Family prepares to blow out lots and lots of candles

Julia Gonyer, born in 1978, her father, Richard Stiff, born in 1947, and her daughter, Kourtney Gonyer, born in 2011, share Jan. 4 birthdays. Mr. Stiff holds a photo of his father, Marshall, born in 1924, Mrs. Gonyer, and himself celebrating at a local restaurant in 1995. Marshall Stiff, who lived in West Toledo, died in 2000. THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Well, that takes the cake.

Rather, cakes: It would take not one, nor two, nor three, but four to celebrate the Jan. 4 birthdays in Richard Stiff's family.

It was his late father, Marshall Stiff, who gave birth to the tradition.

Marshall was born Jan. 4, 1924.

Richard was born Jan. 4, 1947.

Richard's daughter, Julia Gonyer, was born Jan. 4, 1978.

Julia's daughter, Kourtney, was born Jan. 4, 2011.

Of the four, Richard, Julia, and Kourtney are their families' first-born children.

"Three out of four. That's pretty high odds," said Richard, who considers the generation-to-generation Jan. 4 birthdays as golly-gene gee whiz.

Reaction to the quadruple curiosity ranges from "You've got to be kidding" to "That's kind of creepy."

Kourtney's first birthday will be marked Wednesday with family photo sessions, but the big party for the "princess in training" is set for Sunday.

"She gets her own day. It's a big deal to share all of our birthdays, but Dad and I have had so many birthdays already. It's her turn now," said Mrs. Gonyer.

She and her husband, Kris, and their daughter live in Sylvania Township; Richard, manager of a downtown Toledo building, and his wife, Ruth, live in the city of Sylvania.

Kourtney's home will be transformed into a "Winter Onederland" for her first-birthday celebration, complete with a snowflake smash cake (it's a small cake designed for 1-year-olds to paw and gnaw through all on their own). Chocolate cupcakes, decorated with snowflakes, will be served to guests.

Chocolate birthday cakes were a tradition in the Stiff family. Marshall, Richard, and Julia used to dine on their birthdays at the Bill Knapp's restaurant on Monroe Street.

They fondly recall how each would go home with a chocolate layer cake, compliments of the restaurant.

"We would walk out of there with three cakes," Mr. Stiff said, noting that those birthday dinners were among his dad's favorite family times. "Those were really special days for him." As a bonus, each got a discount on his or her bill, based on age. A treasured family photo shows the trio at the restaurant on Jan. 4, 1995. The restaurant chain has closed.

Marshall, who lived in West Toledo, died in 2000.

Nobody scheduled the four-star delivery dates; all were natural births.

Kourtney was due Jan. 3. "We mentioned that maybe she would be born on our birthday, but we didn't seriously think that would happen," Mr. Stiff said.

Julia, due on Dec. 21, was born two weeks late. "We figured we would not get a tax deduction after all, but we got a beautiful baby instead," said Mrs. Stiff.

She and baby Julia had been home from the hospital only a couple weeks when warnings went up about an approaching winter storm, a storm that would paralyze the Toledo area. "Julia was a blizzard baby," Mrs. Stiff said.

Richard and Julia have long considered it an honor to share a birthdate. "I like it," said Mrs. Gonyer, a speech-language pathologist.

It's too soon to know how Kourtney will react when she learns that she was born on the same date as her mother, grandfather, and great-grandfather. "She might not like it," her mother said, but the family hopes Kourtney will embrace the uncanny calendar coincidence.

January birthday traditions included giving Julia rings adorned with garnet, her birthstone, and she said she might continue that tradition for Kourtney when she is older.

If you're wondering … no, they don't sing Happy Birthday over and over and over. Rather, they sing the song through once and string the names together.

"Happy Birthday, dear Marshall and Richard and Julia," they would sing. Now, it will be "Happy Birthday, dear Richard and Julia and Kourtney."

This year, however, Kourtney will be the only name mentioned when loved ones sing "Happy Birthday" to her for the first time at her party.

Coming up with January party themes can be a challenge, Mrs. Gonyer said. "You have to get creative and come up with fun things to do indoors." Sledding or ice-skating parties are possible, providing guests are willing to bundle up for outdoor activities.

Mrs. Gonyer said birthday parties weren't high on her wish list when she was growing up. "It was so cool being born on my father's and grandfather's birthday," she said. "Guess for me, that was sufficient."

And now, Mrs. Gonyer doesn't mind at all sharing Jan. 4 with her daughter. "It wasn't planned for Kourtney to be born on my birthday, but it happened, and she is the best gift ever."

Contact Janet Romaker at: jromaker@theblade.com or 419-724-6006.