Birth

 Nan was born in 1925 in the 3rd floor one bedroom apartment. Her parents were barely making ends meet  when she arrived. Love surrounded her with family, friends, neighbors, of the young couple. The rent was $15 a month, which was almost a hardship. Joe, her father, adored his first daughter. Every moment at home he rocked her, played patty-cake, sang "I am a little teapot", and wrapped her in his arms at bedtime.

Nan's first sister was born two years later in a two bedroom third floor apartment. The girls were two years apart, now the rent was $17.25 a month. With four mouths to feed Joe worked two jobs but made it home to put the girls to bed and kiss them good night.

The third sister was on the way when Joe made a down payment on a home across the street from St. Francis Assisi Church. He was so proud of his family and his new job at the city bank. The church was raising funds to build a school for the surrounding Catholic families. The money was raised to build a convent for the nuns to teach the children. It took a few years but it all fell together when Nan's brother was born.

BOY 0 BOY 0 BOY 0 BOY! Yes Joe wanted a son and of course his name was JOE. Irish families passed down generation after generation the same namesake. Their parents did it and so did their grandparents. There was no straying from tradition.

Then two years later the last sister was born. It was a family full of fun loving parents. They lived down the street from Irish, Polish, Italian, Greek, African, Mexican families. The average family had six to nine children, not a lot of birth control back in those days. The city was bursting with new schools, playgrounds, parks, hospitals and corner stores. There was a downtown that was three blocks long. A barber shop, shoe repair, dry cleaners, beauty salon, traffic light, corner bar, 5 cent and 10 cent store with a soda fountain shop at the end of each block.

With 5 children and a mortgage there was no room for a car payment. Joe walked to work. The family had playmates galore with 35 cousins with 15 miles. Every weekend consisted of a birthday, baptism, holy communion, confirmation, wedding of some type of celebration that brought them all to Joe's house.

Way to go Joe!