The story goes that Mom, at 3 years-old, wasn’t much interested in ponies, let alone having her picture taken on one. At the moment, she was interested only in playing with her sisters. But, some guy with a lot of heavy photographic equipment and a pony just showed up at the farm. And Mum (as they called their mother) insisted on a picture. The photographer put the disgruntled little Bessie (as she was called then) and her sister, June, on the creature’s back. Eight year-old Vivy held the rope. June and Vivy smiled on cue. Bessie refused.

Maybe Mum remembered that day, over 30 years before when, at 3 years-old, she was forced to have her picture taken with her parents.

And so on.

And so on…

Mom at 3 with two of her sisters, June and Vivy.

My grandmother, Sadie (Mum), at 3 with her parents, George and Isabella Milliron.

My great-grandmother, Isabella Lee Shaffer, on her wedding day.

Isabella Lee’s mother, Polly Harring Shaffer.

My grandmother’s grandmother, Esther Knarr Milliron.