After 50 years of baby boys Bethania-based great-great grandmother Yvonne Taylor has welcomed a granddaughter, marking five generations for the family.
The wife of Ms Taylor’s great-grandson, Tyson, gave birth to baby Ella in July.
“Nana”, as all of Ms Taylor’s offspring affectionately call her, has become a great-great grandma at 86.
“It makes me feel old,” Ms Taylor said.
“They wouldn’t find out the gender of the baby before she was born, but I often wonder if they knew.
“The baby is absolutely gorgeous and they’re hoping to have another one in 18 months.”
Coincidentally, Ms Taylor’s mother (who died in the 1970s) was also called Ella.
“Tyson didn’t know my mother’s name was Ella – he wasn’t even born when she died – I burst out howling when I found out the name,” she said.
And this isn’t the only coincidence.
It’s not the first time five generations of Ms Taylor’s family has been alive at the same time.
The birth of her older sister Elsie in 1935 marked five generations of lineage in the Walters’ bloodline alive at one time.
“Two five generations in one family – it’s amazing,” Ms Taylor said.
Ms Taylor was born in 1937, her daughter in 1956, her grandaughter in 1976 (the last girl born in the family), and her great-grandson in 1994.
She has three children, six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
And even with it’s size and diversity of age, the family remains close, Ms Taylor said.
“We try to get together every Christmas,” she said.
Ms Taylor’s husband George passed away in 1972, leaving her alone to look after her three children aged 14, 12 and eight.
This forced her to work two jobs to make ends meet.
“I haven’t had an easy life,” Ms Taylor said.
But despite the trials, Ms Taylor is self-sufficient in her 80s: she lives alone, she drives, does her own shopping, exercises and socialises.
“I moved up to Logan in 1990 after I retired and I’ve lived in this home for 23 years – I love it.
“I was a nurse, and I did a bit of school cleaning to keep busy when I moved up here.”
She said she struggled to keep up with the latest technology.
“I’m not with the communication,” she said.
“I do phone calls, but I don’t send texts, I don’t have email or a computer – I’m old school.
“I like to go to the bank to draw my money out and pay the bills.”
Ms Taylor said she doesn’t need anything else in her “busy” life.
She said she loves her home, her friends, her family, and hopes to someday soon meet her second great-great grandchild.
