Smile for the Camera - 21st Edition

The word prompt for the 21st Edition of Smile for the Camera is "Give Their Face a Place." March is Women's History month and we are asked to picture a woman or women in history, something meaningful to us. "The interpretation is yours (mine)."

I have chosen this venue to honor my aunt LVene (Smith) Thomas (1910-2004), one of my father's older sisters. She was an elementary school teacher her entire life - starting in one room schools in our rural neighborhood; she earned her teaching degree, part-time, over the years, and continued in the Community Schools. She raised fine two sons, one a School Superintendent for many years. Her husband, Verle Thomas, died far too young (1911-1958).

You may recall I have mentioned her as a source of much of my early Smith and Preston family history information - a real head start. She spend many years as the family history person in our family, and compiled a family history book for her siblings in about 1990. I do owe her a lot, and want to acknowledge it here.

The photo was in the 1974 United Methodist Church, Coon Rapids, Iowa, member directory book.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Smile for the Camera - Arrion

The Smile for the Camera, 19th Edition Blog Carnival, asks us to use the word prompt "Gift" - and we are encouraged to be creative.

Normally I would be likely to choose a photo of one of my two grandchildren for such a post.

This time, however, I am honoring their mother, my youngest daughter, Arrion. We went a full generation without grandchildren until she and Ben, her husband, gave us our two precious ones to carry on our family line. As a youngster in dance and ballet, her teacher always said her smile had "sparkle." That sparkle is still there. Here is a very casual pose, this summer when they visited us for our 50th anniversary celebration. Thank you for your "gift" Arrion!



Family is Forever! ;-)