Due to birth order, there was a nice stair step from Uncle Edward, through my dad then Debbie in the picture above and finally stopping with me as the baby. Now the next generation has continued the stair step down to six year old Imy.
Among the memories tonight was the Prairie Home Companion. PHC was a radio show styled after the old variety shows. During the intermission, you could go to a booth and write notes to be read over the air. I wrote, "Happy birthday to the last of the first four." My great grandfather, grandfather, dad, and brother were all the first born. At one time we got a picture of the four taken at my grandparent's house. Three of the four had died, two quite recently. Little did we know my dad would only have a few short years left himself.
My dad was talking to someone else in the audience when the notes were being read, but, as mine was read, it registered and he looked at me and smiled without saying a word.