Four generations celebrate Shirley Beck on Mother’s Day

Shirley Beck and her nine children got together for a family photo recently. In the back row, l to r, are Brad, Patricia (Hopkins), Dave, Janet (Knight), Doug, Bev (Janak), and Ken. Front row, l to r, are Frank, Shirley, and Diane (Smith).

Shirley and her great-granddaughter, Morgan Hopkins, share the same birthday. Shirley will tell you that she’s only 87, though, regardless of what the cake says.

One of many five generation groupings shows Shirley, center, with daughter Diane Smith, back right, Diane’s son Greg, back left, his two daughters Julie Fritz, front left, holding Taelin, and Dana Wockenfuss, holding Collins.

Another 5-generation group shows Shirley with daughter Diane, holding her grandson Malachi, center, Diane’s son Geoff, back center, holding his granddaughter Marie, his two sons Jacob, left, and Levi, right, and their children, l to r: Lydia, Elizabeth, and Leah.

This is the two-story house where the family lived when the last five children were born. The upstairs was one long room, divided by a curtain to separate the boys from the girls.