Those were the days: The Soares clan, with friends & neighbors

Vintage photographs from the 1930s and beyond from the family of Victor Faria Soares, Sr. and Rose Raymond Soares of Somerset, Mass., my grandparents. These were digitized by my uncle, Arthur Faria Soares, who also provided me with many stories about my family and his experiences growing up. The children of Rose and Victor Sr. were: Victor Jr., Beatrice, Raymond (my father), and Arthur.

My mémère, Rose Raymond Soares, and her daughter, Bea, reading in the kitchen of the house at 204 Sherman Road, Somerset, Mass. Rose grew up speaking French at home (her parents did not speak English). She learned to speak Portuguese so she could communicate with her mother-in-law, Anna. Mémère had a fourth-grade education. The way she told it, the teacher told her she had passed, and she thought that meant she had finished her schooling. My Uncle Arthur said his mother loved to read the newspaper, especially the crime stories. When I heard that, I knew immediately why "In Cold Blood" has been one of my favorite books since I was 16.