My Grandpa Russell passed away on Christmas Eve night. It was sort of a bitter sweet holiday for me and my family. He was a wonderful man, who influenced many lives, including my own. I love him so much and am so grateful for the wonderful example of love and charity he was to me.
I’ve never met a person who works harder than Grandpa. And he always had a smile on his face. His motto was “Act enthusiastic and you’ll be enthusiastic.” He was one of the most genuinely happy people I’ve ever known.
I helped to set up the display of family photos for Grandpa’s funeral. Looking through all the old photos was a complete joy for me. Some of the photos were so familiar, ones that I’ve seen all my life. There were some that I’ve never seen before though. Those were the photos that were hard to pull myself away from. Photos of Grandpa riding his tractor with a few giggling grandchildren affixed to his knees. One was a picture of grandpa taking a nap in the middle of the Arizona desert in his work clothes, his hat covering his face and shielding the blazing sunshine. I wish I knew the story behind that picture.
There were other pictures of Grandpa during camp outs,
and Grandpa walking on stilts.
I love the photos of Grandpa serving in WWII.
And of Grandpa serving missions for our church.
I especially love this picture of baby Grandpa, hugging a cute little calf.
There were a lot of pictures of weddings, including mine (Grandpa married Michael and me). But I especially loved the picture of Grandma and Grandpa’s wedding from 1951.
Grandpa loved his wife and children so much. My mom is the little girl in the front row with the flower on her dress.
And here are a few more favorites from Grandpa’s youth…
These photos are priceless to me. They remind me to try a little harder to be a little better, like my Grandpa always did. My resolutions list means more to me this year and I hope that I can carry this new attitude with me always, not for just the first few weeks in January.
When we move this summer, I would love to create a family picture wall somewhere in our new house, where I would fill an entire wall full of old family photo favorites. Maybe in a hallway? I want to be reminded and inspired daily by my heritage.
What’s your favorite way to display family photos?
These photos are priceless to me. They remind me to try a little harder to be a little better, like my Grandpa always did. My resolutions list means more to me this year and I hope that I can carry this new attitude with me always, not for just the first few weeks in January. When we move this summer, I would love to create a family picture wall somewhere in our new house, where I would fill an entire wall full of old family photo favorites. Maybe in a hallway? I want to be reminded and inspired daily by my heritage.
Here are some inspiration pictures of photo displays:
What’s your favorite way to display family photos?
Well, I saw a nice display once in a magazine.
There were a few rows of white floating shelves with pictures in distressed frames. It looked cool.
I would definitely love to have a home where I could create a room that is a ‘shrine’ to the family. But not something tacky or 60’s.
Kyla
Oh Jennica, I am so sorry to hear about your loss – but what a life to celebrate! When people that are that meaningful to you pass, it makes me take a step back and think “Man, I hope that I’m as much an inspiration when I leave this world” – it is motivating in a way.
At our house, my mom has floating shelves in the dining room with different size frames and mat combos, layered – there are a lot of family photos, so she occasionally switches things out to keep things fresh – it’s one of the first things my sisters and I check out when we visit the homestead.