Show JF'sxmlly WooJdjr REHAGMT f' f iV: November 22 1059 We Are r AA cit by ROBERT HAGAN Photos by John Rees from Black Star i I j - Happy and humorous attitude toward life is indicated by sign in front of homo where the 14 Hagans live just outside of Youngstown Ohio h f -- : i rh'kZ i f is definitely one of the family holidays and Thanksgiving our friends homes next Thursday preparations will include scrounging for extra dining-roochairs m to seat grandmother and grandfather uncles and aunts nieces and nephews It's just such a large group that turns - the dinner into a feast But at our home near Youngstown Ohio 14 of us will take our places round the table— my wife Ada and I and our 12 children As a matter of fact we are 14 for breakfast and lunch too and at our house every meal is a kind of Thanksgiving feast Ada and I have an even dozen reasons to be thankful — six boys and six girls From the oldest twins Kathleen and Maureen to Susan we think we have the best family in the world But Thanksgiving has other special meanings for us too We moved into our home the day before Thanksgiving nine years ago Our family was growing fast and the construction business I started after getting out of the Navy wasn't growing as fast as I'd hoped In fact it almost looked as if Ada and I might have to board some of the kids with relatives Then things picked up we found this house and have added five kids to our family Another special Thanksgiving celebration is for Susan Our youngest child was born the day after the holiday last year so this will be her first Thanksgiving with us "How do you do it?" is a question all our friends ask Both Ada and I agree it's easier with 12 than it was with six babies now that the older children can help And they really do help Ada does the cooking and laundry the kids do the rest It also helps that my wife and I are easygoing We try not ' to get annoyed with little things and to take the big ones in stride And there are big things believe me: two appendectomies one case of polio a broken arm a broken collarbone and five cases of whooping cough at one time We don't like to give advice to our friends about raising kids because every family is different but if we have one rule for ourselves it's 44Take it easy Do what you can train the children to look after themselves and love one another" I think we really enjoy ourselves most at such a time as Thanksgiving All of us dig in to help We carry in the groceries in a grand procession and the boys drag in the biggest pumpkin they can find in the garden The kids take turns chopping onions for the stuffing— until the tears flow But the best job is mine— carrying in the v It's a big day But with a family of 14 turkey every day is like Thanksgiving 15-year- -old one-year-o- rj i -j- I j B ' '(-- — i : Bob Hagan does famify shopping Kids meet him when he comes home unload station wagon He calls it his "safari' gives each one a load to carry 4 V Jackie nine and Bobby' ten j in pumpkin from garden Hagans raise many of the vegetables they consume i d Vv team up to carry I ld St i i irf f i£ j " r fi "3 I fi MM— v ) V Making the stuffing brings out eight youngsters to cut bread celery and onions Onions make Kathleen --weep so twin sister slices i — Family Weekly November 12 1959 I u |