A Complete Family Reunion

I wonder how often this happens: 1-year-old David Sztanyo recently posed with all his living ancestors for a family photograph. There's nothing unusual with such a photograph, except perhaps for the number of living ancestors who gathered for the occasion. David was joined by both of his parents, all four of his grandparents, and all eight of his great-grandparents.

That's right: all eight of his great-grandparents are alive and apparently rather healthy. The great-grandparents live in Georgia, Kentucky, and Canada. All traveled to David's home in Georgia for the photograph.

There is another anomaly as well: David's father, paternal grandfather, and paternal great-grandfather are all pilots. I wonder what David will be when he grows up?

My thanks to Joseph Martin for telling me about this story.

Comments

[Matt]

Way cool! I'd like to see the picture. I bet they could submit this to guinnes world records.

[Vicky]

What a lucky family to have that many generations still alive to tell the stories! I would have loved to see the photo also.

[Debi Ham]

Wow - and I thought I was special - 5 of my great-grandparents were alive when I was born. One of them was a minister and he baptised me. Unfortunately he died a year later and I never knew him, but two of my other great-grandparents were living while I was still in college!

[R. Unrein]

I thought my grandchildren were lucky, they have 4 grands & 7 grgrands still here and very much in their lives.

[Mike Sztanyo]

Hey everyone. I'm a little late to this thread, but apparantly my father just googled David Sztanyo (my son) and found it. So, here's the scoop... My wife and I, after we had David in April of '04 recognized that he was in this very special situation. Each of us still had all of our grandparents, leaving David with 8 living great-grands! So, in September of '04 we were able to assemble everyone in Michigan, at my grandparents' farm for a big photo shoot, and a general good time. Some of the details in the thread of where everyone is from got a little beat up. My wife, Heather, and I live in Georgia, with David and now daughter Marisa. All of my grandparents are from Michigan, while hers are from Ontario. My parents live in Kentucky and hers are also in Ontario. For David, it looks like a family tree in reverse. We thought it was worth commemorating, and after the photo shoot, sent the story to the Bay City Times for publication (this is where names and locations started getting mangled). Here's a link to one of the photos taken in the grove of my grandparents' farm in Michigan. It is a very mature wood, which seemed to be the perfect setting for the shot.

We recognize and are grateful for these many blessings of long life and relatively good health. And we know to Whom to direct our gratitude. As we assembled for lunch that day, we read this passage from Psalm 103,

"Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them. The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all." vv.13-19

Since September of '04 I've lost my maternal grandfather. All the other "greats" are still with us. We are certainly thankful we assembled when we did to take the pictures. We will (and I think maybe David too) always cherish this memory.

I've attached a link for you to view the picture.

http://markbarb.homestead.com/GreatGrands.html

Sincerely,

Mike Sztanyo

[H. John Eastman]

Stephen Edward Eastman, my father passed away at approx. 2.p.m on May 20 2007. In his younger days he was a speed boat race driver in the summer months on Green Lake in Seattle Washington. He worked for 42 years at the Boeing Company in Seattle Washington. He was instrumental in building the wheels and fenders on the Lunar Rover vehicles, three of which are still on the moon. His birthday was on July 4th. He was 96 at the time of his passing. When he turned 94, on July 4th, he parachuted from an airplane, a lifelong dream. He was peaceful at the time of his passing. H.J. Eastman