Kelli, Representative Merritt and Ricki Kruse
"He's been like a father to me," said the 36 year-old Spring Hill resident whose family has known the Merritt family since before she was born.
The ARC of Gregg County is a nonprofit organization devoted to expanding opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The ARC supports families, promotes education and provides opportunity.
Through a tragic sequence of events, both of Kelli's parents and her sister died within the space of two years. Kelli's father, Don Kruse, had worked for Merritt Tool in Kilgore for 36 years. He married Kellie's stepmother Ricki about one year before he died.
With her immediate family gone, Kelli, who has an intellectual disability, had no one left. Ricki Kruse gladly took on that responsibility.
"Everyone and everything that she had known was gone from her life -- I didn't want her to lose anything else," Ricki said. Kelli now lives with Ricki and her younger daughter Amber Boswell, a senior at Spring Hill High School.
It was important to Kelli that Rep. Merritt pose together with she and her stepmother for the calendar photo like a family would.
Amber wanted to be in the photo also. But because she keeps a full schedule with school activities and volunteer work, she was unable to break away that day.
Kelli remains close to Representative Merritt and his wife Janet. She calls him almost every day just to stay in touch.
Every day, Kelli goes to the Spring House Adult Activity Center in Spring Hill, where she socializes and participates in activities. Her stepmother said Kelli has taught her a great deal about unconditional love and how unimportant material things are.
"Tommy and Janet are the one constant in her life that has not changed," said Ricki.
For more information about how to purchase the calendar, please call the ARC of Gregg County at 903-753-0723.