A Newspaper Article from March 1936

This last week, we went to visit our grandparents. We had a great time! One thing we usually do when we are there is look at old pictures. While we were looking through the pictures, Granny and I found a copy of an article from a newspaper. I thought it was interesting and yall might enjoy reading it. It is about Granny's family.

Covington County
Man 32, Wife 30, Have 12 Children

(Reprint from the Covington County Star Newspaper, March 1936)

Mrs. Dell O'Neal Hart, in charge of the Covington County Welfare worker told a representative of The Star of a most interesting case which came under her observation this week. The case in point was that of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Thomason who live on Andalusia, Route 4, on a small farm which they rent from the owner who lives in Opp, Al. The husband is 32 years old and the wife 30.

Twins born to them on Feb. 29th, making twelve children in the family, the oldest of which will be twelve years of age on March 16th. Three of the children were to young to walk.

The father owns a cow and as ox, with the latter he does his plowing and cultivates his crop. He has managed to keep the wolf from the door and Mrs. Hart says he has not been on the relief rolls for the past two or three years. This does not mean that they have an abundance or even a reasonable plenty of anything. In fact, Mrs. Hart reports that none of the children have had shoes or stockings for the whole winter. Some of the children have attended the neighborhood school fairly regularly, Mrs. Hart stated, but she was at a loss to know how it was managed.

The mother is 30 and who looks to be much younger, according to Mrs. Hart's report she has given birth to ten children in the last nine and one-half years. Mrs. Hart has stated that Mrs. Thomason has not been attended by a physician at the time of the birth of the last six children.

On visiting this home, Mrs. Hart carried clothes for the children along with groceries and canned goods which she felt would supply a need that the parents would not mention.

Mrs. Hart states that the roof of the house leaks and that the beds have to be moved when it rains.

A roster of the children shows their names and birthdays as follows:
Clyde Maxwell, born March 16,1924
Randolph, born April 25, 1925
William Earl, born July 7,1926
Sybil Louise, born April 28, 1928
Jessie Lee, born May 1, 1929
Lillian Mae, born May 6, 1930
Ennis and Dennis (twins), born April 24, 1932
Edna Merle, born October 23, 1933
Eugene, born January 12, 1935
Mabel and Mavis (Granny) (twins), born February 29, 1936

Children born after this article was printed:
Gerald, born March 6, 1937
Ernest and Bernest (twins), born July 31, 1940
Elizabeth, born August 10, 1941
Margaret, born September 3, 1942
Gail, born July 15, 1946

a total of 18 children