Illinois couple welcomes their 100th grandchild

[2xx1xy1JD]

Experiences will vary with the type of family involved.

My husband's Nana, with the 100+ descendents, was awesome. She lived thousands of miles away and there was a bit of a language issue, but I remember her making mountains of foods for us, giving us bear hugs, having pictures all over her walls, and asking (and worrying) about the details of everyone's lives. Even though she just had a very simple, old apartment, the whole family would come and visit each Saturday, so the cousins got to know each other. We'd joke that the aunts would sit together as "the council of sisters" and talk/worry about everyone. Now that she's gone, it's not the same. We have pictures of her with Girl 1 as a baby, and I deeply regret that I was too scared to visit with Girl 2.

His other grandmother only has 8 grandchildren and lives close by, but she's a selfish, narcissistic bitch - and that's the nicest thing I could say about her.

[MamaJunebug]

Experiences will vary with the type of family involved.

True, true

[ScarletStarlet]

My grandpa's dad was one of 14, and his mother was one of 18. There's some film footage of his mothers side of the family taken when my grandfather was about 12 and at that point in time he was one of 86 grandkids, and 20 odd great grandkids. On his mothers side i have no idea how many of his generation there was all together but I do know that he has first cousins that are younger than his kids. On his fathers side God only knows how many there are. He would have been one grandkid out of 300 or so all together.

Every time I go back to the area he grew up strangers are pointed out to me "that's a cousin of yours". Too many. Way too many.

I grew up as an only child.

[NjoyingNsanity]

It can happen without anyone being particularly religious my mom's family has the Duggar's beat by 2 kids, granted they didn't all belong to just one mom. My grandfather was 97 when he passed away in 1992 he and his first wife married when they were both 14. They had 11 kids before she died of cancer in her 40's. My grandmother was 27 years younger than my grandpa they married when she was 16 and on her third unwed pregnancy in frustration my grandma's dad talked his recent widower best friend (my grandpa) into marrying her, so when they married they already had 13 kids and one on the way, and they went on to have seven kids together. I easily have a couple dozen first cousins.

My poor grandma has probably lost count of her great-grandkids just between my brother and I she has 8.

[Rachel333]

What about the grands and greats who aren't near? Does she have enough time somehow to stay close to all of them?

Grandchildren, yes, but less so the greats, I think. She still knows all of their names and interests and birthdays (I've seen her calendar and I think there's a birthday on there almost every week :lol: ) and will update us on what everyone else is doing every time we talk to her, but of course it's not the same as the great-grandchildren who see her all the time. It's not just her own grandchildren, either; she's been a grandma figure to a lot of others, too.

She's spent her entire life caring for people, starting with her siblings that she had to help raise. She and my grandfather ran a home for delinquent boys for years, and they had a lot of foster children in addition to their own 5. I do think that was hard on my mom because her parents were always looking after so many other children that they didn't have a lot of time for their own. She's an awesome grandmother and I feel like I'm closer to her than most people I know are to their grandmothers, but I do think she would have probably been a better mother if she had had fewer kids to look after.

[TXGirlInAMaterialWorld]

My grandparents had 9 children and 48 grandkids. As for the Great Grands- I know there were about 30 when my grandfather passed away almost 8 years ago, so probably somewhere around 70-75 now. The oldest of the grandkid is only 40 now and the youngest 8 are still highschool or college age with the baby graduating from HS this year. So I know there will be many more GG's to come.

I guess what makes it so cool for this couple is that both husband and wife lived to see it. Hope they enjoy it!

[roddma]

I cant imagine how you would be close to all of them . Even with 9 GKs on mother's side I felt like I knew everyone. My brother and i were the only tow on father's side(an only child) and I felt special being the only granddaughter . And think of all the repeat names of 50+. Jim Bob blathers about wanting 200 grandkids when they scarcely pay their younger kids except Josie any attention. It's all about numbers. Numbers mean squat.

[Freetheknees]

I feel like a sign that I've been spending too much time in FJ land is that I didn't even find this that impressive.

[Jana814]

Have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? There's a scene where she talks about how he has 2 cousins and she has 27. I loved that movie because it perfectly describes my family meeting my ILs.

I've seen that movie and I know what scene u r talking about.