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Of interest to relatives and friends in Drumright, Gary Zumwalt, grandson of Mrs. Emma Zumwalt of Drumright, and his wife, Maura have had the pleasure of having their adoptive daughter, Nicole Gokjee Zumwalt, become an American Citizen.
The Zumwalts who live in Blue Springs, Mo. adopted Nikki after losing their 4 year old daughter to a heart ailment in 1982. They have one son, Eric, who is a seventh grader, but also wanted a daughter. When they decided to adopt, they were told they would have to adopt a child outside of the United States since they were capable of having their own children and wanted a healthy child.
Following a long application process with Children and Family Services of Kansas City, Mo., the Zumwalts eventually made their way to Seoul, South Korea. When they returned home, they had a shy 2 year old Gok Jee Park, which is now Nicole Gokjee Zumwalt.
At her Naturalization Ceremony, Nikki joined 250 other immigrants at the Alameda Plaza Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. Because of her age, authorities waived the requirement to repeat the Naturalizaton Oath and to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mrs. Zumwalt told them Nikki knew the Pledge of Allegiance, as she had learned it in preschool. "You take your citizenship for granted," said Mrs. Zumwalt at the ceremony, adding that taking the Pledge makes citizenship more meaningful.
Nikki can no longer speak Korean, but can still understand it. Instead, she speaks English as well as any other 5 year old. At first they used a lot of sign language with Nikki. It took a lot of patience, but she now can carry on conversations as well as anyone her age.
Gary Zumwalt, Nikki's father, is a graduate of Drumright High School. They thought some of the people might enjoy their story as they have enjoyed having Nikki become a part of their lives.
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