Artist Statement
I wanted to do my project on something that I cared deeply for, something that I loved. So I chose to do my grandparents living and deceased. I love my grandparents deeply and I have a unique relationship with each of them. I also wanted to try to get information and genealogy about them that I never knew. This was especially fun with the ones that have passed away. I loved this assignment and I am so grateful for my wonderful grandparents they are such sweet blessings in my life and I would not be who I am without each and every one of them. I am ever indebted to them for letting me take pictures of them. I will always have these pictures to treasure forever. Grandparents are amazing people.
Grandma Patsy Christopherson
My Dads Mother
She and I have a very special relationship. I have always gone to her for advice or just to chat. She is always willing to listen. I love going to visit her I am very close to her. I always was babysat by grandma when I was younger because both of my parents work and my dad was also in school. I always loved going to grandmas she is the coolest grandma on the planet and that is no lie! She always had fun things planned for us to do. She took us places and always played with us. I have never been anywhere with grandma without her joining in the fun! Including going down the slip and slide herself! I cannot remember I time when she ever raised her voice at anyone. She is full of life and is always helping others. She is the sweetest most charitable person I know. Grandma always spends her time with her family, kids, grandkids, cooking, sewing, working in her yard and garden. She is always so creative she always shows me things she makes for her primary class. Grandma makes the BEST homemade rolls. Pretty much everything she makes is delicious! I just completely adore her and I hope to someday grow up to be the cool grandma like her.
Grandpa Grant Christopherson
My Dads Father
I spent endless amounts of time when I was younger down with grandpa in his play room. He had every record you could possible imagine and I just loved listening to them all. Grandpa is pretty much the junk man. He has plenty of “collections” of anything you could think of and he was always willing to share with us grandkids. Grandpa is the one who introduced us to the original Nintendo. We played and played every game he had from Mario to duck hunt. Grandpa loves yard sales so if there is ever anything you wanted, dag-nabit he would and will find it for you! Grandpa has spent his whole life working hard. He grew up on the farm and was up from sun up to sun down. Grandpa served in the National Guard too. He was a custodian for Nebo school district for years. Which is kind of funny.. Grandma is the neat and clean not grandpa. I got all the cool perks for him being at the same school he worked at. (extra snacks, get out of class early, and such) Grandpa is always telling us funny stories. “Prepare for your eyes to become as big as dinner plates.”
Great Grandma Opal Hallam
This is Grandma Patsy’s mom. Grandma loved the Jazz, she hated the bulls. I loved hearing her rampages about the Chicago bulls because it usually included swear words. Grandma was so full of love and life. She ALWAYS offered candy and a soda as soon as you walked into her door. She had the coolest toys we would always fight over. I remember an awesome deck of monster old maid cards we would play with her for hours. Grandma loved plays and we would go with her to see them at the scera theater. Grandma had an obsession with the game aggravation. She played it and usually won it. She was always the blue and Grandpa Grant was always the yellow and they would full on fight when they played that game. It was quite comical!! Grandma loved to bowl and was on several bowling leagues for years. Grandma was always a strong willed woman. It was her way or the highway. She was so funny and I will miss her and her hilarious outbursts with countless family members. I will always remember her eagerness to be with her sweetheart. She always told my mom that she was “ready for the Lord to take her home.”
Great Grandpa Lee Hallam
Grandma Patsy’s Dad
Grandpa Lee died when I was three but I can remember some things about him but most of what I know is from stories. Grandpa served in the US Army and served in WW11. He received two purple hearts. My grandma was born while he was away and she was fourteen months old when he finally got to come home. Grandpa carried a lock of Patsy’s hair and her picture with him all over the world. Grandpa was a very humble and noble man. He loved his country and the flag. He would get very upset and hurt when people would not stand for their flag. My sister is named after Grandpa Lee.
Grandpa Fred Johnson
My Mom’s Father
Grandpa Fred was a quiet man, soft spoken but very loveable. He had great hugs. Grandpa always had a schedule and boy did he stick to it. He went to the farm to feed that wild cats and Norman his donkey. He had coffee at Trails End Café and he played pool. Grandpa never was out past dark. He always had someplace to be. After Grandma died he spent a lot of time at the senior center. He was always going on fun trips. He loved his blue dodge truck. You could hear his engine roar down the road. Grandpa had a cool collection of cd’s. If one went missing, you never heard the end of it. I loved going to grandpa’s farm with him and I loved riding in his truck. Grandpa always wore a pair of Levis and a plaid button down the front shirt. He was the typical cowboy, hat and all. We spent every Saturday at grandpa’s playing with all the cousins. He was always willing to pay us for chores, our favorite was picking up the fallen walnuts. We always had fun at grandpas playing sharks or house in the basement. There was an awesome tree house we played in all year round.
Grandma Shirley Johnson
My Mom’s Mother
Grandma was always sick. Someday’s where better than others for her. She was such a strong woman, she was always in pain but she never let us grandkids know. I loved going over and sleeping over. Grandma loved watching old westerns. She loved John Wayne. Grandma also loved sports, especially the Dallas cowboys. She was always hooting and hollering at the tv. Grandma loved pink. Everything was pink, she had a whole room that was pink, from the walls to the carpet. I will always miss her laugh. She had the cutest laugh! Her and my sister would fight over this pink and blue blanket of grandmas that had pink ties on it.
Grandma Diane and Grandpa Richard Christensen
My Mom’s Adoptive Parents. Richard and Diane adopted- in a way- my mom. They always invited her to all kinds of things including family functions. They were never able to have children of their own. My mom is always introduced as their daughter. When she was younger if she didn’t like what she was having for dinner at her house she went to eat with them. They have always been in my life. They are like grandparents to me. They are so willing to help with anything. I love them so much! There has never been a major family function with out them. They own a cabin in scofield and I have countless memories of staying in their cabin, fishing, and playing many card games. Richard taught me how to fish and how to belch the correct way. Diane taught me how to play crazy rummy. We always receive a Christmas ornament with the year and our name on it. It’s been a tradition longer than I have been alive.
Diane worked and retired with the post office. She is a hard worker. She loves her nieces and nephews and does anything and everything she is able to for them. I remember going on walks when I was little with my mom and Diane and Richard to the cemetery. Diane always shared her cds with me. I remember jamming to Billy Ray Cyris “Achie Breaky Heart” with her.
Richard is a big teddy bear. He may seem mean with his big beard but he is not even the slightest. He hurt his back while working for Spanish Fork City, so he had to retire. Despite his health and pain he works harder than he should. He is a beautiful carpenter. He has made many things for everyone. My favorite is a rocking horse for my little brother. Richard and I have a unique bond. I am the only newborn baby he has ever held. Richard will not hold an infant until they are at least 9 months old but when I was born he held me at the hospital and I have the picture to prove it! Richard when asked by all of his nieces who is his favorite he points to my picture and says.."see that picture up there, she is my favorite." That picture is of me.
Grandma June Tuckett
My Husbands Grandma
Grandma June was most known for her love for sewing, sports, and weekends in Wendover. She played professional softball while her sweetheart fought in the Pacific during the fourties. Throughout her many years she learned various talents including sewing, hair styling, and always coming back from Wendover with more than what she left with. All who knew her could always find her doing hair at "June's Salon" in Lake Shore, Utah or tying another quilt for another one of her grandkids while cussing the Jazz for missing a layup.
Grandpa Darrell and Grandma Larae Stoddard
My Husbands Step-Grandparents
Grandpa and Grandma Stoddard are most known for their love of gardening, BYU sports, and the Great Salt Lake. Their grandkids could always be counted on to pick all of the raspberries so Grandma could make enough jam for every family. The grandkids could not be counted on to enjoy an afternoon on Fremont Island no matter how encouraging Grandpa made the swarms of brine flies sound. There are only three seasons at Grandma and Grandpa Stoddard's: BYU Football, Basketball, and summer. They plan all vacations accordingly.
