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AP
Holy Moses

Meet the Zangers. This is their 100th grandchild.

Yes, 100th.

A WESTERN ILLINOIS couple recently celebrated the birth of their 100th grandchild.

Leo and Ruth Zanger of Quincy have 53 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. The birth of great-grandson Jaxton Leo on 8 April made the number 100.

Leo Zanger tells The Quincy Herald-Whig that “the good Lord has just kept sending them”. He says the family “could start our own town”. Ruth Zanger says “there’s always room for one more”.

The Zangers have been married 59 years and have 12 children. The youngest, 31-year-old Joe, was already an uncle 10 times when he was born.

Most of the family lives in the Quincy area. When they get together they rent a church hall and it takes 50 pounds of ham or ten turkeys to feed everyone.

The first grandchild, Jeanine, was born in 1975. Aunt Donna is the one tasked with keeping the diary – everyone’s birthdays, weddings, phone numbers and anniversaires.

Along with Kelly (Jaxton’s grandmother), Donna figured out that the little boy would be the 100th grandkid.

“We didn’t even know until Donna and Kelly figured it out and told us about three months along,” said father Austin Zanger. “It’s pretty special — 100 grandkids, that’s a big deal.”

More: Sebastian (4) has weeks to live. Can you help his family bring Christmas to him?

Author
Associated Foreign Press
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