I have been bit....

...by the family history bug!! I am obsessed, driven, addicted, I don't quite know the word to use to describe this, but I think about ancestors daily. Let me give you an example of why: These are pictures of the Calvin and Capola Gallino Clawson family. Just the pictures, all by themselves, tell a very interesting story. We have no other formal entire-family photos like these of any of our other ancestors. Isn't that interesting? These parents considered it a high priority to capture their family images. The top picture was taken in about 1905 the bottom in about 1920. They were not a wealthy family...why did they make family photos such a priority? Perhaps it had to do with the mother, Capola, being the only surviving child of her parents. Her two older siblings died as little children. Soon after the second picture was taken, Jesse (on the far right of the bottom picture) passed away leaving a young family. What a treasure these family photos are!!!

I love to look for familiar hairlines and noses. I like looking at the details of the clothing of the eras. I had the privilege of knowing/meeting four of these family members. They are familiar and friendly faces to me. (By the way, your Great-grandpa Clyde Clawson is on the far right in the younger photo and third from the left, top row in the other picture.)

Perhaps this is a product of being middle-aged but I am loving every minute of the time I spend learning about these and other amazing family members who have left an interesting and inspired legacy to all of us.

Love you all....hey...next time we are all together...let's have a nice family photo done!!!