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The Kathol Family Tree Christmas Gift

Good morning District 27. In a previous post in March, I shared with you the derivation of my last name, its proper spelling, and how one pronounces my last name (“coddle”). Today, I offer a brief story about my family tree.


In 1980, my uncle handcrafted with the help of his wood router a Christmas gift for our family. The gift started with the name “The Kathol’s” and then each of us kids would open our gift with our name to be added to the wall hanging. You will see a posted photo of me (age 12) holding up the Mark and Mary Ann Kathol family tree. I am near the bottom of the name list. Later on, my uncle would have to craft another nameplate that was added five years later on behalf of my baby brother. He added a flower to that one.


You can see from the second photo, that our names are not splashy or hip. All of us were given the name of a former saint. They were given to us because the saints are role models who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. My parents thought it was important that we have names that reflected the lives of the saints. I love my name and I pray often when I lose or misplace something to Saint Anthony, the Patron Saint of the poor, and the return of lost articles. It is what makes us uniquely Catholic and unites us with the communion of saints in heaven.


My oldest sister was given the name Jacqueline after Jacqueline Kennedy. You will also notice we have all four gospel writers in the family: Mark, Matthew, John, and Luke. I was named Anthony because my paternal grandparents wanted an Anthony in the family named after my great-grandfather Anton…guess who came along??? I like to say to people, “I am the oldest of the bottom five,” as opposed to “middle child.” Also, notice, there are two girls born amongst the eight boys, but no twins. One may walk away from the family tree and wonder what is the difference in age between the youngest and oldest child? Answer: 24. Finally, you will see the Kathol names are placed in their proper birth order. This family tree Christmas gift still hangs in the garage of my mom's home today. Note that each name is interconnected to one another to make up the family tree. The various fasteners represent what binds us together as a family. All of my siblings continue to encourage, love, and pray for one another like the saints that have gone before us.


If elected your state senator, I will be a champion and supporter of strong families where our children are nurtured and loved. I will uphold the objective divine truth that families are biologically formed between a man and a woman. Finally, I will support legislation that will put more money into the pockets of our families so that young couples are not afraid to have children because of the added expenses that are involved in raising children. After all, children are a blessing from God, not a curse. Just ask Mary Ann Kathol, a “living saint” who walks amongst us, who is the mother of ten living children, the grandmother to 29 grandchildren, and the great-grandmother to 17 great-grandchildren (18 coming soon) if she would want it any other way. I bet I know the answer. God bless.


The Kathol Family Tree was given as a Christmas gift from my uncle (c. 1980).

The Mark and Mary Ann Kathol Family Tree (2024)


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