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.

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.

Today we return to Martha's Vineyard and the happy group that traveled there in 1948 for a Portuguese-American Civic League convention. I love the period bus in this photo; I can't make out all the lettering on the roof, but it appears to say, "Martha's Vineyard Sightseeing Line." The bungalow in the background suggests to me that this is Oak Bluffs. The man in the forefront is named in other photos as "Mr. Ramos," and I get the sense he had quite the personality. You can see my pépère, Victor Faria Soares, Sr., peering over Mr. Ramos' shoulder; then two down to the right is pépère's brother, Manuel (I think), then Victor's daughter, Beatrice, and wife, Rose (in the hat). In the front row are Manuel's daughters Anna, left, and Marilyn, right.

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.

Yesterday we saw the men of the family in 1938; today it's the ladies' turn. From left to right, Aunt Alexina, my mémère, Rose Raymond Soares, her daughter, Beatrice, and her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Soares, who is holding her own daughter, Anna. Aunt Alexina was Rose's aunt. She was the sister of my great-grandmother, Celina Trahan Raymond. I did not know anything about her until my Uncle Arthur sent me these photographs. She sounds like an interesting person, and I'll have more to say about her in the future!

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 enforced confinement due to the incredible heat inspired me to work on some old photographs. My late, beloved uncle, Arthur Soares, digitized over 300 images of the Soares family about a decade ago. They date from the 1930s on and are a real treasure-trove. I will be sharing the best in the days to come. Today, I present this delightful scene of my mémère, Rose Raymond Soares, on a trip to Martha's Vineyard. (She is in the center, and being embraced by the guy in the hat.) I have no clues to the identity of most of these people. However, the little girls in front may be cousins Anna and Marilyn Soares; their mother, Elizabeth, may be behind them; and their father, Manuel Faria Soares (my great-uncle) may be to the right of Rose. I just think the expression on Mémère's face is amazing! I thought members of the Soares clan gathered now on MV might enjoy this!