This is a picture taken of my mom Viola when she was ten years old.
This is her favorite picture of herself. She was living in Reading, MA when
her mom Edith LaChance had this picture taken of her. Pony pictures were
very popular years ago.
Mom enjoyed growing up in Reading. Her step-father Arthur LaChance
worked in Wakefield, Ma in the Wakefield Rattan Factory. Arthur is
standing in the back row next to last right in this picture of his shop.
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Mom lived in an old house on Auburn Street which her mom Edith
decorated in grand style. Her parlor had all rattan/wicker furniture.
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Mom had a good childhood on Auburn Street. Here she is with
her best friend June. They are holding Mom's two stuffed
animals...an elephant named Alphy and a pig named Piggy.
These were free with a box of chocolates from Merrick's
Drug Store.
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A boarder, John Casey, who was a friend of Arthur also became
a good friend to my mother and grandmother. He bought my mother
her first camera for her birthday...an Agafa. She has been
taking pictures ever since.
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Arthur sold his Auburn Street home to my Mom's step-sister Dot
when Mom was fourteen. She hated leaving her home and family
and moving to Alstead,New Hampshire. She soon made new friends
at Vilas High School. She participated in the 4 H Club and won
many ribbons for sewing.
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After Mom graduated from Vilas High School in 1937 she visted her
sister Dot in Reading, Massachusetts. Her brother-in-law Dick had a
brother named Fred. Mom knew Fred and his family since she was
a young girl when she lived in Reading. Mom married him in October 1937.
Dad worked for the Reading Highway Department. Mom had six angels.
She always called children "Angels". I was first born in 1938. Then
my brother Fred was born in 1940. Here is a picture of Mom and Fred.
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Mom and 3 Angels, Fred, Rita and Nancy
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Mom and Brenda, Angel 4
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Five Angels
Nancy, Fred, Rita, Al and Brenda
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Six Angels
Nancy, Fred, Rita, Brenda, Al and Harry
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Imagine six angels now for my Mom and Dad to feed. He and Mom always
planted a vegetable garden. We lived in a large three room apartment
building. Every room served as a bedroom except for the pantry and
bathroom.
Dad
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Mom had a very best friend in the "Block",our apartment building.
Her name was Alice and she had once been my Mom's sister Dot's friend.
Phylis, Mom and Alice
In 1958 Mom and Dad purchased a home in North Reading. The family
was not so crowded. I had married before they had purchased their
new home and I was expecting my first "Angel". Here is Mom and Dad
with their new home. The little one was Alice's grand-daughter.
Mom just turned eighty four. Three years ago, my sister Brenda and her
husband Jack took Mom on a trip across the United States. While in
Florida, they purchased a winter home to escape the weather in Maine.
Mom enjoyed the birds in Busch Gardens, Florida.
Mom now has her six angels, twenty three grand-angels,
twenty eight great-grand-angels and two great-great-grand-angels.
Mom loves all of her angels.
