Latest news with #quadruplets
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Dark secrets behind America's dancing quadruplets who were driven to madness by their Hitler-worshipping dad's sick perversions - as last of the tragic Morlok sisters dies aged 95
Before they had names, they had initials. There was baby A, baby B, baby C and baby D – and their birth from a single egg in Lansing, Michigan, on May 19, 1930, was hailed as a modern-day miracle. No sooner had the quadruplet sisters taken their first breath than their notoriety had spread throughout America and the rest of the world. However, within just a few years, the 'Morlok Quads' – Edna, Wilma, Sarah and Helen – had become a freak show of the most sinister kind, orchestrated by their perverted, Nazi-sympathiser father. Many of the family's darkest secrets have now been taken to the grave after the last-surviving sister, Sarah, died at the age of 95 last month. But the shadowy legacy of the so-called 'house of horrors' in which they grew up lingered long into the 21st century. First though, back to 1930, when the Great Depression hung heavy in the air and the 79,000 people then living in Lansing – the capital of Michigan – were desperate for something to celebrate. Among them was Carl Morlok, a 41-year-old unemployed factory worker, and his wife Sadie, a nurse ten years his junior, who was so heavily pregnant she believed she was expecting twins. There were no ultrasound scans then, but Carl, a vehement white supremacist, wasn't happy about the thought of his wife giving birth to more than one child at the same time. He believed it was a sign of low-breeding and something that happened mainly to black women. 'Aren't you a white woman?' he is said to have shouted at his heavily pregnant wife, according to Audrey Clare Farley's 2023 biography of the Morloks, Girls And Their Monsters. 'What will they think my wife is? A b**** dog?' The girls were born one month prematurely and astonished the city's medical teams, with the Historical Society of Greater Lansing proclaiming their birth to be that of the world's first identical quadruplets. Once the news spread, the city – and the country – soon went into a frenzy. Sadie wanted to call her daughters Jean, Jane, June and Joan. But local newspaper the Lansing State Journal organised a naming competition for the girls, which attracted 12,000 entries. The winner was ten-year-old Nancy Haynes, daughter of the physician who delivered the quads. She selected four names which started with E, W, S and H – matching the initials of the E.W. Sparrow Hospital where they were delivered. They were the talk of the town – and it wasn't long before Lansing was investing in their future. The local authority passed a resolution to enable the Morloks to move into a bigger house, which would be rent-free for one year. That house was 1023 East Saginaw Street in Lansing, which, over the following decades, turned into their 'house of horrors'. The babies became celebrities long before they could crawl, with people driving by or lining up near the front porch to get a glimpse of them. The Massachusetts Carriage Company donated a custom-made baby pram with four seats, locals turned up with gifts, and businessmen opened bank accounts for each child. Carl became known as 'jolly Carl, daddy 4-of-a-kind' in news coverage – and he quickly realised that he could capitalise on his daughters' extraordinary birth, erecting a sign that allowed visitors to enter the Morlok home to see them for 25 cents. But the dark side of their fame quickly became clear. Shortly after their birth, two men were admitted into the house by the girls' grandmother. The men grabbed two of the babies and were about to escape when Carl walked through the door and scared them off. From that moment on, their father would patrol the house and garden with a shotgun, and sleep with a revolver under his pillow every night. He was protective of his daughters – but for all the wrong reasons. 'The Morloks had this reputation of being the 'all-American family', US academic Dr Farley told The Mail on Sunday. 'The newspapers, locally and nationally, would write one puff piece after another about these girls – everything was picture-perfect.' Except it wasn't. Everything was horrific. When they were less than a year old, German-born Carl – a vocal supporter of Adolf Hitler – put himself up for the role of Lansing constable, a senior position within the city's police department. He used photos of his daughters on his campaign advertisements, with the slogan: 'We will appreciate your support.' He won by a landslide and held the post for 26 years, allowing him to serve warrants, notices and other legal papers, as well as carry a gun and badge. With his newly-invested powers, he poured his resources into his daughters and trained them to be a stage troupe. By the age of seven, they were touring music halls across the Midwest, earning hundreds with their matching dresses, cherubic smiles and performances of patriotic, religious tunes. Offstage, their lives were no song and dance. The older they became, the more their father exerted control over everything they did. Carl wrote them a list of 20 rules, which included no wearing of trousers, no holidays, no friends, no weekend jollies, no swimming lessons, no birthday parties, no picnics, no church activities – and certainly no boyfriends. They were never to marry or have children – although Sarah was eventually the only one who did after her father's death in 1957. Carl went to such lengths to maintain his daughters' 'purity' that he even had a surgeon circumcise Wilma and Helen – a common medical procedure for 'oversexed' women in that era – so they could not masturbate. He removed all the doors in the house so he could watch as they changed their clothes or used the bathroom, even when they changed their sanitary pads. His obsession with their virginity was fuelled by Nazi fears of mixing races, and yet, as Dr Farley pointed out: 'The media were always portraying the girls as these emblems of cheerful white American girlhood, and, during the war, as fighters of fascism.' It later emerged that, although Carl never raped his daughters, he would 'fondle' them to test whether they were allowed to socialise with men; if they resisted his advances, he concluded they must be 'good girls'. By the time the Morlok Quads reached the age of 24, they were severely struggling with their mental health – which was soon diagnosed as schizophrenia. All of them, except for Sarah, were given electroconvulsive therapy. All spent their 20s in and out of psychiatric institutions. However, even throughout their illnesses, they were used as pawns. They were referred to the National Institute of Mental Health, a newly formed body in Maryland, where a team of 30 researchers, led by Dr David Rosenthal, studied them from 1955 until 1958. The culmination of this research was Dr Rosenthal's 1963 book snappily titled: The Genain Quadruplets: A Case Study And Theoretical Analysis Of Heredity And Environment In Schizophrenia. The Morloks were given the pseudonym 'Genain' – Greek for 'dire birth' – to protect their identity. Dr Rosenthal's report comprised no fewer than 636 pages, but was hardly revelatory. One of his conclusions was that the quads were victims of an 'unhappy collusion of nature and nurture'. The girls were called back in the 1980s and 1990s for further research. They were subjected to lumbar puncture – a medical procedure to collect fluid from their spines – as well as blood, urine and hormonal tests. However, according to Dr Farley, 'no one bothered to discern what occupied their minds'. The girls were called back in the 1980s and 1990s for further research. They were subjected to lumbar puncture – a medical procedure to collect fluid from their spines – as well as blood, urine and hormonal tests The only quad who went on to lead what could be described as a near-normal life was Sarah (pictured). Following her father's death in 1957, she found work as a legal secretary and typist in Washington DC Three of the quads – Edna, Wilma and Helen – were eventually institutionalised at Northville Psychiatric Hospital, in the suburbs of Detroit, which closed in 2003. The only one who went on to lead what could be described as a near-normal life was Sarah. Following her father's death, she found work as a legal secretary and typist in Washington DC. In 1961, she met George Cotton, an American Air Force officer, at a church group and they married that same year. They had two sons – one of whom, William, died from Aids in 1994 – and a daughter, who died at birth. Their only surviving child is David Cotton, who is now 55 and living in Canton, Michigan. 'If my grandfather, Carl, hadn't died I would not be here today,' he told The Mail on Sunday. 'My mother would never have married while he was alive. He was clearly a devil who exerted such extreme control over his daughters.' Sarah and George, however, were not together for long. 'My father was completely messed up and left when I was very young,' said David. 'He never wanted contact with me, but I remained so close to my mother. She was a loving person, who somehow got a perspective of her life despite everything she went through.' In 2015, Sarah wrote a memoir, The Morlok Quadruplets: The Alphabet Sisters, which glossed over many of the wretched details of her early life. The only clue to her traumatic relationship with her father is found in one extract in which she wrote: '[We] felt like tin soldiers marching to my father's rules. It was kind of sad growing up. We felt so restricted.' She was full of praise for her mother who died in 1983 – even though Sadie has since been the subject of criticism for not trying to stop her husband's brutality. 'Our mother used to dress us in pretty little identical crocheted sweaters and bonnets in spring and summer, or snow pants in winter,' Sarah wrote in her memoir. 'Then she would carefully seat two of us facing the other two in the carriage and go for a nice stroll around the block.' Sarah was once asked when she first realised that she was different from other children. 'Well, I think it was in our dancing chorus rehearsal when I glanced to the right, then to the left, and saw three other people who looked just like me, danced just like me and sang just like me,' she said. She went on to outlive her sisters by more than 20 years. Edna died in 1994, Wilma in 2002 and Helen in 2003. In her latter years, Sarah opened up to Dr Farley and they spoke regularly on the telephone – the last time just two weeks before her death. 'Sarah never had it in her to write a tell-all memoir,' said Dr Farley. 'It just wasn't in her nature. Her father was a monster and her mother clearly went along with it to some degree, not least for financial reasons. 'Sarah's Christian faith was so important to her. She believed God was going to have the last word – and she held on to that until the end.'
Times
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Sarah Morlok Cotton obituary: Last of ‘miracle' Morlok quadruplets
On May 19, 1930, Sadie Morlok went into labour a month early. She suspected she was pregnant with twins, but proceeded to deliver four identical girls whom the nurses identified with different-coloured wristbands. For four babies to be born from a single egg was considered a medical miracle at that time, and their births caused a sensation. The press and newsreel companies, both domestic and international, had a field day. The quadruplets' local newspaper in Lansing, Michigan, held a naming competition that attracted 12,000 entries and was won by the ten-year-old daughter of the doctor who delivered the babies. She suggested Edna, Wilma, Sarah and Helen to match the initials of the EW Sparrow Hospital where they were born, and the girls were given the middle initials A, B,C and D. The city council gave the family free housing, medical support and milk. Wellwishers donated money and knitted clothes. A Massachusetts pram company made a special four-seater. People turned up at the family's modest home in the hope of glimpsing the girls, and soon Sadie, a nurse, and her husband, Carl, a factory worker, were charging them 25c for admission. Carl — dubbed 'Jolly Carl' by the newspapers — ran for the post of city constable using pictures of his daughters in his campaign leaflets, won comfortably and held the post for 26 years. When the girls were old enough, Sadie signed them up for singing and dancing lessons. Before long they were performing on stage across the northeastern United States, wearing identical outfits and delighting audiences during the Depression. But their outward appeal concealed the darkness of their family life. Carl, their father, was a Nazi sympathiser of German descent, and an extreme authoritarian whose mother had been mentally disturbed. He was dismayed when his wife gave birth to quads. 'What will they think my wife is — a bitch dog,' he allegedly exclaimed. He refused to let his daughters mix with other children or take part in extracurricular school activities. He did not take them on vacations, allow them to wear trousers or let them enjoy themselves at weekends. As they grew up he banned them from having boyfriends and began sexually abusing them. He had two of them — Helen and Wilma — surgically circumcised in their teens to prevent them from masturbating. He was 'one of the worst fathers on earth' and their home was a 'house of horrors', said Audrey Clare Farley, an academic who revealed their true story in a 2023 book entitled Girls and Their Monsters. They were 'presented as smiling and happy children when they were being controlled, manipulated and abused by their dad. Since their mom did nothing to stop him, she was complicit.' Sarah, the last surviving sibling, had written in a 2015 memoir, The Morlok Quadruplets: The Alphabet Sisters: 'We often felt like little tin soldiers marching to my father's rules. It was kind of sad growing up. We felt so restricted.' The memoir glossed over the horrors of her youth. One by one the girls developed mental problems. Helen was removed from school the year Sadie was named Lansing's mother of the year, and kept at home. Edna quit her job at 20 and was put in an institution. A year later Wilma was diagnosed with schizophrenia, followed by Sarah. All but Sarah were given electroconvulsive therapy. When the girls turned 24, they were invited to participate in a study of schizophrenia at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). They lived on its campus in Bethesda, Maryland, for the next three years while a large team of psychologists, psychoanalysts, sociologists and other experts sought to determine whether their illness was caused by nature or nurture. The result was a rather inconclusive 636-page tome entitled 'The Genain Quadruplets: A Case Study and Theoretical Analysis of Heredity and Environment in Schizophrenia', which was published in 1963. The quads were given the pseudonym 'Genain' — Greek for 'dire birth' — to protect their privacy. Of the four girls, only Sarah recovered sufficiently to lead an independent life, perhaps because she received better treatment than her siblings at the NIMH or because she had been less badly abused by her father. While the other three returned to Lansing and were eventually institutionalised at the now-defunct Northville Psychiatric Hospital, she remained in the Washington-Baltimore area and found work as a legal secretary. In 1961 she married George Cotton, an air force officer whom she had met through her church youth group. They had three children: a girl who died at birth and two sons, William, who died in 1994, and David. It was not a happy marriage, but Sarah loyally stayed with her husband until he left her. Later in life she followed David back to her native Michigan. Wilma died in 2002, Helen in 2003 and Edna in 2015, leaving her as the last of the once-famous 'Morlok Quads'. Sarah Morlok Cotton was born on May 19, 1930. She died on July 7, 2025, aged 95
The Sun
05-08-2025
- General
- The Sun
I'm Britain's oldest quads mum at 50 & also a gran-of-12 – haters tell me I'm selfish manufacturing so many children
BROWSING the school uniform aisle Tracey Britten piles 40 pairs of socks and underwear into her trolley, as well as 20 vests. At home Tracey, 57, already has eight new lunch boxes, matching bottles, four school bags, PE kits, and logoed cardigans and jumpers ready for September. 10 10 10 But Tracey isn't shopping for her 12 grandchildren but rather for her six-year-old quadruplets. In October 2018 T racey became the oldest mum in Britain to give birth to quads at the age of 50. She was also the oldest verified mum in the world to give birth via IVF to quadruplets using her own eggs. A team of 35 medics including specialist doctors and nurses delivered the IVF tots - three girls and a boy - defying eight million-to-one odds. For Tracey it was nothing short of a miracle, but the gran-of-12 admits that not everyone sees it that way. 'When people realise I have quads and they're nearly seven, you can see them doing the maths,' Tracey says. "I'm proud of what I have achieved. 'Some people are horrified and I've been accused of manufacturing children but I don't care what the haters think.' Tracey, an aesthetic practitioner and author, lives in a three-bedroom council house in Enfield with roofer husband Stephen, 46, and their six-year-old quads: George, Francesca, Fredrica and Grace. She's also mum to a daughter aged 39 and sons aged 38 and 28 from a previous marriage and nan to 12 grandchildren ages 18 to four months old. Britain's oldest mum of quadruplet's Tracey says she is the 'happiest woman alive' now all four of her babies are home for Christmas Tracey, who first became a mum at 18, divorced her older children's dad in 2003 and admits she wasn't interested in finding love again let alone extending her family. But in 2005, Tracey met roofer Stephen, ten years her junior, through locals in her area. She says: 'Despite the age gap, I was smitten, I knew he was my soulmate.' The couple married in April 2012, on Tracey's mum and dad's wedding anniversary, and while Stephen didn't have any children Tracey says she 'sensed' he wanted a family. 'I couldn't ignore my maternal urge even though I was 48,' Tracey says. 'When my mum had died of heart disease in 2007 she had left me some money which I'd put aside and Stephen and I decided to use it to make our dreams come true.' At 48 Tracey was too old to qualify for NHS funded fertility treatment and so sought out a specialist clinic in North Cyprus, where IVF is available up to age 55 or even 58 if the woman is healthy. Tracey explains as part of her IVF regime she had to use hormone patches and injections to thicken her womb lining. 10 10 10 This also encouraged her ovaries to produce more eggs on her first cycle with the clinic for harvesting. "We had a donor on standby but I didn't need her,' Tracey explains. Of the eggs Tracey produced on her IVF stimulation cycle consultants selected four of her best quality eggs. They were used to create four embryos with Stephen's sperm. 'On implantation day, I was shaking with excitement and nerves, holding Stephen's hand,' Tracey recalls. In March 2018, four embryos were transferred and three weeks later the couple got their wish - a positive pregnancy test. It was during their nine week scan that the parents discovered that they were expecting not one, not two but four babies. 'I sat there, stunned,' Tracey says. 'I felt a mix of joy, fear, relief, and disbelief - it all hit us at once.' The chances of naturally conceiving quads at 50 are almost zero via IVF and carrying them to term and using her own eggs is one in eight million according to CDC and Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology research. "One did not take, of the remaining three - one of the embryos had split resulting in identical twins alongside the two other babies," explains Tracey. While Tracey and Stephen were over the moon, the pregnancy wasn't without controversy. Back in the UK, doctors warned that carrying four babies at 50 was high risk and urged Tracey to consider selective reduction. 'They wanted to terminate Francesca and Fredrica,' Tracey explains. 'I was devastated, I cried to my daughter, who told me to trust my gut. I couldn't give them up.' While the majority of doctors in Britain warned Tracey against carrying all four babies to term she did additional research into multiple births. After speaking to specialist multiple birth consultants one here and one in the USA, Tracey and Stephen felt reassured it could be done. 'I knew I'd need a C-section and that my babies would be premature but I refused to let anyone take them away,' Tracey says. At the 30 week scan, doctors discovered one of the baby's blood flows was slowing and they made the decision to deliver them early. On October 26, 2018, at 31 weeks pregnant, Tracey delivered her quads via C-section at London's University College Hospital with 35 medical staff in the room including a specialist team of doctors and nurses for each baby. Francesca arrived first at 10.01am, weighing 2lb 12oz. 10 10 Her identical twin Fredrica followed one minute later, at 1lb 12oz. Grace came next at 10.03am, 2lb 7oz. Last was George, born at 10.05am, a healthy 3lb 10oz. 'It was a true miracle,' says Tracey. After seven weeks in ICU, the family finally brought their fab four back home. What followed was a 24-hour whirlwind of feeds, nappy changes and broken sleep. 'Having one baby is exhausting bringing home four was a military operation,' Tracey recalls. 'I was lucky to get two hours of sleep a night. It was like running a baby bootcamp.' Stephen left for work at 6.30am and Tracey was up at 6am to start her strict routine. 'Each baby was fed every two to three hours,' she recalls. 'I did two at a time - feed, change, burp, start again. We went through 24 bottles a day, 25 nappies, and about eight outfit changes.' Tracey kept the washing machine going five times a day and was in bed by 7pm while Stephen took over. 'People thought I was mad but the quads loved the routine,' she recalls. Despite suffering from sciatica, she never missed a park trip or supermarket run. "In my 50's I had more patience than I did as a teen mum,' she admits. "I had more knowledge and experience than I did as a younger mother. "Sometimes I wished I had the energy I did when I was a young mum but at 57 I know I achieved a near impossible feat.' While Tracey delighted in being a mum again she admits that she did struggle with her emotions at times. 'Sometimes I just sat and cried,' she says. 'Stephen and I would look at each other like, 'What have we done?' But we never regretted it. 'When I looked at them my heart would burst.' In September 2022, just as the quads were preparing to start reception, the family faced a massive blow. The rental house that the family had called home for two years was sold and they faced homelessness and the family left 12 months later in February 2023. 'The council put us in a Travelodge in Finchley,' Tracey says. 'We were there for nearly five months, all six of us in one room. It was horrible but we made it work.' In July 2023, the family were finally offered a three-bed council house in Enfield. 'It became our sanctuary,' Tracey says. 'We could finally breathe and get the kids into a proper routine ahead of starting school that September. 'At the school gates I still get the odd look, but the other mums and dads are great. 'I wouldn't swap the school run for a retirement cruise.' The quads settled into school life well but in December 2022, George was diagnosed with autism. 'I could see he wasn't developing the same way as his sisters,' Tracey admits. 'Getting a diagnosis was a relief. We knew he needed extra support to shine differently' As they have grown Tracey has seen her four children develop their own separate personalities. 'George prefers Lego and rough-and-tumble to his sisters' games,' Tracey says. 'Francesca is quick-witted and loves jokes, Grace is bossy and sociable while Fredrica is shy and loves cuddles. 'The four have separate friends at school but are still thick as thieves. 'They'll gang up on each other one minute, then be best friends the next like totally normal six-year-olds.' When the quads aren't in school they are likely enjoying a family holiday with the well-travelled kids visiting Greece in 2021 and then Benidorm in 2022. 'Last year, they went to Egypt and it cost us £6,000 for two weeks, including flights,' Tracey says. 'I find the best deals I can.' It's not just holidays where Tracey has learned to budget. The mum and dad spend around £700 a month on groceries. 'For a family of six that's around £150 a week," she says. "Like everyone, gas and electric is a worry so I shopped around and have a great flat rate deal. "To economise I am a keen bargain hunter and use loyalty cards and vouchers because over the years the points add up,' she says. 'We batch cook and we have lots of days out by finding amazing spots to go for free.' Despite their hectic schedule, Tracey says that she and Stephen, 46 still have plenty of time for each other. 'We're still madly in love and only have eyes for each other,' Tracey says. Her extraordinary story has seen Tracey build a loyal following online, with more than 25,000 followers and some of her videos hitting a million views on her @againstallquads TikTok account. 'There's so much curiosity and love,' she says. 'Older mums message me every day asking about IVF and having kids at 50. "I do get plenty of trolls too. 'They tell me I won't be alive to see them grow up and I shouldn't have had kids at 50 but my response is to ignore them.' Despite the hate, Tracey says that becoming a mum again at 50 is still her greatest achievement. 'It was the best, bravest decision I ever made,' Tracey says. 'I look at my four now—super smart, full of beans—and I'm so glad I didn't give up when doctors told me to.' 10
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Couple shocked to become rare parents to have quadruplets conceived naturally: ‘I didn't think it was gonna be four!'
This family got four times the cuteness. A New Jersey couple has defied the odds, welcoming quadruplets — all conceived naturally. Aja (pronounced Asia) Kennon and her fiancé, Emmanuel Volmar, recently became among the few people in the world to experience such an extraordinary pregnancy earlier this month. Kennon and Volmar were excited to expand their family — which already included an 8-year-old son, EJ — when they unexpectedly found out she was pregnant. She assumed that it might be twins because her belly had grown so large, but she was surprised when she saw three heads on the sonogram. 'I didn't think it was gonna be four!' Kennon told The Post. 'This was unexpected.' But it was a quartet of distinct heads, confirming a rare event with odds ranging from one-in-700,000 to one-in-a-million, doctors said. And the July 1 delivery itself was an extraordinary event, involving more than 20 medical professionals — each baby with their own dedicated medical crew at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. 'There was a whole football team in there,' Volmar joked. Kennon easily popped out one healthy baby after the other, each about a minute apart, starting at 10:59 a.m. The miracle babies were all brought home right away, safe and sound. The boys — Ean, Evan and Eamon — share the same first initial 'E' with their dad, while the girl, Alayha, shares an 'A' with her mom. With twins running in both her and Volmar's families, it was meant to be — though, because they learned about the quadruplets on April Fools' Day, people didn't believe them at first. Perhaps even more shocking, Kennon had no complications during her high-risk pregnancy. She even kept working as a USPS mailwoman full-time until seven months into her pregnancy and thinks all the walking helped. 'I was surprised myself by how easy a pregnancy it was, honestly,' Kennon admitted, sharing that her first pregnancy was a bit more difficult, as EJ needed to be induced. Despite the overwhelming nature of raising quadruplets, the couple remains amazingly calm. 'Once we found out that we were having quadruplets, we immediately got the ball rolling. From the moment we found out, we were just, like, 'Okay, let's get the show on the road,'' Kennon said. The couple is now facing a whirlwind of joy and uncertainty as they begin to raise the newborns alongside their elementary schooler. The family, who initially planned for just one more child, quickly had to adjust to the reality of four cribs, quadruple the diapers — and an entirely new life. They've also decided to delay a wedding until all their children can walk down the aisle and participate. But, thanks to their pre-planning and support system — Volmar's mother has fortunately moved in for now — they've jumped into parenting five children quite easily. Reality check: Dad does admit that the feeding schedule is especially demanding. 'It's never-ending, and then before you know it, it's time to feed them again,' Volmar told The Post. But even EJ has happily stepped up, offering to feed the babies and change their diapers. And while he loves all his siblings equally, but has a special place in his heart for his sister. 'He's very delicate with his sister, like he'll make sure he kisses her on the head,' Kennon shared. To help with the financial burden, the family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover medical expenses, transportation and the costs associated with caring for quadruplets. 'We are overjoyed, filled with love and gratitude — but we'd be lying if we said we weren't overwhelmed, too,' Kennon wrote on the page. Their community has rallied around them as the news has spread. New Jersey area mom Facebook groups have flooded the comments of posts sharing the news. One woman whom Kennon hasn't spoken to since high school even reached out and asked to coordinate a meal train to help out. Fortunately, thanks to their pre-planning and local support, they've settled into parenting five children very well. According to BECU and the National Diaper Bank Network, they'll likely spend about $4,000 a year on diapers alone. But luckily, they haven't even needed to buy diapers or wipes yet: They have a closet filled with supplies — all donated or gifted. 'Everybody's as shocked as we were when we found out,' Kennon said, joking, 'We're pretty much the center of attention.' Solve the daily Crossword
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Sarah Morlok Cotton, Quadruplet Who Knew Fame and Suffering, Dies at 95
Sarah Morlok Cotton, the last surviving member of a set of identical quadruplets who charmed Depression-era America with song-and-dance performances, and then took part in a landmark psychological study after being diagnosed with schizophrenia, died on July 7 in Belleville, Mich. She was 95. Her death, at an adult foster home, was confirmed by her son David Cotton. The Morlok Quads, as they came to be known, were a medical marvel and attracted crowds of people to Edward W. Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Mich., shortly after they were born there on May 19, 1930. Newspapers held naming contests, and the winning entry suggested names that derived from the first letters of the hospital: Edna, Wilma, Sarah and Helen. The quadruplets' middle names were simply initials denoting their birth order. (Sarah, the third born, was C.) Donations poured in almost immediately. The city of Lansing provided the family with a rent-free home. The Massachusetts Carriage Company sent a custom-made baby carriage with four seats. Businessmen opened bank accounts for each child. 'Lansing's Morlok quadruplets,' The Associated Press wrote, 'are the most famous group of babies on the American continent.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
