The couple that has enough children to start their own village

A couple has welcomed their 100th grandchild into the world.

Jaxton Zanger is the 46th great-grandchild for Leo Zanger and his wife Ruth, from Illinois, who have been married for 59 years.

The couple also has 12 children, 53 grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.

Jaxton was born on 8 April and is the second child of their grandson, Austin. He told the Herald-Whig that he was not aware his son would be the 100th grandchild until some family members worked it out.

"It’s pretty special – 100 grandkids, that’s a big deal.”

open image in gallery

“We’re all really close. We get together a lot. There’s always a lot of interaction. We spend a lot of time with each other. I know there are a lot of families half of our size who only get together maybe once or twice a year," he said.

To accommodate the whole family, Austin said that church halls were hired.

Leo said: “The good Lord has just kept sending them. We could start our own town.

“There’s always room for one more,” Ruth told the Quincy Herald-Whig.