Saturday, April 15, 2017

"Grace" and Easter Lily

We are continuing the tradition of taking an Easter Lily to the Seward United Methodist Church in recognition of my parents as long time members who have passed on to their Heavenly Reward. There will probably be over 50 Easter Lilies on display tomorrow morning. Many of them on a triangular stand that provides a display shaped similar to a Christmas Tree. I took this picture with the plant on our kitchen table with the painting of "Grace" on the wall in the background. We have always liked the painting since it so resembles our memories of my Grandfather Joseph J. Vrana. The picture was taken of an elderly peddler by Eric Enstrom in his photography studio in 1918 at Bovey, Minnesota. The Enstroms had a daughter, Rhoda who was born above her father's studio a year before he took "Grace". After college and work at Minnesota Woolen, she returned to her father's studio and began coloring black-and-white photos with heavy oil. She brought color into photos prior to the days of color photography. Enstrom's picture "Grace" showing the elderly peddler with head bowed in a meal-time prayer of thanksgiving, is now known and loved throughout the world. A Monument was erected in front of the Village Hall in Bovey, MN in 2003 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the picture "Grace".

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