The deep-rooted Newmarket family spans 5 generations News

Baby William's arrival coincided with a solar eclipse on April 8 at 3:53 p.m., adding a touch of celestial magic to the rare moment of generational bonding.

The pedigree shines with joy as the esteemed Newmarket family welcomes William David Andrew Michalik into the world, bringing forth the fifth generation of love and laughter.

“It's been really great for me,” said proud matriarch Margaret “The Boss” Davis, who turns 102 on June 24. “I've been waiting for it for a long time.”

“I thought it was a wonderful baby. He looked so small, I noticed his small hands,” said the great-grandmother, describing the first time she saw the angelic hands and the baby, who was amazed at their capabilities.

“I looked at a book on palmistry that reads your life path. Here all the little lines are in his hands, the life line, the heart line, and everything.”

The conversation, of course, turned to baby William's family resemblance to his ancestors.

“They're all trying to identify a family resemblance. Everyone is trying to get it,” recalled Margaret's daughter, Heather Berling, expressing her amazement as she witnessed the beauty of the new life.

“Robert, father, see how strong his legs are; look at his muscles; see how much it is. It will be beautiful and tall. It's interesting to hear the comments.”

“We all hope that the baby will have some special qualities in someone. But she is still small,” says the 80-year-old grandmother.

“I was hoping the baby wouldn't touch my nose,” Margaret joked, drawing laughter from the room. “For over a hundred years, I haven't worried much about it.”

Margaret lives with her daughter Heather and son-in-law Keith Berling at Heritage House in historic Newmarket.

His grandson David and his wife Monica now run the family business, Keith Davis Engravers & Awards, which has been serving the community since 1953 as a third generation trophy and awards shop.

On the other side of the family, baby William has Hungarian ancestry, owning Tom's Place, a popular men's clothing store located in Toronto's Kensington Market since 1958.

Margaret's family tree is thriving with two daughters, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, with the latest addition being a precious great-grandchild and more happy arrivals expected in the near future.

“Gang and State,” as sharp-witted Margaret puts it, makes the family 19 and adding two more in August.

Bridget Mihalik, the 26-year-old mother of baby William, has a sister named Meredith, who has photographed five generations. Meredith is expecting twins in August.

When asked about the secrets of her long life, Margaret replied: “I was a good girl. I have never tasted alcohol in my life.'' However, he noted that people who heard this quickly lost interest.

He reads newspapers in the morning, prepares his own lunch in the afternoon, and plays sports in the evening.

Does the age of the century think about the sixth generation? “I did the math,” he laughed.