Friday Family Photo--The generations

In the black and white photo taken probably in August or September 1935, we see my uncle John and his wife Opal holding baby Evelyn, John's parents (my grandparents) Joe and Bessie, and Bessie's parents (my great grandparents) Bill and Leanor. Evelyn was the first grandchild and first great grandchild, so this is what I'd call a Four generations photograph. By the time I came along, there were so many grandchildren it was no big deal, but I did live on the same block as my great grandparents, so there is a photo of me at age 5 with her.


Fast forward 58 years. Now here is a real generations photo! In the color photo taken in July 1993 in Mt. Morris, IL, we see the descendants and spouses of Joe and Bessie, who both died in 1983. At their 60th wedding anniversary in 1972, they had 23 grandchildren and 31 great granchildren, but I'm not sure what the count was 21 years later. Aunt Opal is the only one from the b & w photo still alive at the 1993 reunion. She is the white haired woman in the dark shirt with sun glasses in what might be called row 3 a little to the right, sitting next to me in the pink dress. Evelyn died in 1978. I think one of Evelyn's sons is in front of Aunt Opal. My husband is behind me, my daughter behind him with her hands on his shoulders, and her fiance, now husband, behind her. My parents are next to me with my sister Carol next to Dad and my brother in front of him. My other sister was at the reunion but isn't in the photo.