ONCE LONG AGO

that's me and my mom down front,

behind me my sister Irene, cousin Rosemary (who lived in the next town, Orange, but often stayed with us) and sister Joan,

behind Irene is our grandmother Dempsey who lived with us,

next to her our Irish immigrant grandmother Lally, who lived down the street,

then Aunt Peggy who lived down the street,

behind her Aunt Mary, who lived next door,

the bald guy in back was the boarder in our house, Jack Dougherty,

in front of him my Aunt Rose, Rosemary's widowed mother,

and behind my mom my Uncle John who appears to be grimacing,

he was Aunt Mary's husband, a very kind and gentle man,

but he died fairly young of cancer

and this photo was taken I would guess not too long before that occurred...

all gone now, except for Irene and me, as in most of these old family photos...