Print edition: 
Marion Hogan decided it was time his family took part in the St. Patrick's parade in downtown Wichita. He had talked about it for years.
After all, his grandparents came from Ireland in 1870. His wife's family is also Irish.
So shortly before the parade in 1987, the Hogan family decided to enter.
Nothing fancy. The family wore green apparel and carried green balloons as they walked along the route.
But there were plenty of Hogans. Seven of Marion and Peggy Jean Hogan's nine children were in the '87 parade, plus grandchildren and other relatives.
"It was a last-minute thing," said Theresa Hogan, one of Marion and Peggy Jean's daughters. "But we had a lot of fun."
They still do.
Today, the Hogans will be in their 20th St. Patrick's parade, which starts at noon at McLean and Douglas.
Four generations of Hogans — from 85-year-old Peggy Jean to 1-year-old great-grandson Sean Thompson II — will be there.
Marion Hogan, an electrician who moved to Wichita from Burlington in the early 1950s, was only in the 1987 parade. Seven months after he gathered his family for some parade fun, he died of a heart attack.
Theresa Hogan said her father would be thrilled to know the family made the parade an annual tradition.
"He would be smiling," she said.
How could he not smile at the sight of his 3-year-old great-granddaughter, Kaitlyn Thompson, dressed up as a leprechaun.
Or seeing his 8-year-old grandson, Michael Hogan, proudly leading the family as St. Patrick for a fourth straight year while wearing the costume that his grandma Peggy Jean Hogan made.
And then there's the Irish dancing.
"Dad would really be happy to learn his kids have learned dance," Theresa Hogan said.
The Hogans have been in all the St. Patrick's parades that have been held in Wichita since 1987. The downtown version ended in 2002, but the Historic Delano District revived the parade in 2007.
"We didn't want just goofy people wearing green," said Nancy Lawrence, co-owner of Central Plains Novelty in Delano and who was instrumental in bringing back the parade. "We wanted actual Irish people in it."
The Hogans certainly fit in well with the bagpipers and other true Irish entries.
During the four-year gap without a parade, the Hogan dancers performed at care homes on St. Patrick's Day so they wouldn't forget their steps. And when the parade returned, the whole family was quick to jump into the act.
"It's one of the things that keeps our family heritage going," Theresa Hogan said. "The kids love being in the parade. I think the adults do, too, even though they may not say so."
Over the years, the Hogans have added bits and pieces to what they do in the parade.
Today's version will have at least six Hogans, including Theresa, doing Irish dances — jigs and reels — on a decorated trailer pulled by a pickup.
The family expanded its dancing repertoire a few years ago after Katie Hogan came home from college. She belonged to the Irish Dance Club while attending the University of Notre Dame.
Katie's claim to Hogan parade fame surpasses the dances — even surpasses the fact that her birthday is on St. Patrick's Day, March 17.
On the day of the parade in '87, it was raining.
"Dad wasn't sure we were going to go through with it," Theresa Hogan said. "He thought we should skip the parade."
But Katie, who was 3 at the time, had recently seen a TV program about Ireland and it was raining. She also saw people holding umbrellas.
Her young mind put it all together, and she told her grandpa, "We can use umbrellas."
Grandpa agreed: The Hogan show would go on regardless of the weather.
Not to worry, though. It stopped raining just before the parade started.
With the Hogan family now spread out over several states, including Katie Hogan in New Mexico, not everyone can make it back for the parade. About 20 family members will be there today.
But when it comes to the weather, the luck of the Irish has continued to shine on the Hogans and the parade.
"It'll rain the day of the parade, then stops just for the parade," Theresa Hogan said. "Or sometimes we've had sprinkles but not a downpour.
"It's really amazing."
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What: Fourth annual St. Patrick's Parade in Delano
Where: Starts at McLean and Douglas and continues west on Douglas to Walnut
When: Noon today
How much: Free
For more information, visit www.historic delano.com.
