When we met with the funeral home to plan my Mom’s funeral, they told us to bring them some pictures so that they could put together a video to play in 3 places during her visitation. I asked how many pictures and they said around 35. I asked what if we could do more than that. They said the max was 50. They didn’t want the video to go too long as they wanted people to keep moving as much as they would. Plus most families don’t even have that many pictures.
I did a cursory look around and without digging too deep my initial collection of pictures was around 140. I went through them with Alexis and Elainie and we were able to trim it down to about 51. Here is a collection of the images from Mom’s Visitation Video and an explanation of why it made the video.
Mom with Great Granddaughter Anela
Mom with Great Granddaughter Dahlia
Mom with Great Granddaughter Anela
Mom at the Stensland Family Photoshoot in 2020
Mom picking up Dahlia
Mom’s Baby Picture
Mom, Logan, and I after making grape jelly last September.
Last Family Portrait from 2017.
Picture I took of Mom while Testing Lights
Mom with Teresa, Carla, and I at her Retirement Party
Mom with Teresa and I at a Cyclone Women’s Basketball Game
Logan taking a Picture of Mom with one of Dad’s Lenses
Mom and I at the Badlands
Mom Feeding the Feral Donkeys at Custer State Park
Mom being Honored as a Cancer Survivor before an Iowa State’s Women’s Basketball Game
Mom with Logan after his Graduation from Iowa State
Mom with Carla and I at the Indianola Balloon Festival
Mom with Johnathan and I at an Iowa State Women’s Basketball Game
Mom Modeling a Shirt Teresa Made her at an Iowa State Women’s Basketball Game
Mom with Alexis, Carla, and Anela
Mom at an Iowa State Women’s Basketball Game with Elainie and Sabas
Mom with Alexis, Carla, Elainie, Grandma, and Kanoa
Mom with Dahlia
Mom with Alexis and Kupono at an Iowa State Women’s Basketball Game
Mom with Kanoa
Mom with Dad, Carla, and Teresa at Christmas 1971
Mom Graduation Picture
Mom Celebrating a Cyclone 3!
Mom Taking a Picture of one of my Iowa State Fair Photography Salon Entries
Mom Planting Flowers at My House
Mom with Me, Teresa, and Carla down by the Des Moines River
Mom with Teresa at the 415 Greene House
Mom in the Rocky Mountains
Mom with Me in the Rocky Mountains
Mom School Picture
Mom with Dad – their Wedding Picture
Mom with her Grandkids – Johnathan, Alexis, Logan, Elainie, and Brandon
Mom at the Oklahoma City Memorial – Alexis and Elainie really wanted this picture in because they have so many memories of Mom taking pictures with that little silver camera that I gave her.
Mom with her Grandsons – They wanted this picture in because while they were supposed to be out their helping her, she was the one doing the work.
Mom at Grandma’s 90th Birthday Party
This was one of the Last Pictures I took of Grandma and Mom
Mom with her Siblings at Grandma’s 90th Birthday Party
Mom in her Living Room with her Family – Thanksgiving 2015
Mom and I at Mount Rushmore
Mom with her Friends at Church
Mom with her Siblings and their Spouses and Grandma
Mom with Elainie and Carla at the Lincoln Memorial
Mom with Carla at the Atlantic Ocean
Mom with Carla on the Beach in Virginia
They Concluded the Video with this Picture of Mom Serving Communion
This is the Last Picture I ever took of Mom – We were at the John Wayne Museum – She loved John Wayne Westerns, but not his war movies. What you can’t tell from the picture is that she is wearing a shirt with the names of her 4 Great Grandchildren on it. It had become one of her favorite shirts and she seemed to wear it on all of our most recent road trips.
I have more tributes to my Mom to share. But the remaining ones will be more words than pictures.
Thank you again for all the thoughts, prayers, support, and everything else that you guys have given my family during these times.
These are lovely – true representations of the rock foundation that was her family in her life. Your mom had a truly beautiful and loving soul.
You, Teresa and Carla did an amazing job choosing photos that represented your Mom and her life. Thank you for sharing them. Love, Aunt Linda.
Beautiful
Wonderful pictures! She will be remembered for the love she always gave others.
Thank all of you for your words. She made a positive impact on every life she touched and I don’t know many people you can say that about.