Aunt Esther Ward

Uncle Ralph and Aunt Esther's family bible with the book opened up to the book of Esther.

This is from a really old tombstone. My heart was moved when I saw this seven year old little boy. To have a picture put on a tombstone so long ago was quite advanced. You don't see that very often for that era.

This is a picture of Den behind a rocky tombstone. I love that it looks like we have caught someone talking with the Lord, privately.

The old beautiful cemetery in Portland has the most unique and striking grave markers. This one reminded me of an old Gothic movie. I need to Photoshop the radio tower out of it, however.

A guardian angel protecting the loved one below. I put a sepia on it just to make sure that it was given the amount of antiquity it deserved.

I laid under this prayerful servant and put a greenish filter on the photo. I could have spent longer there. I have more prophetic pictures from yesterday evening, but these were a few of my favorites.

It's been a long time since I wrote on my beloved blog. It truly is beloved to me. It's like an old friend that remembers all the special stories that I probably don't. It's one that I will keep for all time and I'm so thankful to be able to return to it anytime I want. It's a comforting constant.

Dennis' Aunt Esther Ward passed away this last week, and her funeral is tomorrow. We are very sad. Although she had lost a very big part of herself to dementia the last few years she was an important part of Den's life. She really loved Den, and he felt the same about her. After her husband, Uncle Ralph, passed away Den received his bible and his flag that he earned being a veteran. He has read that bible from the pulpit more times then we could count, and the flag has been placed tenderly on our old family pump organ (another family heirloom) for many years. In fact, Dennis is a namesake for Uncle Ralph and Aunt Esther; Dennis Ward and in return we gave Roman Ward the same name to carry on their childless marriage.

I remember when I first met Aunt Esther I could tell she took a shine to me. I have no idea why, but I was thrilled. She was a bit of a hard sell on people, and she could be a wee bit strong with her judgements from time to time, but she took a liking to me. Of course, being married to Dennis opened up a lot of emotional doors, I'm sure. Anyway, I took to giving her hugs every time I saw her. At first, I could tell that it put her off, but I didn't care I was determined to give her a hug every time I saw her. She confessed that she wasn't a big "hugger", but that she (after many years) began to look forward to my hugs. Those words melted my heart even more towards her.

When she wrote a card or a letter thanking us for something or the just because card, it was deep. She was a profound writer. Her words carried weight with me, and I loved the few I received from her. Also several years ago I began making family photo calendars and giving them out as gifts for Christmas. I wasn't sure everyone would enjoy them as much as I did throughout the year, but one year she told me that the only thing she wanted was a photo calendar from us. Again, she knew how to make me and my family feel loved.

She will be missed. Den and I carry the bible she gave us in our suburban and yesterday we went out to take some photos and I thought it would be neat to take a bible with us and flip it open to the book of Esther, and low and behold the very bible that we had with us to snap pictures with was her and Uncle Ralph's. I got choked up, especially not believing in coincidences. So here are some of the photos I took yesterday while Den and I walked around remembering her.

I'm so thrilled that you will see your Ralph again, Aunt Esther. What a day that will be when we all meet again in a far better place.....