One of the most intriguing chapters in my FOREVER^® family history is the poignant story of my Aunt Mary Kendall Sanders, who died before I was born, but with whom I feel a deep connection. My beloved grandmother, Julia Kendall, often spoke to me about her. It seems that Mary and I had a lot in common: She made quilts for the family, and quilting is my hobby. Her hobby was pinhole camera photography, and my business is photography. Mary grew up with her five siblings in rural Arkansas on a farm described, without exaggeration, as “in the middle of nowhere.” When she married Walter Sanders, the couple worked the land alongside my grandparents and began to raise a family.

Mary’s Story spans two generations, with a large cast of characters, so I decided to introduce them all in a single composite that I created in Photoshop. Doing so allowed me to tell the overall story in a FOREVER Album Information panel. Then, on subsequent album pages, I provided more details about each character. I also included other memorabilia, such as a newspaper clipping about Walter and Mary’s deaths, shortly after the birth of their son, Walter Sanders, Jr.

This slice of my family history intertwines two quintessential American stories: The hardships that countless families endured as they homesteaded rural lands across the breadth and depth of America’s young frontier and the sacrifices made during World War II by their descendants.

I invite you to view the album and read the story. If you view it on a phone or tablet, click on the “i” icon to view the story text.