Iowa City man, 93, adopts former foster child, 64

Decades after providing foster care to a 14-year-old, 93-year-old Lee Bevelheimer officially became the father of the now 64-year-old man.

In 1961, Bevelheimer and his wife, Ellen, began running an emergency foster care service out of their Henry County, Ill. home. It was on Christmas Day 1959 that Steve Harland, a runaway, arrived at the home.

While he never left his foster family, Harland also never became an official member. Over the years, Harland moved to Missouri, where he works on a farm. Lee Bevelheimer, his wife dead, moved to Country View Retirement Home in North Liberty.

It was in October that Bevelheimer contacted Harland and told him he wanted to adopt him before he died.

On Monday morning, Bevelheimer and Harland made it official when they appeared before a Johnson County judge and completed the adoption.

-- Associated Press