Late night on July 3rd in 1911, as fireworks were sounding off all over the City of Pawtucket, Margaret F. (Bartley) Riley (1911-1978) was born. Her father, Francis Joseph Bartley (1889-1957), would always say that the combination of her auburn hair and those fireworks gave my mother her feisty personality. From what I was told, “Peg” as she was called, inherited more than just freckles from her mother, Margaret Zita Read (1890-1935). In a split second, Peg’s mother could lay you out in lavender, spin you around, hand you your hat, and boot you out the door before you knew what was happening. If it called for it, Peg could do the same.

It was late summer on Block Island in 1946 when Peg Bartley was introduced to the widowed Patrick J. Riley (1900-1985). My father remembered that he was a “goner” as soon as he saw her. Even though he had his four kids in tow, Peg didn’t shy away. Thank goodness for that, or somebody else would be writing this post.

Auburn hair, freckles and fireworks, there is just something extra special about the 3rd of July. Happy Birthday, mom!