24 Visits from the Stork: A True Labor of Love

While looking around at an old Pittsburgh Press newspaper today dated December 27, 1923, I ran across this story. 

While I can say with confidence that I am not related by blood to this clan, I can add that my dear spouse is distantly related to William Penn, thus to this lady as well.

What a story.  What a lady.

M'Keesport Couple Bring a Family of Twenty-Four into World--Mother a Penn


France and England have decorated their sons and daughters who brought 24 children into the world. America probably does not know that in McKeesport, not so long ago, John and Sarah Tauber had a like number of visitations from the stork.


And added to this self sacrifice of the mother, she endowed each child with rightful honor of declaring a lineage in the historical family of William Penn. She, before her marriage, was Sarah Virginia Penn, a direct descendant of the founder of Pennsylvania.


There is nothing unusual in the lives of John Tauber and his wife. John Tauber was born in Germany in 1830. Alone, he came to America 15 years later. In his early days, he learned the locksmith trade and established himself in Cumberland, MD, repairing locks, clocks and guns.


It was while he was repairing the flint lock rifle that belonged to the father of Sarah Penn, he met his future wife and mother of the largest family in western Pennsylvania, if not in the entire state.


John Tauber was 26 when he was married. His wife, nine years his junior. The ceremony took place Nov 20, 1856 in Cumberland, MD.


Early in the morning of March 4, 1857, the stork made its initial visit to the Tauber home. John J Tauber, the first child to the union, was born dead.  The second child, born in June 1858, a short time after the young couple moved from Cumberland to McKeesport, lived for 43 years. John Tauber II, third child lived but two weeks.


List of Children


The children, the dates on which they were born, are as follows:  John J, March 4, 1857; George I, Feb 22, 1858; John A Jan 15, 1859; Harry T, Feb 18, 1860; Adam A, March 12, 1861; Conrad W, May 23, 1862; Otto, Aug 23, 1863; Morgan, Mar 11, 1865; Rebecca S, Mar 18, 1866; Anna R, April 10, 1867; Barbara N, Nov 12, 1868; Martin, Dec 21, 1870, Minella, March 8, 1871; George II, Mary 17, 1872; Clara P, April 26, 1873; Elizabeth S, May 20, 1874; Fred, Feb 26, 1873; Thomas, Nov 10, 1875; Frank, Sept 8, 1876; Mary E, July 15, 1877; Amelia, July 18, 1878, Phoebe V, June 21, 1880, James A, May 15, 1881, Susan V, May 22, 1882.......

Story on family continues with the note that only six of the children died before age 14.

It just boggles my mind to think of the 26 years this lady spent either in maternity clothes or having a newborn with diapers around the house.  Can you imagine how tired she was?

And I thought my one distant family member who had 18 children was so noteworthy.  But wait, there's more.  I think my distant family member's children all lived to adulthood. 

Ahh genealogy.  Counting the labor of love, one by one.

Source:  Pittsburgh Press, Dec 27, 1923 pg7

©2011 AS Eldredge