In honor of Mother’s Day, the Patriot wished to honor one awesome local mom. Shannon Marklowitz is a Clear Lake mom of eight kids, three of which she and her husband, Wayne, adopted after their biological kids grew up and moved away.

Being a Mom

Shannon and Wayne Marklowitz have five biological children, who are all in their 20s and 30s now, with their own families. They also have several grandchildren, ranging from 10 months  to eight years. Marklowitz says she loves seeing her kids parenting their own children. 

But the Marklowitzes were not quite ready to be empty nesters.

“My job is to be a mom,” Marklowitz said. “It doesn’t pay well, but the benefits are great!”

So, the couple decided to foster, and eventually adopt, three more kids, aged six, nine and 11. 

Adopted Kids

“I always wanted to do foster care,” Marklowitz said. “The kids came at a time when they could be adopted, and when they were here, we fell in love.”

She said she also likes to have a second shot at parenting, being able to make new habits, or fall into the old ones. 

To anyone interested in fostering and adopting, Marklowitz recommends learning as much as possible about raising children from a trauma background, and to never stop learning. She also says it’s important to “use your village” and accept support from family and friends, and to be patient getting to know the kids.

“It’s hard at first,” she said, “It takes about six weeks to get to know who the kids are.”

Marklowitz said she’s glad for her adult children, who are a big help.

Big Family Farm

The Marklowitz family lives at and operates R.F. Doering farms in Clear Lake. The farm has been in Shannon Marklowitz’s family for years, and she and her husband purchased the land in 2019. As well as their three youngest children, their daughter, son-in-law, and several of their grandkids live on the farm, while the other grown children still live nearby. 

Shannon Marklowitz said it was important to have everyone nearby and able to come over for family dinners every week, especially when they lost one of their sons to mental illness several years ago. 

The Marklowitz family uses their farm to grow hops for local breweries, and also to allow families to come and let their kids learn about agriculture and animal husbandry. They offer day camps for kids and family visits by appointment. More information is available at their website, RFDoeringFarms.com.