Mary and Rosalind,

Here is the story and a photo. Another picture is on the way. Send me your addresses and I can send you a paper copy.

Thanks for all your help.

Dawn Bormann

From a year to remember, a bond that endures forever; Germans pay silent tribute at graves of their one-time hosts The Kansas City Star By dawn bormann Source: Neighborhood, Wed. September 21, 2005. Long before Lt. Gen. Hans-Otto Budde attained the title of chief of staff for the German army, he learned a valuable lesson in international relations. The lesson didn't come from a military textbook or seminar. It was rooted in the friendship of a Mission couple who opened their home to a little-known major, his wife, Gesina, and their two children. The family met Ted and Mary "May" Lewton when the young international officer attended the Command and General Staff Course at Fort Leavenworth in 1982-83. Last week, the Johnson County couple would have sat in a reserved section watching proudly as Budde, a senior German military general, was inducted into the highly regarded International Officers Hall of Fame at Fort Leavenworth . Instead, Gesina Budde wiped tears from her eyes as she placed flowers next to the Lewtons' gravesite Wednesday at Leavenworth National Cemetery . "We were very close," her husband said as he looked out over lines of simple white grave markers. "It was very important for us to show up and see their graves." Ted died in 2002; May in 2004. Both were 87. The couple never had their own children, but they are recognized by families across the world as "surrogate grandparents," said cousin Rosalind Patterson. Twenty-two years ago, the Lewtons welcomed the German family as they embarked on a foreign world. The Lewtons offered advice and a lifelong friendship. "They were the American grandparents," Gesina Budde said. Ted Lewton, a World War II veteran, taught Hans about baseball. "I'm one of those rare Germans who understands baseball," Hans said, still remembering their conversations about the Royals. "In those days, George Brett was the hero." May Lewton provided tickets to the children's theater and offered the family's backyard swimming pool as a retreat. The children, ages 3 and 5 then, relished the visits, the couple said. They learned some of their first English words by speaking obedience commands to the couple's dogs. The families kept in touch through letters, occasional visits and phone calls. When they learned of May Lewton's death in December, they knew their next visit would include a graveside visit to say goodbye. "We were very close and we love them," Hans-Otto Budde said. Patterson said the couple welcomed foreign visitors into their home and heart on a continual basis. The couple sponsored German officers attending Fort Leavenworth classes for years. They also hosted student nurses from the Philippines and Japanese visitors who came to Kansas City through the sister-city program. May Lewton volunteered at the Red Cross, People to People of Greater Kansas City and spent more than 20 years volunteering at the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City. The institute employees remember the couple often hosted military families traveling coast-to-coast by car. The Lewtons provided a bed and hot meal for those passing through, said Lola Vanschoelandt, who works at the Rehabilitation Institute. On any given holiday, Patterson said, there were always visitors waiting to taste delicately prepared goose. More than two decades after the Budde family's year at Fort Leavenworth , they still cherish the memories they collected. Gesina Budde wipes tears from her eyes and mentions a family spoon that had been passed on to her. "She was indeed a lady," Gesina Budde said. "And he a gentleman," her husband adds. To reach Dawn Bormann , call (816) 234-5992 or send e-mail to dbormann@kcstar.com . Back to Previous Page