Bigger Families; Faces From the Past

The large Beullens family with top left to right: Sooi, Rachel, Louis, Jet, Frans, Marie, Roos and Torre. Below: Nie, father Jef Beullens, Mother Maria Clementina and Pauline. from  Chronicles of Leest . The above link has some interesting stories of the family from the wartime.  

Photo and story from  FATE OF THE GERMAN BAPTIST PASTORS: Russian Volhynia, 1929-1938 Emil J. Bonikowski and his family "immigrated to Canada in July 1926 and served churches in Saskatchewan. Retired in 1941 and moved to Kelowna, BC. He died on October 20, 1967, in Medicine Hat, AB at the age of 86. Family: wife, Maria, and 16 children, Erich, Oscar, Erwin, Alma, Helmut, Agnes, Frieda, Arthur, Bill (still living in Kelowna), Rubin, Harry, Alice-Lillian, Helen, Bruno, Agnes (named in memory of her sister who died as a young child), and Benno. Maria died in Kelowna of cancer in 1959."

From the book  The Old Country: Real Stories by those who have their roots in Volhynia, Russia (Ukraine) by Donald N. Miller. See end of post for more info. (a book in my personal library) Click to see photo larger. The photo shows 7 of the 8 children of Julius S. Arndt, from 4 mothers. Source of photo and story: The Old Country: Real Stories by those who have their roots in Volhynia, Russia (Ukraine). Available from author here:  http://www.inthemidstofwolves.com/books.html Library reference info:  https://www.worldcat.org/title/old-country-real-life-stories-by-those-who-have-their-roots-in-volhynia-russia-ukraine/oclc/80355700

https://www.msmarion.com/photosColFamHisCen.html

https://www.msmarion.com/photosColFamHisCen.html

Wilson family Williams family.  Very low resolution but lovely composition. https://www.msmarion.com/photosColFamHisCen.html

https://www.msmarion.com/photosColFamHisCen.html