Meet Joel Kim Booster Parents: Janet And Kenneth J Booster!

Meet Joel Kim Booster Parents: Janet And Kenneth J Booster!

Joel Alexander Kim Booster (Korean Name: Kim Joonmin) was born to his South Korean birth parents in 1988 on Jeju Island. Later, he was adopted by a strict white, an evangelical Christian couple, his adoptive parents from Plainfield, Illinois when he was only three months old. He told Glamour, “I think the legend goes three months. But I know there were some delays because of the terrorist attacks at the ’88 Olympics, so I’m not exactly sure”.

He was delivered “GrubHub-style” to a predominantly white, cookie-cutter Chicago suburb, and was homeschooled until high school.

Who Are Joel Kim Booster Parents?

Joel Kim Booster’s adoptive parents Kenneth J Booster and Janet L Booster married on 17 March 1979. They had two biological children of their own before they adopted Joel.

Because of his upbringing, Joel could never relate to the Asian community. However, he did make an effort to connect to the Asian community. His parents agreed to send him to public school where he tried to befriend Asian students. But, Joel could never relate to the culture.

Although Joel knew that he was gay early on, he kept it a secret from his family members. Joel’s parents discovered his diary recording the names of boys he hooked up with during his senior year. After moving out of his parent’s house at the age of 17, Joel ended up couch surfing until he was able to move in with a family friend.

Joel ended himself sleeping on couches at various friends’ homes, eventually ending up at the home of a girl from choir he didn’t know very well. But they became fast friends, and he spent the rest of high school with her and her family, with her family even helping him pay for college. Joel didn’t speak to his parents again until he was in college, but the separation helped him heal. He describes their current relationship as “excellent” and “as wonderful as it could be.” While he’s been able to use anecdotes from this time as material for his stand-up, it wasn’t until much later that he discovered he could.

“Coming out was sort of the catalyst to moving out,” Joel told Character Media. “I was repressed for a long time, and I didn’t have an outlet to talk about it or a support system at home to help deal with a lot of the emotional issues I was going through. … We had a really toxic relationship in my early childhood as I hit puberty. But it wasn’t just them; I don’t want to paint them as villains in that situation because they weren’t. It just ended up being the best for the both of us that I leave and take some space”.

Speaking about the prospect of meeting his birth parents, Joel shared with Glamour, “But as for reaching out to my birth family or not, it’s so up in the air. I’ve never been super hung up about them or that curious. I’ve never felt the pull to be like, “I need to meet them, or find out why,” or anything like that. I love my parents…. I can’t really conceptualize them as anything but my parents. Full stop, 100%. Because that’s honestly how they’ve always treated me too”.

Meet Joel Kim Booster Dad, Kenneth J Booster

Joel Kim Booster’s dad is Kenneth J Booster. He was born to James and Odella (Fruchtnicht) Booster who raised Kenneth on their family farm. On Father’s Day 2015, he posted on his Facebook, “Happy Father’s Day to my pop. We are not the perfect match, but we love each other anyway”.

In March 2021 post, Joel dedicated a post to his father. He wrote, “It took my dad and me a long time to understand each other. I’m not sure I was the son he imagined for himself— gay and emotional and completely uninterested in anything like fishing or hunting or his one great love: farm equipment”.

He continued, “Very country mouse and city mouse vibes. But if he was disappointed he never let on. He was so uncurious about the particulars of my career (thankfully; he didn’t need to hear about all the anal) but was extremely proud of the business of my life. I didn’t hammer a nail in the wall of an apartment or keep a plant alive without telling him”.

Joel concluded the post with, “He got off on that shit. Our relationship was imperfect but all of it feels so far away now. I didn’t tell him I loved him enough when he was alive but I loved him intensely and am so thankful for his never-ending patience. I love you forever pop”.

• Is Kenneth J Booster Still Alive?

No, Kenneth J Booster passed away on 13 March 2021 at Amita Health St. Joseph Medical Center Joliet.

• Kenneth J Booster Age

Kenneth J Booster passed away at the age of 74. He was born on 4 November 1946 in Versailles, IN.

• Kenneth J Booster Job

Joel Kim Booster’s dad worked as an engineer for CASE IH, an agricultural equipment brand. He told Joke Writing, “He breaks new tractors for a living, which I swear is less exciting than it sounds”.

Kenneth received his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and began his career with Case New Holland as a Structural Test Engineer where he worked for more than 40 years. He loved tractors, fishing, and old westerns, and especially enjoyed bird watching.

Meet Joel Kim Booster Mom, Janet L Booster

Janet L Booster is the mom of Joel Jim Booster. She is the daughter of Clarence H Baldwin and Elsie Baldwin.

Clarence was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on Aug. 17, 1923, to Homer and Bertha Thompson Baldwin. He died on 11 July 2014 at the age of 90 in South Carolina.

Janet has three siblings; Charles E. Baldwin, Robert D. Baldwin, and April E. Beattie.

On Mother’s Day 2015, Joel posted on his Instagram, “Happy Mother’s Day to the woman who taught me to be kind to every checkout person you encounter, for theirs is the worst job”.

• Is Janet L Booster Still Alive?

Yes, Janet L Booster is still alive.

• Janet L Booster Age

Born in January 1957, Janet L Booster is 65 years old.

• Janet L Booster Job

Joel Kim Booster’s mother was a home health nurse. He shared in Joke Writing, “she always brought home stray pets, so it was way more exciting than it sounds”.

• Janet L Booster Maiden Name

Janet L Booster’s maiden name is Baldwin.

Related FAQs

• How Long Were Joel Kim Booster Parents Married?

Joel Jim Booster’s parents stayed married for almost 42 years. His father died almost a week before their 42nd wedding anniversary.

• Do Joel Kim Booster Parents Appear On His Instagram?

Yes, Joel Kim Booster has featured his parents a few times on his Instagram.

• Does Joel Kim Booster Have A Brother?

Joel Kim Booster has two older siblings who are biologically related to his parents named Rebecca Booster and Samuel Booster. His sister Rebecca is married to her husband Dan Laib. They currently live in Plainfield. Whereas, his brother Samuel is residing in Tucson, AZ.