This 98-year-old matriarch finally met her first great-great-great-grandchild in her big Kentucky family.
MaeDell Taylor Hawkins held seven-month-old Zhavia Whitaker for the first time this past February.
Gracie Snow Howell, her granddaughter, shared a photo of this moment that quickly went viral. MaeDell has over 620 grandchildren now, counting the kids of her daughters and their kids too.
“We thought this was special because it’s all girls,” Gracie, who was with MaeDell, told People.
In the picture, you can see MaeDell’s daughter Frances Snow, granddaughters Gracie Snow Howell, great-granddaughter Jacqueline Ledford, and great-great-granddaughter Jaisline Wilson. Sheryl Blessing, who is MaeDell’s granddaughter, took the photo.
MaeDell will turn 99 in July.
She got married in 1940 when she was just 16 years old to a 50-year-old man who worked on the railroad and had 10 kids from another marriage, according to Fox News.
Her husband, Bill Taylor, was often away for his job. Despite that, they managed to have 13 kids together, as Gracie mentioned, and they lived without many modern comforts. They didn’t have a washing machine or a dryer, and there was no running water in their home.
“I know she had a tough life, but she never complained,” Gracie told People.
Gracie also said that she never heard her mother, Frances, complain about not having enough in their home.
In this picture showing 6 generations of women, it’s clear that MaeDell’s love and support have created many happy and healthy women and kids.
Gracie mentioned to Fox News, “If everything goes well, the baby’s doing well, Grandma’s doing well – we’re all going to meet back in June and take another picture.”
As reported by Fox, the Kentucky matriarch has 106 grandchildren, 222 great-grandchildren, 234 great-great-grandchildren, and 37 great-great-great-grandchildren living all over the US.
We can’t even imagine raising so many amazing kids with so little! Share your thoughts in the comments!
