98-year-old MaeDell Taylor Hawkins was only 16 years old when she married her husband Bill in 1940. Bill already had ten children from a previous marriage, and Hawkins went on to have 13 children of her own. The dedicated matriarch has since had 106 grandchildren, 222 great-grandchildren, 234 great-great-grandchildren, 34 great-great-great children. Hawkins met her 6th generation grandchild for the first time last month, when 7-week-old Zhavia Whitaker came to visit her great-great-great grandmother at her nursing home in Kentucky. Hawkins was thrilled to meet young Zhavia, and the family is planning a summer trip to bring more of Hawkins’ great-great-great grandchildren to meet her for her 99th birthday.
Image via Sheryl Blessing
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