Mary and Frank Horsing Around

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks : Week 4 - Favorite Photo

I'm participating in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks genealogy challenge from Amy Johnson Crow. 

How can I possibly pick a favorite when I love all of my photos? This challenge gave me an excuse to spend way too much time scrolling through the pics that I have digitized. Finally, I decided on this one.

My parents, Mary (Dixon) and Frank Traina,
most likely taken in Elizabeth, NJ, some time in the 1950's.

I'm guessing that this photo of Mary (Dixon) and Frank Traina was taken some time in the mid to late 1950's. My parents were married in 1955. I don't know if that had yet happened when someone snapped this shot of them horsing around. I can't see if either of them is wearing a wedding ring. I feel certain this was taken in Elizabeth, NJ, since that's where they and their families lived. It also just feels like Elizabeth to me.

The photo isn't really in focus, but I think it's a perfect snapshot, captuing a moment just as it happens. I wonder who took it, and what they were joking about.

Mostly, I picked this photo because they look so very happy. I didn't see this picture until after my mother died and I started going through the boxes. She rarely spoke to me of my father, who died when I was six years old. They were separated at the time, so there's all of that as well. But I like to think of them before whatever troubles drove them apart, when they were a happy couple, enjoying each other's company.

So, while picking a favorite photo is, for me, nearly impossible, today I'm picking this photo to share.