Bring out another kiddie table for the holidays! An Illinois couple married for 59 years just welcomed their wait for it 100th grandchild!
Leo and Ruth Zanger of Quincy met their 100th grandchild, great-grandson Jaxton Leo , on April 8. The couple, who have 12 children of their own, are already the proud grandparents of 53 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
"The good Lord has just kept sending them. We could start our own town," Leo told the Quincy Herald-Whig . Ruth joked: "There's always room for one more!"
Family gatherings are so overwhelming, in fact, that the 100 kids (plus moms, dads, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more!) rent out a church hall when everyone's in town. Leo and Ruth Zanger's daughter, Donna Lane , is usually the one in charge of the big functions.
"(Other family members) always say, 'Since you already have all of the phone numbers, can you just text (or call) them and let them know about whatever the event is?" Lane, the unofficial family historian, explained. (Can you imagine the phone bill!?)
She added: "Everyone takes their turn (in helping with food), and they all try and outdo each other. We are always getting together for something."
But not everything! The loved ones try to see each other as much as possible, but can get away with showing face for just a few "mandatory" holidays every year. Those include Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day.
"It's a very busy family, and we enjoy being around each other," Daniel Zanger , Jaxton's dad, said. "There's never a dull moment."
I am from a big family 9 siblings and my mother is one of 10 children, but when I saw this article I felt like wewere a small family indeed.
"Go forth and Multiply" has special meaning in this clan apparently
The matriarch of this clan needs a personal secretary just to mange the sending of birthday and Christmas cards
Oh DAMN IT! Another reality show in the making!!
I doubt it seriously
Sounds like a loving and private family to me
I guess it's too late to show them this commercial.
That type of behavior is the result of poor parenting, perhaps they have well-behaved and adjusted children through the multiple generations
So I truly envy their large family. But, how in the world do they keep up with 100 Grandchildren!!?
Computers?
R W
You are probably correct, I imagine that hands on parenting is required with a brood this size, it certainly was in our house.
The older children had responsibilities along those lines as well
Thanks for the feedback
M M
You could be onto something
A tickler program based solely on birthdays, anniversaries, athletic events, school programs, etc etc would certainly be a plus in the family
R W
But, how in the world do they keep up with 100
It has been my experience as a child and an adult that there is nothing that a grandmother cannot accomplish when she puts her mind to it.
I am the middle child of 5 children, and I thought 5 was a large family!!!! How can grandparents with this many grandchildren afford birthday and Christmas gifts for all of the children??? YIKES!!!
Sounds like a loving and private family to me
No offense to this fine family, but so did the Dugars until the cable stations started waving hundreds of thousands of dollars at them. Still, I really do hope you are right.
I always read about big families with awe and amazement. We could hold family reunions in a single booth!
At our last family reunion, we had 30 people, and were celebrating with 3rd and 4th cousins. I can't imagine keeping up with all the birthdays, etc. That's fabulous that they have so many people to love!
Nona
M M posted that computers were the answer and I offered Grandma's memory - but perhaps a combination of the two is required in this case
Dowser
I always wondered what it would be like to be in a smaller family, getting more attention etc but looking back all those brothers and sisters were the biggest blessing of my life
Some of them are gone now and I miss them very much - empty chairs at the table as they say
Dowser......Speaking of family re-unions...do you have any more pic's of your re-union??
RIO There is nothing like FAMILIA!!
RIO.....LOL....I think bot of you have the answers!!!
Nona
I do not always like all the brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles etc but I love them one and all and know that when push comes to shove I can count on them for help and support.
That is what family is love and support - good times and bad
Thanks for the feedback
That is what family is love and support - good times and bad Absolutely correct!
R W
That would be a great solution for this type of challenge so long as you there is a simple interface for the user so that extensive knowledge of ACCESS is not required
Sounds like you could create and sell an app for smart phones based on that approach
It is Hell being the "Last of the Mohicans", so to speak. Empty chairs, indeed! Broken heart, too. There were 12 of us, once, in my immediate family-- 10 from my grandparent's generation. If I didn't have my own family, I would probably not be here-- nothing is as empty as a life with no family... I know people manage, and build their own family network of close friends-- and that helps.
I'm sorry that you have had such a loss. I can't imagine either having, or losing, a brother or a sister. The loss of a close sibling would be overwhelming!
I have a few more, but they're not great ones... I've been thinking about doing an article on the front page. Not that anyone cares, but maybe it would spark some non-political discussion!
Two people times 5 children times 5 children (grand children) times 5 children (great grand children) = 25 grand children plus 125 great grand children. Wow!!! There are no fertility problems in that family. That last one was one of the great grand children.
Let's see in my family since I don't know at the moment, but have a good idea.
Grand parents had 7 children and I figure there is an average of 3 children per family at that point which would make 21 children and I would be willing to bet each on of them had average of 3 children so that is 63 more children plus the 21 would be abound 84 total grand children and great grand children. We have a few with two but several with 5 or more children. The joke was one of my uncles use to have the nickname as a joke Casanova...... He spread his seed far and wide.
Great idea!!
Six
Interesting anecdote thanks for sharing
Dowser
I would love to see them and so would many others and indeed discussions could erupt about things that are non-partisan - imagine