Remembering Louisa Cunningham And Her Incredible 21 Children

There was once a Michigan woman who gave birth to 21 children. Born in 1889, Louisa Marie “Louise” Prue Cunningham was born in Canada but eventually moved to Michigan. This was at a time when women's main roles were giving birth and taking care of the humans they birthed.

To say it was an oppressive time is an understatement, but she apparently wanted to care for dozens of children, as she nearly raised 20 at one time.

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She would end up passing away in 1944, but as her grave memorial explains, she was VERY young at the time of her marriage...too young. She was 18 when she started having children:

Albert & Louisa were very young newlyweds when they lived in Menominee, Michigan. Louisa was 15 & Albert was 25. They soon moved over to Marinette, Wisconsin, crossing the river with their belongings on a raft pulled by a horse. Daughter Garnet said that when she was 6 years old, the family moved to Faithorn, Michigan.

 

In 1928, the family moved to Iron Mountain. Louisa apparently had a roll call each night to make sure that everyone was in bed. According to Garnet, the family is scattered around the country. Here are the children she had:

• Kenneth, Sept. 26, 1907
• Garnett Elizabeth, Jan. 30, 1911 (Mrs. Walter Anderson)
• Gilbert Charles, June 19, 1908
• Stanley Lester, July 19, 1912
• Emery James, Jan. 29, 1914
• Elwood John, August 17, 1915
• Cleata Lillian, April 5, 1916
• Russell Prosper, June 21, 1917
• Cyraithe Cystle, July 13, 1918
• Blanche Olive, July 17, 1919
• Charlotte Marie, Sept. 26, 1921
• Gladys Gertrude, June 4, 1923
• Glenn Woodrow, June 24, 1924
• Albert Prosper, Jan. 26, 1926
• Myrtle Eileen, Feb. 4, 1927
• Joyce Velma, April 7, 1929
• Lois Ramona, Aug. 4, 1929
• Clyde Emerson, Sept. 26, 1930
• Claude Lindsey

2 children sadly died at birth. Lois Ramona was the last of her children to pass away in 2015.