Monday, July 05, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NEWSMAKERS: Nevada mothers recognized for their dedication to family

Two valley women honored by American Mothers Inc. chosen to represent state at conference in Puerto Rico

2004 Mother of the Year Susan Leavitt in family portrait. 2004 Nevada Young Mother Lori Klopfer with her family.

Many women are mothers. But few can say they are the Mother of the Year.

Lori Klopfer, 34, of North Las Vegas, is the 2004 Nevada Young Mother Representative and Susan Leavitt, 46, of Henderson, is the 2004 Nevada Mother of the Year, honors bestowed May 14 by American Mothers Inc. They also represented Nevada in a weeklong national conference in Puerto Rico in the spring.

To be Nevada's Young Mother Representative, an applicant must be at least 18, married, the mother of at least one child -- not including foster children and stepchildren -- a member of a religious organization and someone striving to improve her mothering skills. Documentation is required including a biography, letters of recommendation from her family, a letter from a member of the clergy and a letter from the chapter president of American Mothers Inc.

Klopfer, a mother of five children aged 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, believes she was chosen as the Young Mother Representative not only because she filled the requirements on paper, but because she developed a reading program at her children's elementary school. She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Utah.

At Cozine Elementary in North Las Vegas, she developed Partners About Literacy, popularly known as PAL. She began by enlisting volunteers, choosing the children best suited for the project and bringing them together to read three days a week.

"I started off by writing letters to all the parents at school," Klopfer said. "I only got six volunteers from that. But then I went to my church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and they have a great women's group there, so I begged the women and got most of the volunteers from there."

She came up with the idea for the group while helping out in her child's third-grade classroom. She ran across a child who could barely read. As PTA president, Klopfer felt she should do something to help not only this child, but many children in need of better reading skills at that level.

"It's an amazing program, and it's under the name of American Mothers Inc., so I am a representative of not only the program, but of Nevada as well," Klopfer said. "I am just so honored they would even consider me."

To be nominated for Nevada Mother of the Year, a woman must demonstrate that she has raised her children to be solid citizens. She also must have four letters of recommendation from her family, a detailed description of the ways each child is achieving his or her potential as a result of the mother's guidance, and be a member of American Mothers Inc.

Leavitt, a mother of four children aged 17, 20, 23 and 25 and a grandmother of a 7-month-old, was nominated by Green Valley Stake President Ken Asay of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Her oldest son, Brandon, 25, lives in Salt Lake City and recently graduated from the University of Utah and plans on attending law school next year. Her daughter, Kari, 23, lives in Boise, Idaho, and is a new mother herself. She also is a graduate in interior design from Brigham Young University.

Chad, 20, was Green Valley High School's class president, helped to create the Teenage Republican Club at school, and is currently serving a two-year church mission in Florida. Her youngest, Ryan, 17, will be class president at Green Valley High School in the fall, and was recently named a delegate for Nevada to the American Legion Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., later this month. All of her sons attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

"It's challenging, but I have a great family and we really work together," Leavitt said. "Nobody's perfect, we have our ups and downs, but we love each other."

She looks at the future with excitement and a bit of sadness.

"I have a year and then my youngest will be gone. ... I'm already feeling a bit of the empty nest," Leavitt said. "I like to look at it as `What am I going to do when I grow up?' "

Leavitt plans on finishing her degree in art, as well as helping to raise her grandchildren. She said not only is it an honor to be nominated for Mother of the Year, but also a big responsibility.

"It's a great honor, I'm just a regular mom," Leavitt said. "I liked what my husband said in his letter: `Susan has always put me and our children first before herself. It's great that everyday moms can be recognized for a job well done.' "

If you know of a worthy candidate for the Newsmakers column, mail information to: Monique Frigard, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070. Send faxes to 383-4676 or send e-mail to mfrigard@reviewjournal.com.