Vince DeMange, Sr. visits with his granddaughter Jana Gass at their produce stand in East St. Louis.

Last week I spent a wonderful morning with the extended DeMange farming family in East St. Louis as they sold greens to residents picked fresh from their produce farm.

The idea for the story was to tell the tale of five generations of DeManges that have farmed land near the old Cahokia Downs racetrack since the 1880s.  It was a family story, one of grandchildren, fathers and patriarch, Vince DeMange, Sr.

Winding up the driveway from a circuitous route along Pocket Drive on the eastern edge of East St. Louis, I arrived at the nearly hidden produce stand and was greeted by Vince, Jr. who introduced me to his father, who was eating an early dinner well before noon inside the business office.  At 79 years of age, Mr. DeMange said hello and welcomed me to photograph whatever I wanted.  Except him.

At first I thought he was just being camera shy.  It’s not all that unusual for people to decline photographs at first and then when they understand what I’m doing and why I want to take their picture, then they are fine with it.  That didn’t fly with Mr. DeMange.  “Some people just don’t like certain things”, he said.  He just didn’t like pictures.

Well, this was intriguing.  A generational story demanded pictures of all the generations.

The elder DeMange finished his dinner and I left to visit with Vince, Jr.  “Your dad doesn’t want his picture taken,” I said.  “Yeah, I thought he’d say that,” responded Vince, Jr. without offering to mediate.

Moments later Shirley DeMange arrived home from running errands.  I mentioned her husband’s reluctance, and the fact that he had disappeared somewhere on the farm after I talked with him.   I asked her if he allowed his picture to be taken at Christmas or other family gatherings.  Yes, but he doesn’t like it, she said.  She then offered to track him down and talk to him as I photographed a steady stream of customers carting away bushels of fresh collard, mustard, turnip and slick greens.

Fifteen minutes passed and the patriarch returned to his produce stand.

“I hear these pictures are important…”