An incredibly heartwarming photo showing six generations of women from the same family has gone viral recently as it captured the attention of a large number of people.
At the top end of the age scale is 99-year-old MaeDell Taylor Hawkins who is holding her seven-month-old great-great-great-granddaughter Zhavia Whitaker in her arms while the rest of the women, including MaeDell’s daughter, Frances Snow, 77, granddaughter Gracie Snow Howell, great-granddaughter Jacqueline Ledford, 29, and great-great-granddaughter Jaisline Wilson, 19, are posing behind them. Today, MaeDell has more than 620 grandchildren from her own daughters and their children’s children.
“I know it’s rare for six generations … it’s even rarer for all of them to be the same gender,” MaeDell’s granddaughter Howell, 58, told Good Morning America. “We’re all girls — girl power, as well.”
When they snapped the photo and shared it on the social media, none of them knew it would attract that much attention.
“We just kind of planned a day, and we just all met and grandma knew we were coming,” Howell, who now lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, said.
MaeDell got married back in 1940 when she was just 16 years old. Her husband was 50-year-old rail worker Bill Taylor who at the time had 10 children and needed someone to take care of them while he was at work. MaeDell took the role of a mother and went on to have 13 children on her own.
The family lived a very simple life as they lacked electricity, running water, and a stove, among the rest.
Getting married young was normal back in the day. Speaking of it, Howell said, “Now we don’t. We have children later in our life, so families are not that big. Having six generations is very, very rare to start with.”
The Kentucky matriarch now boasts a whopping 623 descendants, according to a family chart shared by her daughter-in-law, Janice Taylor. They include 106 grandchildren, 222 great-grandchildren, 234 great-great-grandchildren and 37 great-great-great-grandchildren.
“If everything goes well, the baby’s doing well, Grandma’s doing well – we’re all going to meet back in June and get another picture,” the family shared.
Fierce dispute between Karen Grassle and Michael Landon during filming for ‘Little House on the Prairie’
Karen Grassle rose to prominence as Caroline Ingalls Wilder in Little House on the Prairie. People enjoyed this series so much that it is still being watched today.
Karen landed the part and admitted she was terrified of what was to come, but Landon always tried to make everyone on a set laugh and feel good. He was under a lot of stress. Karen determined that her character should be based on her mother’s life experience, which greatly aided her.
Although everyone enjoys filming, as the series grew in popularity, Karen felt she deserved more money because she is one of the main characters. This sparked a violent argument with her coworker Michael Landon. She said that Michael refused to pay her extra money when she asked to renegotiate the contract. This disagreement produced a schism in their relationship.
Karen did not talk publicly about the incident or the break in their friendship at the time, but the two exchanged a polite phone call before the actor died.
Cindy, Michael’s widow, stated that, despite his serious appearance, her husband was very passionate about his work, always came home smiling, and was a good father.
The other actors in Little House on the Prairie always claimed they had a great time on set, and Michael made everyone feel good and vital, no matter how significant or tiny their role was. Dean Butler, who played Landon, also had nothing but positive things to say about Michael and thought he was a true professional. Michael was attempting to make things more straightforward and pleasurable for everyone.
Michael also tried to ensure that the performers could return home in the evening and have dinner with their families. He believed that the key to success was to strike a balance between work and personal life.
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