Eldest sons in Katers clan share dad's birth date

October 14 trio

EDMONTON, Alberta - Three generations of Edmonton's Katers have this much in common: their surname, the fact that they were the eldest sons and.... their birthday. Grandfather Jannes, father Bert and son Kevin all were born on October 14, which made their births a day-late birthday present for great-grandfather Roelof who himself arrived on October 13, 1889. Jannes Katers turned 80 this year.

It is easy to tease this Edmonton Dutch-Canadian family about such matters but Bert let the world know that birthdays are to be taken serious when he married his sweetheart whose birthday (June 26) coincided with that of his mother's.

The family 'tradition' was started in Steenwijk, where great-grandfather Roelof eked out a living as a house painter. Jannes initially worked in his father's trade but became a builder in Indonesia after serving there as a volunteer in the Dutch army. He had chosen to stay there after independence day, found a job and sponsored his family to join him but was sent packing in 1954. Two years later, the Katers were moving again, this time to Canada where they settled in Edmonton.

Bert who works for Esso has moved about Alberta, but Jannes, has lived the major part of his life in Edmonton. All three October 14-men presently reside in the Alberta capital.