The 13 Tanner Children, plus Mom
2014 Tanner Family Reunion
(L-R, youngest to oldest)
Bryan, Janet (me), Scott, Daken, Kaye, Claralyn, Mark, Mom (in front), Richard, John, Tres, Terri, Athelia, Bobbe
2014 Tanner Family Reunion
(L-R, youngest to oldest)
Bryan, Janet (me), Scott, Daken, Kaye, Claralyn, Mark, Mom (in front), Richard, John, Tres, Terri, Athelia, Bobbe
What is tanner manor?
Tanner Manor is the nickname of my childhood home. Built in the early 1900s, the four-story mansion still sits atop a hill and boasts almost an acre of land located less than ten miles from the congested heart of Los Angeles. With other homes of similar vintage and size, it lines a quiet, tree-canopied street in South Pasadena, California. However, its Italian Revival architecture, multiple sprawling yards, and almost 9000 square feet of living space are merely realtors’ descriptions of the home. For me, Tanner Manor was much more than a big house; it was a laboratory of love.
In short, Tanner Manor was a grand experiment in just how well the love and dreams of one couple could shape their strong-minded, rambunctious, independent children into happy, healthy, contributing adults.
In short, Tanner Manor was a grand experiment in just how well the love and dreams of one couple could shape their strong-minded, rambunctious, independent children into happy, healthy, contributing adults.
Why tell "My Tanner Manor" Stories?
When my oldest son Bryan was young, he would beg to hear my Tanner Manor stories at bedtime. These tales transported both of us back to a simpler time, an impressionable time for me as the twelfth of 13 children. More than 50 years later, my little-girl self is grown and so are my own five children, yet my parents’ examples still hover over me as does their powerful influence for good. I have long wanted to capture what they taught me as a child, and, years after leaving their nest, I still want to make sense of what I continue to feel.
Even to me, Mom and Dad loom almost larger than life. How in the world did they manage it all—and with unshakable confidence they would succeed? What was the source of their irrepressible joy while facing the gargantuan workload of raising a big family on a shoestring? Moreover, how did they continually expand their already-large family circle to include so many others who were drawn magnetically to their upbeat positivity and love? Writing these stories has helped me unravel those mysteries.
I try to uncover some of Mom and Dad's best parenting tricks. For example, they fostered a deep and fierce loyalty among us, and they taught us to manage crises, chaos, and scarcity. They trained us to face fear head-on and take disappointments in stride. They helped us celebrate life's little pleasures and rejoice in each other's successes. They encouraged us to laugh through the good times, and they gave us full permission to cry (or shout) during the bad. Above all, my parents instilled in all of us children a bedrock faith in God.
Borne of my childhood experiences was a personal yearning to become a better person. Now, an adult, I feel those lessons carrying a secondary power. I am motivated to become a better wife, mother, grandmother, and family member. I hope you will be similarly inspired. In the end, I hope my Tanner Manor stories will feed your resolve to push forward with faith and good humor as you build our own strong families.
Even to me, Mom and Dad loom almost larger than life. How in the world did they manage it all—and with unshakable confidence they would succeed? What was the source of their irrepressible joy while facing the gargantuan workload of raising a big family on a shoestring? Moreover, how did they continually expand their already-large family circle to include so many others who were drawn magnetically to their upbeat positivity and love? Writing these stories has helped me unravel those mysteries.
I try to uncover some of Mom and Dad's best parenting tricks. For example, they fostered a deep and fierce loyalty among us, and they taught us to manage crises, chaos, and scarcity. They trained us to face fear head-on and take disappointments in stride. They helped us celebrate life's little pleasures and rejoice in each other's successes. They encouraged us to laugh through the good times, and they gave us full permission to cry (or shout) during the bad. Above all, my parents instilled in all of us children a bedrock faith in God.
Borne of my childhood experiences was a personal yearning to become a better person. Now, an adult, I feel those lessons carrying a secondary power. I am motivated to become a better wife, mother, grandmother, and family member. I hope you will be similarly inspired. In the end, I hope my Tanner Manor stories will feed your resolve to push forward with faith and good humor as you build our own strong families.