Ninety-six years ago, on June 16th, the legacy of Emily Ann began. Born to two school teachers, Emily understood what books were and how to use them. Her mother’s music and writings filled Emily’s home, along with Anna Daisy’s gift of being able to grow anything. Emily strived to be!
From a young age, Emily spoke her mind. She memorized scripture in competition with her brothers. She sang in church, at home, and took piano lessons. As she grew older, her firm voice led to a love of singing. She majored in voice and art.
Her love of art
Painting had begun early and stuck with her, from her teenage years, when she painted in the hallway, to the charcoal drawings of the cross for church services, and finally to the paintings at home and in church. She loved color and beauty.
Any picture with a pathway, whether a river, a road, or a dirt pathway, was an invitation to paint and a path to God. The mountains were incredible, but her delight exploded when a leaf changed colors. Or a green leaf gently unfolding in the spring, a sign of color and life.
Look at the Books by Anna Daisy
And then the writing. Her mother wrote. She wrote scripture songs, poetry, family history, diaries in notebooks, and more. It filled four filing cabinet drawers and five boxes. How do I know? I inherited her writings from Emily Ann.
And then I inherited Emily Ann’s writings. That brought more boxes, so I have over 20 of them to go through. More snippets to publish, stories to find, and letters she wrote through the years are my next task over the next 30 years. I hope to pare it down so my daughter or son has less to go through.
Look at Emily Ann’s books
When I look at the boxes, I don’t think of all the work that goes into going through each page, scanning, and adding digital files as I go. I believe this is part of the Legacy of Emily Ann. Except it isn’t.
The Legacy of Emily Ann is the people she has touched: my dad, my brothers, the family, children, grandchildren, greats, and great-greats. But also all the other people she has met through the years—her students, teachers, co-workers, caretakers, friends, extended family, and more. From China to the Netherlands, people felt her presence. And because of that, God’s presence was there with her to show love, caring, joy, and peace.
This is the real Legacy of Emily Ann—the joy of knowing Jesus.
Check out Emily’s website – Emily’s Snippets.
