In February of 1998, Pat and I joined a huge crowd at Trillium Manor in Orillia, Ontario, to help Austin Cook, husband of the late Olive Ross (D2C), celebrate his 100th birthday. Austin was born on February 5, 1898, in Zephyr, Ontario. In the upper left photo, daughter Eldred (D2C1) whispers birthday wishes in her dad's ear as he prepares to blow out the candles formed by the numbers one-zero-zero. To the right, I chat with Austin about his participation at the 1985 Ross Reunion and the photograph which he took. In that photo, Pat and I are surrounded by the greatest number of descendants from Branch "D" ever to attend the Annual Ross Reunion.

While this second set of pictures on the occasion of Austin's 80th birthday, on February 6, 1978, has not been in a family newsletter, I am grateful to Eldred for sending them to me back then. The first one shows me (A8E1), John Irwin Ross (D2O) and Harold Benjamin Ross (D2M) on the floor. Sitting on the chesterfield are Marion Blake Ross (D2N) and her husband Ken Duncan, Joan Louise Benecke (John's wife), Austin Cook and his wife Florence Olive Ross, Ruby Geer (Harold's wife) and Francis "Frank" Herbert Ross (D2J). The group discussing the "Ross-ter Binder for Branch D" are John Ross (D2O), Bill Cook (D2C2), myself and Marion Ross Duncan (D2N).