Tomah Journal - Printable Version

Story originally printed in the Tomah Journal or online at www.tomahjournal.com

Published - Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Adoption: Benefit to aid in family's legal costs

Archie and Kimberly Eckelberg were asked to take in three young girls in 2004. After several court battles, their adoptions became legal on Feb. 27, 2008.

Because of the extraordinary circumstances, however, the Eckelberg’s accumulated large lawyer fees during the process.

“The biological parents didn’t want to release their parental rights, but they didn’t want to be parents,” Kimberly Eckelberg said. “After a two-year battle, we have had success.”

A benefit will be held on April 5 at the Bible Evangelical Free Church at 625 W. Veterans Street to help the Eckelberg’s recover from the high lawyer costs. The benefit will last from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., and will include a spaghetti dinner, bake sale, silent auction, raffles and vendors, Eckelberg said.

The Eckelberg’s also have a daughter and son ages 23 and 19. In 2004, they were contacted by the grandmother of the three girls who was looking for a new home for them. The girls came to Tomah from Florida in December of 2004, and in May of 2005, the Eckelberg’s were granted guardianship of Kellee, who is now five years old, Asha, 4, and Bethany, 3.

The case went all the way to the Wisconsin Supreme Court before the adoption was officially made legal last month.

“This wasn’t something we were searching to do,” Eckelberg said. “It just happened, and it has blessed our lives in ways we never thought possible.”