Erik Holladay
Singles
Living Large
In this age when even babies wear designer clothing, a family with a dozen children who aren’t embarrassed to wear hand-me-downs stands out.
That’s the case with the Phil and Pansy Westheimer family of Napoleon Township.
With 12 children, the family is the polar opposite of the one portrayed in the movie comedy “Cheaper by the Dozen,” with its wild, destructive kids.
The Westheimers attend church together, take day trips together and divide chores; the children are home-schooled; and several have been on church mission trips.
“We consider our children a blessing,” Phil Westheimer said. “People ask me why we have so many kids, and I say we stopped at three and the rest appeared.
“The nice thing for us is they are spread out enough that older ones help, from running to get a diaper to live-in baby sitters.”
Nonetheless, a 14-member family is an anomaly in today’s society, where family size has generally been on the decline.
