YORK COUNTY, Pa. — The Four Chaplains Memorial of York County will host its 31st annual prayer breakfast on Wednesday, May 10.
As they've done for years, the non-profit will award scholarships to local high school students who attended Alexander D. Goode Elementary School in York.
Additionally, they will present two Legion of Honor Awards to York County natives who have served others. One of these recipients is Sandra Lee Kearse-Stockton.
The house and street where Kearse-Stockton grew up in York is long gone, replaced by a park along the Codorus Creek. However, the memories of her childhood remain.
"Back in the day, we didn't have playgrounds. Our street was our playground and everybody's mom was the watchdog. There was always someone's mom sitting on the front porch on Codorus Street, so you couldn't get away with too many things," Stockton remembered.
Her life went on to include a thirty-year career in the military, first as an airman in the U.S. Air Force, then as a U.S. Army officer overseeing men and women in nursing.
"I think I did well. I was a good leader [and] people respected me. My soldiers respected me. I never had a problem," she recalled.
When Stockton retired in 1994 as a lieutenant colonel, she and her husband then took on the role of foster parents.
Over the years they helped more than 100 children.
"We had a big house. All of our kids were gone, out of the house, married or living with significant others and not at home. So we have this big old five-bedroom house," she told FOX43. "I mean there is always room for one more. There just is."
Those experiences and expertise led her to write a book on the topic of foster parenting, along with three other books about her life's story.
"I couldn't tell my whole story in one book, it’s too much. So then I went on to book[s] two and three. I'm done now, there are no more books," she added.
Stockton's commitment to her community and country earned her this year's Legion of Honor award from the Four Chaplains Memorial of York County.
The organization recognizes the heroism of the four chaplains who gave up their life jackets to save others when the S.S. Dorchester was torpedoed during World War II.
One of the four chaplains was York Rabbi Alexander D. Goode.
For over thirty years the group has provided scholarship money to local students and the Legion of Honor award to those who serve others.
Stockton is thrilled at the award. "I'm fricking excited!" she told FOX43. "I couldn't believe it when they called me. I said, 'Oh my god.' I'm overjoyed. I'm just so happy!"
The Four Chaplains Memorial of York County prayer breakfast will be held on May 10 at the Wyndham Garden in York.