Week 3: Favorite Photo

Week 2: Favorite Photo
Week 2's theme is "Favorite Photo." If you've done the 52 Ancestors challenge before, you might recognize this theme. Yes, it's a repeat -- but it's too good not to do it again! Tell the story of a favorite photo: who is in it, where and when it was taken, and why it was taken. What was the event? 

    In my research, I have come across many photos of family members. Some from my own parents' and grandparents' collections, some from long-lost family members I have found on Ancestry. My digital photo collection has grown so much, I had to get another external hard drive to hold everything.
    I love photos. I have always loved photos since I was a kid. Looking through my parents' photo albums always felt like storytime. As I got older, I started taking photos all the time. As much as I could. I wanted to tell my own stories through pictures. In High School, I started hanging my pictures on the walls of my bedroom. Not in the conventional way. I started stapling each photo to the wall. I'd trim what was needed and start piecing them together like a puzzle. Soon all four walls were covered and I had to go up to the ceiling. You can ask some of my friends. They still remember all the photos on my walls.
    Photos are what got me into research to begin with. My grandma gave me boxes of photos to go through since she knew I loved photos. It was like new stories had been opened up to me. I was in heaven. But with all the photos I have gone through and collected through the years, there is one I always come back to. See the photo below.

Five Generations
St. Louis, Missouri
abt 1938
From my Grandma's collection

    The moment I found this photo, I fell in love with it. It was just a small photo, about 3 inches tall. It is a five-generation photograph of my mom's side of the family. Starting with Grandma Maggie Helfrich (seated), then Grandma Oma Mae Buer (center back), Grandma Maggie "Honey" Ilg (back right) Grandma Ruth Wheeler (back left), and Uncle Jerry Valdes (baby held by Grandma Helfrich).
    To see a rare five-generation photograph brought so much joy to my life. It's not something you see every day. Most people don't live long enough for something like this, and/or they don't start having kids that young. Oma was 18 when she had Honey, Honey was 17 when she had Ruth, and Ruth was 17 when Jerry was born. Grandma Helfrich died in 1943. The circumstances were perfect.
    I printed this photo out for my grandma so she could have a copy in the nursing home with her. I also put some photos in an album for her to look at. I got some more stories out of her and she helped identify some photos. I still love looking through all the photos my grandma gave me. I am still in the process of digitizing everything. And now I have my dad's photos as well. After everything I have gone through, this is still my favorite photo.
    My grandma (Ruth Wheeler) passed away in 2015 and I miss her every day. I never got to meet Honey, Oma, or Grandma Helfrich. My Uncle Jerry is still around today and I do hope to sit down with him soon to look through photos. 

What's your favorite photo?