My great grandfather was a lieutenant in the Chicago police department. According to my aunt, he rounded up a number of people to get them to safety. He got them to the river, but the bridge was up and the bridge operator had been ordered to keep it up. When the bridge operator refused to let them cross, my great grandfather pointed his gun at him and told him that either he could lower the bridge, or my great grandfather would do it.

I don’t know if it’s true, but it makes a good story.

If he was an adult in 1871... just seems so long ago, 151 years!

My grandmother was the youngest of 10. She was born in the 1890’s. My dad was born in 1918. I am the youngest of 9, I was born in ‘56. Irish Catholic families made this possible. I am not carrying on the tradition.