Several months ago, I asked you to nominate a local inspiring couple or individual to win a complimentary photo session. I always love hearing the stories of love and inspiration that pour in; what I did not expect was for my inbox to be flooded with the same two names over and over again: Don and Jan Chapman.
I am fairly new to Anna, but even so, these were still familiar names to me. Although I had not had the pleasure of meeting them, I knew that this was a couple that ran the local food bank, The Lord’s Warehouse, out of their own home. What I did not know was the amazing backstory this inspiring couple has shared for the past 60 years.
Don and Jan Chapman grew up in small towns just 8 miles away from each other in rural Oklahoma. Don was born and raised in Alfalfa, a small community halfway between Corn and Cob. He lived the farm life, rising at 4 am each day to milk the cows and slop the pigs before catching the 7 am school bus. Every day at 5 pm, he would return home to gather the eggs and milk the cows again. Being an athlete, he often had to run the 4 miles back to school in the evenings to play ball–baseball was his personal favorite.
Meanwhile, Jan was 8 miles away, raised by her mother on just $35 a month. Although she didn’t always own all the things the other girls had (she personally longed for the poodle skirts, shiny Oxfords and a new TV), Jan still described herself as being spoiled. Even so, it was these humble beginnings that both Don and Jan credited with helping them become the people they would be. Don described the cellar in his boyhood home as being stocked for two years in case of crop failure. He would often see his parents take food from the cellar to give to neighbors in need.
Don and Jan met at a service station in Carnegie, OK through a mutual friend. They went on their first date to a little country town drive-in on September 24, 1958. Dan proposed in a cotton field, and less than three months later they married on December 19. Over the next 60 years, Don and Jan continued to live a life of service to others. As their daughter described in a letter to me:
“Their home has always been a refuge for those in need. During the earlier years of their marriage they gave a home to troubled youth who needed a place to land and gave temporary housing to homeless families.
During the 1980’s and the SouthEast Asian refugee crisis, they sponsored many displaced Vietnamese and Laotian refugee families, helping them to embark on a new life in the United States. For years, Jan gave up her days to teach ESL classes to Vietnamese and Lao children (and many adults) have called them “MamaJan” and “PapaDon” over the years.
Their work with refugee children led to the adoption of one Vietnamese son and permanent fostering of a sibling group of 5 Vietnamese children who still call them mom and dad.
After raising their own family of two biological children and six adopted children, their desire to help was not diminished. Although they no longer give homes to the homeless, they do use their home to provide space for a food pantry that, with the help of other volunteers, provides food for those in the Anna community who are in need.”
When describing the food pantry they currently run, Don and Jan spoke most of all about community. “This should be a community. We want to see people share what they have and watch it grow. We are meant to take care of each other. There is always someone down the road poorer than you.”
Don and Jan, thank you so much for everything you have done and are doing for this community. I loved every minute of getting to know you better–from the tiny unique details of your home, to the immense amount of pride you take in each other (Jan, did you know that Don called me up after our interview to tell me about the Medal of Honor you received from the DAR for your work with helping refugee children become citizens? He is so proud of you and said you would be too humble to ever mention it to me), you have both inspired countless individuals to live more selfless lives. Thank you for the ways you consistently look to others and for the legacy you are leaving. Thank you for graciously answering all of my questions and for allowing me to capture these 60th anniversary photos for you. Much love to you both.
Christina Freeman is a lifestyle photographer based in Anna, TX. She specializes in photographing families, newborns and children in Collin County including Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Princeton, Farmersville, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs. Send an email to christinafreemanphotography@gmail.com or call her at 940-453-4962 to start a conversation today!