Decade 4

1989-1999 (Fred and Sal)
Fred:
5 more weddings happened during this decade (Dawn and Richard, Mike and Bonnie, Pat and Nancy, Maureen and Steve, Sal and Jonathan)
Eleven more grand kids Joanie, Kenny, Will, Peter, Jake, Jack, Brooke,
Holly, Grant, Hannah Nathan, More kids off to college, Kay’s retirement…
And we sadly said Goodbye to Grandma Marie Moriarity.

Sal:
More memories to recount… didn't Dad make wine with sinker Ed in the basement one year and after they tested the finished product, old Ed drove straight down the driveway into the ravine?
It was during this decade that mom drove a bunch of kids all by herself, up to uncle Morries in the oppressive heat of summer… Our vehicle didn’t have an air conditioner and several kids had their feet hanging out the windows to stay cool.
Of course, she was pulled over, somewhere around Anoka for speeding as well as too many limbs hanging out of the vehicle. When the trooper came to the door to tell her she was speeding, he got a earful from mom, something like "Listen if you think you can drive all these rotten kids on a four hour trip in this car with no air conditioning why don't you just get in here and do it?" the cop could only said “drive slower, an have a nice day.. He did NOT give her a ticket!

Fred:
It wasn’t long after that incident that Dad made the rule that we could only talk in the car when we were under bridges! We just couldn’t wait until we went to St. Paul where there were bridges!! There was also a time when we would always go to menards for dinner? Something about free food? Many of us “younger kids” spent most of the summer at the Northview pool… and our favorite was going to family sessions… Mom mostly took us, but on the special occasion that dad joined us, well, we just couldn’t believe he was walking out of the house with a beach towel around his neck and ready to go swimming with us!!
Whenever Mom took us, she would always take us home a “secret way” and let the old suburban COAST!! She’d coast it down the hill by Woogs, and halfway back up the other side! We’d always make little side bets as to how far we would be able to make it up the hill! Sometimes she made us hold our breath to “make the car lighter” so we could “go further”.

Sal:
How about our Francis Family outings to meet Dad at his office in Minneapolis at Juran and Moody to see the Christmas displays at Daytons? Picture 11 kids Walking single file Through the skyways playing follow the leader. Everyone of them talking a mile a minute! (Especially J.J.)