FIVE JOHNS THREE

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ABOVE: A European charcoal depicts a young John Kanis I, circa 1827

John Kanis I was born in Europe in 1821 and arrived in America in 1854. He had six children. His first son, born in Cincinnati in 1858, was named John as well. John II had two sons, the eldest being Clarence A Kanis who was born in 1886.

It's not known what the "A" stood for, but Clarence lived nearly his entire life carrying that name. Sometime prior to his death, Clarence purchased foot stones from The Fisk Monument Company in Cincinnati for both he and his wife Nettie's graves. Clarence’s foot stone was engraved as Clarence A Kanis, as was his given name. However, on his deathbed, Clarence converted to Catholicism and took his father John's name as his middle name. He died just days later as Clarence John Kanis.

His only son, Earl Kanis, was born in 1916. After returning from the war, Earl converted to Catholicism as well. He also took John as his middle name just as his father had done. Earl had six children, five being boys. In 1955, in keeping with the family tradition, he named his fourth child John.

John III is the fifth Kanis to carry the name John but only the third with the exact name of John Kanis. John III however had three children all of which were daughters. So it appears the chain of Johns will stop with this generation.

However, John Kanis III's older brother Richard has started a tradition of his own, now having both a son and grandson carrying his same name of Richard Francis Kanis.  

- John Kanis III