Shared Photo: The Easter Parade

+12 votes
263 views

I wanted to share this family photo of Julia O'Neil with the community. Location: Commonwealth Ave, Boston. Date: unknown.
500px-Oliveira-119.jpg
Click here for the image details page or here for the full-sized version (1876 x 1678).

There is a story behind it. In the 1920's Dan  O'neil (That's him on the right standing next to his wife).  was a police officer and he would ride his horse down Commonwealth Avenue as the wealthy folk came out of the Churches and walked down the Avenue showing off their finery.  He wanted a son, and his first child was a boy he named after his father Lawrence.  He wanted another boy to name after himself.  But all his wife seem to give him were girls.  When there were four girls his wife Julia, made matching outfits for them and Dan and Julia proudly marched down Commonwealth Ave for the first time. The Irish had made it. Well, it seemed like every year Julia would have another daughter and each year they would repeat their walk in the Easter Parade. And in 1944, when this picture was taken there were ten girls in the row.  And every serviceman coming home from Europe got a copy of the Post Magazine and that picture was on the cover.  Now we have to break a few of Wikitree rules becuse some of these girls are still living. Both Dan and Julia have passed on and a couple of the girls as well.  And in 1951 my mother wrote a note to her sister Julia and all it said was "I had a boy." The next year Mother received this note from Julia, "So did I".  

WikiTree profile: Julia O'Neil
in The Tree House by David T Robertson G2G6 (8.9k points)
Very cool! Love the story!!!
Great story!

3 Answers

+4 votes
 
Best answer
Great story, David!  It brings life to the newspaper picture.
by Star Kline G2G6 Pilot (808k points)
selected by David T Robertson
+2 votes
Funny story, Thanks for sharing.
by John Noel G2G6 Pilot (769k points)
0 votes
Great story...thanks for sharing.  Children - boys and girls - are a blessing.
by Cheryl Skordahl G2G6 Pilot (304k points)

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