This remarkable couple, who have been married for 75 years, has a profound understanding of the value that comes from having a family.
Great-granddaughter Kayla Tracy recounted the couple’s story to demonstrate what genuine love looks like and the optimism they both had at the thought of holding a new baby in their arms.
Kayla said that her great-grandfather had fought in the military during World War II and that his personal philosophy is “Work every day or you’ll be shorted one.”
Kayla relayed the following story to the Love What Matters podcast: “This guy is blind and has lost 90 percent of his hearing, yet he still operates a log slitter and feeds the fish in their pond on his 85-acre property.”
The couple is now the proud grandparents of seven great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. They also have three great-great-great-grandchildren.
“Seventy-five years,” they said. These two sweethearts have been married for a combined total of seventy-five years now. During the last seventy-five years, there have been many tears shed, along with countless smiles and happy moments. “They are a God-fearing couple in every manner, and they never missed a Sunday service at the church they attend,” Kayla added.
However, the family was just sent some disheartening information. After seeing that Kayla’s great-grandmother, who was 92 years old at the time, was exhibiting symptoms of renal failure, her doctor informed her that she only had three weeks left to live.
Kayla said that her sister had made the decision to stop working so she could focus on taking care of her. At the same time, her sister was also carrying a child. She took care of their great-grandmother up to the 36th week of her pregnancy, when she went into delivery.
“‘I simply want to live long enough to see that newborn girl,’ my great-grandmother would tell my sister. My great-grandmother was overjoyed when Magnolia Jean came! Especially because Magnolia, Jean Roper, is named after her,” Kayla said.
Her great-grandmother began to show indications of recovery as soon as her sister delivered baby, she added. She was preparing meals and cleaning the home, and she couldn’t wait to hug her new great-great-grandchild.
The beautiful occasion was recorded on camera by Kayla, a professional photographer.
Kayla claimed her great-grandmother’s health improved, and nine weeks after she was given the sad prognosis, she and her husband celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary – and Kayla was there to photograph them on their 85-acre estate.
One of the many reasons I became a photographer was to take photographs like this. “It means everything to me to be able to stop these moments for my family and for them,” Kayla, who owns her own photography company, Kayla Tracy Photography, said.
“Every second I get, I like photographing them. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to capture such genuine love. I can only wish for such affection with my hubby. I want everyone to see these pictures and realize that genuine love exists.”
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