Marguerite KollerAs a child, he always wanted to have a sibling.
Stating that he carried the feeling of loneliness arising from being an only child for years, Koller said, “I would have to go out to find myself a playmate. My biggest wish was to have siblings.”
Moreover, he didn’t just want a sibling to play with; Koller wanted to have a very big family.
That’s why, when he came of age to marry and have children, he acted with the philosophy of “The more children, the better”.
His late wife, William, also came from a rather small family of four and shared Koller’s dream of a big family.
Koller, now 99, has 11 children, 56 grandchildren, and 101 as of September 19. grandchild has a child. Moreover, this number seems to increase even more.
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Calling her grandchildren and great-grandchildren “grandmothers”, Koller recently told the Washington Post that she described the size of her family as “extraordinary”.
Stating that she remembers her memories of being a mother at a young age with great love, Koller said, “Of course it was chaotic times, but when I look back from today, I don’t think it was very difficult.”
Adding that the only problem was to dress everyone at the same time and get them to church on time, Koller said, “But it was never a problem to deal with small difficulties in exchange for a full house. I always loved having all my children and so many people around me.”
Koller also stated that there is 19 years between the oldest child and the youngest.
William and Marguerite were married in 1942.
William and Marguerite were married in 1942.
LESS WILL NEVER MARRIED
In fact, Koller’s life could have been very different. Because, shortly before her marriage, she decided to become a nun, made the necessary application for this and was accepted. However, she changed her mind at the suggestion of her mother and then-boyfriend William Koller. Saying that he made the right decision when he looks back now, Koller said, “My family is my biggest source of pride.”
William Koller, who died in 2008, was a World War II veteran. The two young people got married in 1942. Together, they built the Koller Funeral Home in Philadelphia, which is still in operation today and is run by family members.
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Initially, they did not have a clear idea of how many children they wanted, but once they got the pleasure of being parents, they wanted to expand their family even further. “I’ve never felt lonely again in my life,” Koller said.
A photo of the family from 2013… The number of members has increased since then.
THEIR CHILDREN ALSO FOLLOWED THE PATH THEY DRAWN
As for the children of the Koller family, they were also very happy to spend a childhood full of action and fun in this packed house.
60-year-old Chris Kohler, the couple’s 9th child, said: “Growing up in our family was a wonderful experience. We are all adults now, but we are still very good friends.”
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Expressing that their parents, who keep everything under control, are role models for them, Kohler said, “They had a great relationship. food and shared household chores, including cleaning. They worked hand in hand both at work and at home. They always had to be together, they always held hands. I always hoped to find myself such a wife,” he said.
One thing Kohler wanted as much as his parents’ relationship was for their home to be as full and bustling as it had been when he was a child. It was a very interesting coincidence that the surname of the man she married was Kohler, which was very similar to her bachelor’s surname. (These two names are pronounced the same, though spelled differently.)
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Saying, “We had many older brothers and sisters who would play with us and help us at home. This situation must have left an important impression on me because I always wanted to have a big family,” said Kohler. He has 6 children and 14 grandchildren for now.
To tell the truth, all of the Koller’s children had large families. The average birth rate per woman in the United States is 1.78, while most Kollers have more than 5 children.
GRAND FAMILY LOVES THE GRAND GRAND GROWN
Koller’s grandchildren also adopted the “more children, the better” view and carried it to the next generation. For example, Koller’s 41-year-old grandson Greg Stokes is the father of four daughters.
Stokes, who has 8 siblings, said, “Because I come from a big family, I always wanted to have people around me. I think everyone in my family wanted to have many children to experience that energy and excitement.”
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One of the Kollers’ 56 grandchildren, Stokes lives in the same city as his grandparents. Maybe that’s why he formed very strong bonds with both of them. Stating that he often goes to the pool with his grandmother, grandfather and cousins in the summer, Stokes said that he also takes his daughters to the same pool.
“We’ve all always had very close relationships with my grandparents and each other,” said Stokes, adding that they were roommates with one of his cousins during and after college.
“We used to sleep over nights at my grandparents’ house. We used to throw a huge party every Christmas Eve,” Stokes said of his childhood and teenage years.
Stokes, who lost his brother when he was 12 years old, also stated that having so many people around him made it easier to add to the pain, and said, “It was definitely a unique experience.” Stokes also noted that most members of the extended family still reside in the state of Pennsylvania.
Koller with his great-grandchild born on 4 August
“AT ALL HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY GRADUATIONS”
Explaining that family members maintain this closeness with his grandmother’s dedication to family members, Stokes said, “He is there for all high school and university graduations. He always strives to participate.”
Kohler supported his nephew’s words by saying, “My mother always wanted to be there for all the kids’ graduations, christenings, birthday parties. Her family is her life.”
Koller also summed up the importance of being with family members at critical junctures in their lives with the words “I don’t miss parties”.
Stating that he is very healthy despite being 99 years old, Koller explained this with his balanced diet and regular exercise (like lifting weights twice a day). He stated that he passed on the same values to his own children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
BABIES NAMED THEIR GREAT GRANDFATHERS
Chrissy Balster’s son, Koller’s 100th great-grandchild. Named Koller William in reference to his great-grandfather, the baby was born on August 4th. As soon as Balster and his wife got out of the hospital right after giving birth, they went with the baby to visit the great-grandmother.
“No matter the size of the family, no matter how crowded we get, no matter how far away we live, the lessons my grandparents taught 75 years ago still live within us all,” said Balster, 34.
Stating that introducing her 100th grandchild to Koller was a moment of sheer joy for all of them, but especially for her great-grandmother, Balster said, “It was very exciting to bring these two incredible people together. We are so lucky to be part of his legacy.”
Koller, on the other hand, stated that when he took his newborn grandchild in his arms for the first time, he thought of his late wife and said, “William would be very excited.”
The 101st great-grandchild, William Alexander Evans, who joined the Koller family on September 19, is also named after his great-grandfather.
The 101st great-grandchild, William Alexander Evans, who joined the Koller family on September 19, is also named after his great-grandfather.
THEY WILL MEET FOR THE 100TH BIRTHDAY
While it may be harder to get everyone together as the family grows, the Kollers still get together at the annual Christmas Eve party, and also hold regular get-togethers. Of course, social media is also an important tool in maintaining their ties.
Just as Koller never misses a milestone, his family, which has reached 250 people with his wives, is doing their best not to miss their grandmother’s important celebrations.
The entire family, including the two babies born in August and September, will gather for great-grandmother’s birthday celebration on November 28.
Saying that he was very excited to walk around the room and chat with each of his family members, Koller said, “I want everyone to know this: I’m going to get up and dance.”
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