Mary & AnnaLeah: A Short Film When we got back home after the crash (May 4, 2013) and were looking through our photo and video files, we found some short video clips of a short story which AnnaLeah had apparently written and which she narrated as Mary acted it out. Their older sister Susanna filmed it with her digital camera in our backyard in Midland, Texas (circa 2009). Remembering AnnaLeah (17) and Mary (13). Miss you every single day.
Mary Moments A few moments of Mary’s time gives a look at her many moods–mostly merry.
Mary at her Baptism A glimpse of Mary on the day of her baptism–crying, smiling, & capturing hearts. A treasure.
Silly Mary! Oh, the laughter you brought into our lives, Mary!
A Gift from Mary Gifts from Mary…flowers and her joy-full smile
Mary Christmas Angel (#1): Jesus is the Heart of Christmas Short video clips of Mary as a Christmas angel in about 2003…in this one she is singing, “Jesus is the Heart of Christmas.”
Mary Takes On A Gate When Mary was very young, we used to call her www.mlk (wonderful wiggly worm mary lydia karth). She was full of energy and very expressive. It didn’t take much for her to make us laugh or smile. This two-minute video, where we were packing up to go home after a summer vacation, was one of those times where she amused her older brother without even trying.
Mary Climbs the Dune Steps Two-year old Mary gets help from her big brother Samuel when climbing the steps up the dune from the Lake Michigan beach. Then she has fun with the cottage door. Simple pleasures. . .
Life With Gertie Gertie was our family’s St. Bernard. Later, our joyful Mary had her very own beloved stuffed toy Gertie, who now keeps her nephew Romie company. And so the joy & belly laughs continue. Mary’s grandpa, James Oliver Waldron, sings The Teddy Bear Picnic https://annaleahmary.com/2016/12/marys…
Mary Makes Bread Here’s our Mary—showing us how to make le petit pain (little french bread loaves), and having fun in the process.
Mary Bakes a Surprise Cake for Rebekah To surprise her sister, Mary bakes a seven-layer engagement cake for Rebekah when she comes home for a visit shortly after getting engaged. Mary had so much fun doing it and also modeling Rebekah’s wedding dress as it was being sewn in the coming months before Rebekah’s wedding.(includes photos of Mary in Rebekah’s dress, Mary & Rebekah and music from Rebekah’s wedding)
A Day at the Beach With AnnaLeah & Mary AnnaLeah, Mary, and I enjoyed a day at a North Carolina beach in the Winter of 2013. I guess that it was the last time I went to the beach with them–although certainly not the first. Enjoy memorable moments while you can.
Mary Smells the Lilacs Mary smells our lilac bush in Michigan around 2005–a cutting from Great-Aunt Flossie (Waldron) Hill’s lilacs in Okemos, Michigan.
Walk Through The Woods; It Is Well With My Soul Mary loved to capture every moment on her camera–from the mundane to the amazing. That included our walk on the trails of Battle Park on a beautiful day in January 2013 in her new home of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Mary’s photo story of the walk with her sister, AnnaLeah, dad, and mom is set to Horatio Spafford’s well-known hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.” Fitting in so many ways. Peace like a river attendeth my soul. https://annaleahmary.com/2016/06/a-wal…
Moments With Mary & AnnaLeah Just a few moments of time. . . 30 seconds to remember our girls by.
AnnaLeah Trims the Blinds While Mary Plays Getting our house ready to sell, took a lot of work. One day, AnnaLeah worked very hard to trim the new blinds throughout the house (with the help of Jerry & Levi). Mary’s job was to have fun and entertain the rest of us!
Always in my thoughts Jerry and I were able to spend some time at the cottages on Lake Michigan where our family has enjoyed vacations since Mary was three years-old. Shortly after we arrived, I was overcome with a wave of grief at the thought that here we are where they would no longer ever be again. Amidst the bittersweet memories, I was able to enjoy the time — what’s not to like about a peaceful time at the shore? The waves crashing. The red hot coals glowing. The wind blowing in the trees. Good fellowship. In particular though, I was caught up in two memories of Mary and AnnaLeah. The first night, I found a blue ribbon on the beach–buried slightly in the sand–and tied to a broken balloon. Of course, it reminded me of the time when Mary — at that very spot in 2010 — had found a Beany Baby Bear on the sand with a green ribbon attached to a balloon. I later in the week found a green ribbon in the sand. So I tied them to a driftwood stick and let them blow in the breeze. Later, I noticed that the bush by the “porch swing” was a blooming lilac bush. I never knew that because we normally would stay at the cottages the week after Labor Day. It brought to mind the photos of AnnaLeah which I treasure–sitting in that very swing, looking out at the shore, and building sand castles on the beach. I put together this video to capture the essence of the bittersweet memories which that special place evoke in my thoughts and heart.
AnnaLeah Visits Historical Durham AnnaLeah and her dad shared historical interests. Jerry took her to Durham in the Spring of 2013 to see historical sites. AnnaLeah borrowed Mary’s camera to capture the memories. Background music by her Grandpa Waldron on his dulcimer.
Be Still, My Soul Mary and I were having some quiet time—hard for a two year-old who is having fun at the Lake. Savor precious moments…here today and gone tomorrow. Be still and know that He is God…trust that He will be a present help in times of trouble…rest in His loving arms.
With Hope, We Carry On Remembering AnnaLeah & Mary–the joy & the pain–with hope we carry on. Photos & video of our girls set to the song, With Hope, by Steven Curtis Chapman. https://annaleahmary.com/
Camp Concordia Celebrates 50 Years Our family has a history with Camp Concordia in Gowen, Michigan. So when the Camp celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007, we traveled there to join in the fun. Archery, canoeing, Noah’s Ark playground, and a dog cart ride for Mary. Then, in 2015, Levi went back as a Camp Counselor. He found The Pudding Stone–donated to the camp from my childhood home.
Mary Loved To Play Mary could find fun in just about anything. This time it was playing frisbee or running with Levi at the playground.
Remembering Family Heritage Jerry, AnnaLeah, Caleb, & Mary visiting the Karth family gravesites in a Chicago cemetery–circa September 2010.
The New Sink Mary notices that the remodeled kitchen is almost finished. While admiring the new sink, she gets a surprise!
Mary Has Fun With Her Friend & Her Camera Mary and her friend (and her friend’s dog) manage to have fun being silly together with Mary’s camera.
AnnaLeah’s Confirmation AnnaLeah thoughtfully shares a few words from her heart…about her faith. See the statement which AnnaLeah wrote when she was 13: https://annaleahmary.com/2017/05/annal…
Last Moments Mary and AnnaLeah did not expect this road trip to be their last.
The Making of a Very Special Bench This is a record of the creation of a very special bench in memory of two sisters who are no more — AnnaLeah and Mary Lydia Karth.
#madewithheart by a chainsaw wood carver, CC Carving:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...; https://www.etsy.com/shop/cccarving?f…
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4: 7-8)
To God be the glory — their Creator and Redeemer.
Background Music: “Into the West”: “Into the West is a song written by Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox, and performed by Lennox for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
