My dad, Mike

Ok, I've been talking 1850's a lot here, so now a fast-foreward is in order. (Besides, I have pictures of dad but not a lot of his brothers or sisters, so we'll have to start there).

Michael Francis was born in January of 1913, so I think this was his first summer, and George was expected to watch him.

This sepia picture was probably taken about 1920. That's grandpa Anton and grandma Lizzy with dad circled and the twins Ted and Matt in front. The boys in back are adopted kids from the orphan trains-the tall one I think was George, and I don't know the younger one. (George stayed with the family for years--the last evidence I have of him was when he was 26, in the 1930 census. Dad said the other adopted son didn't like the farm, tho, and left as soon as he could).

Again, Mike is circled--I figure this picture was taken about 1940--sitting is Anthony, Lizzy, Anton and Rose..next row, Henry, Katherine, Veronica and Michael, with Matthias and Theodore in back.

I think this photo was taken before he went into the Army, and probably that last one was, too. He would have been 29.

Dads' Army years.....

Wedding, in 1946...

...and on Josh's first birthday, in 1972, our four generation picture.