Click on the picture below to see another shot of the whole family
taken not long after the twelfth and last child (Andrew) was born

"Oh me, oh my," says (s)he with a smile!

Yes, that's me in my mother's loving arms. I guess I was just a couple of months old at the time. My birthday was August 17, 1943. My mom liked to name us for the saint for the day of our birth. Unfortunately, August 17 was the feast of St. Hyacinth! Although St. Hyacinth was a guy, my mom and dad thought I might have problems growing up with that handle, so they decided to name me after the saint for the day of my baptism, which blessed event took place three days later, on August 20th, feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. So Bernard it is...

I wasn't the last baby in the family, however--though I was maybe:

the best looking? (nah, that would be Margaret--the cute little girl holding the doll; er..., don't tell the other girls I said this)
the most intelligent? (uh, uh, that would be anyone but me! Actually we all have our talents, intellectual and otherwise)
the most athletic? (I wish; but that would have to be Michael--the little boy in dad's arms)
the most artistic? (wrong again; if you saw Mary's flower arrangements or her dry flower collages, or if you saw Anthony designing a new piece of furniture, you'd have to give them that credit--Mary's the serious-looking young lady on the far right, and Anthony's the mischievous-looking tot sucking his thumb)
the most musical? (nah, Gerard takes the cake in that department--for some reason he's not in the picture; maybe he took it...)
the most effusive and dynamic? (not this child; that credit goes to Josephine--she's the one with her hands on her knees and looking like she owns the place; sadly Josephine passed away in 1992)
the most organized and outgoing? (not by a long shot; that's Barbara's forte--she's the little girl front center who looks like she's plotting something or other or looking to boss someone around)........

There were four more kiddywinks after me. To see a more recent shot, this time of all 12 of my mom's immediate offspring (count 'em), click on the image above. The picture you'll see was taken by a photographer for the Birmingham Post and Mail back in 1950. My father, William (Bill to his friends and business associates), died in 1965 at the age of 56, after a full and happy life. How I wish I had had the pleasure of enjoying his company in my adult years. My mother died in 2007 at 98 years of age.

Mom and dad's 12 offspring are responsible, thus far for 36 grandchildren, 60+ great-grandchildren and a couple of great-great-grandchildren (another couple are on the way as I write--Mom used to keep a more exact count). The clan (well over 100 or so of us, not including the in-laws--who, by the way, are DEFINITELY the best thing that ever happened to the Pooles) got together again in 1999 to celebrate mom's 90th.

Oh me, oh my, indeed!

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