London, Ont. woman is last surviving member of famous Masse family
At one point, they were believed to be the largest family in North America — but now, only one remains.
Monica Wolf (formerly Masse) lives in London, about 80 kilometers south of the town of Saint Joseph, Ont. where she and her 10 brothers and 10 sisters grew up.
Monica, now 87-years-old, was born 24 years after her oldest sibling and two years before her youngest.
When baby 21 arrived, it made international headlines.
The Masses make international headlines when they welcomed their 21st child. (Carlyle Fiset/CTV News London)
The Masses grew up on a farm, she says, and by the time she came around, they had created a fairly self-sustaining life for themselves.
“I mean, I was a spoiled brat,” Monica says with a laugh. “Because if you’re the second youngest, let’s face it, you always have someone looking after you.”
One constant in her life however was always music on Sundays after church.
“My sister played the piano and my brother played the drums,” she says. “We had a dance every Sunday.”
Monica did not continue the big family trend, stopping at two children. She says several of her siblings made it into double digits though, with one of her sisters’ families reaching 17 kids.
Monica Wolf and her daughter Nicole Uzkereit share old photos with CTV News London on September 26, 2022. (Carlyle Fiset/CTV News London)
“I have a lot of cousins,” says Monica’s daughter Nicole Uzkereit.
In fact, her grandfather made the news again when he reached 100 grandkids, Nicole adds. And at a family reunion about 20 years ago, she figures at least 600 cousins were in attendance.
Nicole is a hairdresser, and she says she learned one of her clients she’d been with for years was actually a cousin all that time.
“They’re everywhere,” her husband says.
Monica was living in Florida when her last living sibling died about three years ago. She has since moved back to London to be closer to her remaining family.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.