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Family welcomes another generation Five generations of one family live in Caroline and Spotsylvania counties--and celebrate their close-knit relationship Date published: 11/14/2009
By CATHY DYSON Babies tend to get a lot of "oohs" and "aahs," but when the newborn happens to be the youngest member of five living generations in her family, she's automatically the center of attention. Little Ainslee Iona Hash, born Oct. 18, clearly has a lot of adults smitten with her. First, there's her parents, James and Kelly Hash, of Spotsylvania County. Her grandmother, Deanna Rupert, lives in Caroline County. So does her great-grandmother, Judy Roberts. Her great-great-grandmother--and the woman she got her middle name from--is 86-year-old Iona Ann Williams of Spotsylvania. "She is a beautiful baby," Williams said, as Ainslee was passed around the table from one adult to another. "Like I said before, she must not be Jamie's." Jamie is what Williams calls James Hash, Ainslee's father, and don't worry, she's only kidding about the baby's bloodline. There's a lot of good-natured teasing in this close-knit cluster of generations. The relatives see one another at least once a week. They gather at Williams' house off Lafayette Boulevard to check on her and see if she's got any laundry or housekeeping that needs to be done. Hash visits more often. The 22-year-old and oldest grandchild stops by his great-grandmother's house every day. He brings in her mail and newspaper, makes sure she's stocked with Pepsis and takes away her trash. He used to sit a while, but Williams said since the baby came along, he gets home a lot faster. Family members seemed to understand the attraction. At a recent gathering, people couldn't take their eyes off the vision of pink, and grown-ups commented on every move, sound and frown she made. "She's just the topic of conversation when we get together," Roberts said. "She's gonna be spoiled," added Rupert, Roberts' daughter. "That's for sure," said Hash, Rupert's son. What's also certain is that the generations of women who came before Hash have a lot of advice for the new father. "On how to hold her, how to feed her," Hash said. "Not to let her sleep with you, never, never, because you'll roll over and smother her," Williams chimed in. "And how to change her diaper," said the new father, finishing his sentence. Hash doesn't mind the help. His father, also named James Hash, passed away Nov. 2 before he was able to meet his granddaughter. As Hash grieves the loss, he's comforted by having so many generations on his mother's side. "I learn something new every day, so it definitely helps," Hash said. "I just want to make sure I do everything right, and she stays healthy." Cathy Dyson: 540/374-5425
Date published: 11/14/2009
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