The Family of 19Thaddeus and EmmaTylerWhitneyNichol


The Family of 19

The Two That Started It All...


Left: Catherine
Payne enjoying
a nice hot cup
of coffee while
relaxing in the
house she spent
decades making
a home.
Right: Harold
Payne waving a
finger at the
camera for
catching him
 try to disobey
 his diabetic diet
 by sneaking a
 Christmas cookie
 from the tray.


Their Story...

      Harold and Catherine Payne(Connors) met one humid day in the early 1940s as Harold passed by Catherine's house while she was sitting on the porch. I guess you can say it was love at first sight. Catherine had already been a mother at that point with a son named Charles Alvord. Harold fell in love with them both. The two of them wed on February 26th, 1943 and were happily married for 65 years until Harold passed away on October 16th, 2008. After their marriage, Catherine and Harold went on to have 18 more children. Their children and their spouses are as follows: Charles (Pricilla) Alvord, Paragould, Arkansas, Kathleen (Jon) Jankoviak, Niles, Michigan, Jim (Dawn) Payne, Niles, Michigan, Raymond Payne, Niles, Michigan, Timothy (Melissa) Payne, Troy, Michigan, Theresa Bella, Niles, Michigan, Jeffrey (Christine) Payne, Buchanan, Michigan, Michael (Pamela) Payne, Niles, Michigan, Mary Payne, Niles, Michigan, Denise Casey, Niles, Michigan, Doris (William) Beckman, Niles, Michigan, Peter (Kay) Payne, Niles, Michigan, Colleen (John) Raven, Niles, Michigan, Corrine (Timothy) Craig, Niles, Michigan, Suzette (Donald) Kennedy, Niles, Michigan, Kerry (Laura) Payne of Niles, Michigan, Rhea Yoder, Niles, Michigan, Thomas (Brenda) Payne, Niles, Michigan, and then their youngest, Thaddeus (Emma) Payne, Niles, Michigan.  These two wonderful people brought about ninety three grandchildren, one hundred thirty eight great-grandchildren and fifteen great-great-grandchildren. Somehow Catherine and Harold managed to instill at least part of their tremendous character into each and every one of their family members. 

Their Children


Then....
 Above: This photograph was taken in 1968 in the gymnasium at Saint Mary's Catholic
School. Pictured are Harold and Catherine Payne with all 19 of their children.



Now...
    Above: This photograph was taken at Lakeland Hospital of Niles, Mi while Catherine underwent
     an emergency surgery. All 19 children are pictured. From left to right: (FIRST ROW) Suzette,
     Colleen, Doris, and Denise. (SECOND ROW) Corrine, Kerry, Rhea, Mike, Theresa, Kathleen, Mary,
    Thaddeus, and Timothy. (THIRD ROW) Jeffrey, Raymond, Jim, Charles, Thomas, and Peter.