While most of us grow up hearing stories about our grandparents and great-grandparents, few actually get to meet them. However, a family photo has gone viral after it can be seen featuring six generations of women.
Family Photo Showcases Proud Generations
Granddaughter, 58-year-old Gracie Howell, had the privilege of meeting her great-granddaughter and snapping an adorable family photo of her with her grandmother, great-granddaughter, and every generation in between. The family photo shows an age range of 98-year-old MaeDell (Taylor) Hawkins to 7-week-old Zhavia. “We thought this was special because it’s all girls,” Gracie explained of the toughing family photo.
Other family members are Gracie’s mother, Francis, her daughter Jacqueline, and granddaughter, Jaisline. Gracie shares that her grandmother is “smart as a tack” despite her upcoming 99th birthday in July. Although she’s a woman full of tenacity, she currently lives in a nursing home and is immobile after a fall in her own home. However, that hasn’t stopped her from loving her great-great-great grandbaby. “We have a picture of her actually tickling her little feet. Sweet moments,“ said Gracie.
Overcoming Challenging Times
It turns out that MaeDell’s current physical state isn’t the only obstacle she’s overcome. You wouldn’t know it by looking at the family photo, but MaeDell has outlived two husbands and helped raise hundreds of children. She married a widower at 16 years old. At the time, he was 50 and had ten children from his first wife. Not only did she happily step up to be a stepmother, but the pair went on to have 13 more children. Her husband worked for the railroads and was gone most of the week, leaving MaeDell to tend to the household alone.
“Grandpa worked on the railroad and was gone all week. With so many mouths to feed, Grandma would rise early in the morning, stock the wood stove, go out and gather eggs, grab a couple of chickens (wring their necks and pluck the feathers), fry them up, make biscuits and gravy, and would have breakfast ready before the kids went to school.” Gracie said. Also, disclosing, she never ‘heard her complain’. Further sharing, “Grandma grew most of their food and canned it. Having been taught by her mother, she knew all the medicinal uses of the flowers and trees around her. Because NOTHING went to waste, she made quilts out of the rags to keep them warm in the winter under the snow that would blow in through the cracks in the walls.“
Family Photo Gaining Fame
Although the family photo didn’t quite make the Guinness Book of World Records for the most generations in one family photo, it is still a really special family photo. Currently, the record is held by Augusta Bunge and her brood, seven generations. However, what makes this family photo so special is that it showcases six generations of all women. In contrast, the family photo only encapsulates a small portion of the family, comprising more than 600 members. “We’re praying, as long as she’s healthy … and if it’s the Lord’s will, she’ll live to be a hundred or beyond!” Said Gracie regarding her strong and stubborn grandmother.
Keep Reading: The Benefits Of Kids Living Close To Their Grandparents
Sources
- “6 generations captured in 1 photo as woman meets her great-great-great-granddaughter.” The National Desk. Alexx Altman Devilbiss. March 1, 2023.
- “6 generations of women pose for Sweet Family Photo: ‘this one was special’. People Mag. Maria Pasquini. March 7, 2023.