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.

Continuing with the theme of "Summer at Home," (we will hit the road again soon), here is my aunt, Beatrice Soares, with her cousins, Anna, left, and Marilyn Soares, and the family dog, Spotty. Anna and Marilyn are the daughters of Manuel Faria Soares, Jr., Pépère's younger brother. This photo was taken at the side entrance of the house, with the kitchen windows seen at the left. I have many photos of Spotty, starting from puppyhood. He accompanied Uncle Art on his paper route, and I will have an anecdote to share about that in the future. Also noteworthy in this photo are the beautiful hydrangeas in the background; the yard was lovingly landscaped by my grandparents.