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.

Another photo of what seems to have been a really fun trip to the Vineyard in 1948! I have no idea who the guy in the middle is, but that's my mémère, Rose Raymond Soares, on the left, and her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Soares, on the right. I think the vinho might have been flowing at this Portuguese-American Civic League convention!

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!