month, has never had detention and missed only two days during his high school career. He’s never late, either.

“He knows if he gets in trouble at school, he gets in trouble at home,” she said.
She tells her children they must follow three mandates: follow the rules, do their work and show respect. They realize that she’ll talk to their teachers if the need arises because she wants the best for them. She doesn’t accept zeros on papers for her children or for any of the other 484 students.

At first, Maria Speed didn’t want her mother to know every little detail of her life when she began high school. Now a junior, Maria likes having her mother close by for daily chats in her office, and as an easy source for lunch money.

Maria and Jesse are amazed at their mother’s constant energy level with her daily job as principal and athletic director coupled with her role as mom at home.

“I think she prays a lot,” Maria said.

“I think God has put her here for a reason,” Jesse said.

And her loving concern spreads to the rest of the students.

They’re not afraid to stop by her office and offer updates on projects or simply say hello.

“I really do love the kids,” she said. “They’ve been good to me. They treat me so well.”