Aging in
America-
Our Heritage of Wisdom
a series of thirty-six pencil drawings by artist jim branscum
Original Drawings & Model Commentaries:
AIA Drawing # 14
(17 inches X 23 inches)
George (1901 - ) &
Elsie (1903 - ) Handstra: Crete, Illinois
Copyright © 1992-2006 Jim Branscum Art
Studio
All Rights Reserved
"They say for every boy and girl, there's just one love in this whole
world, and I know I've found mine..." was the beginning line from a song,
"Young Love," heard as a young boy, by Sonny James. This line and a
memory of my first love went through my head while talking to George Hanstra about his
life with his wife of sixty-five years, Elsie. The words were certainly true
for them. George was in his early twenties when he fell in love with Elsie Vander
Lei. They began their relationship as husband and wife when George was twenty five
and Elsie, twenty-two. They began their life together before Sonny James or I
were even born. Their family includes three children, nine grandchildren and
twelve great-grandchildren.
George
spoke softly and lovingly as he told the story of how he met Elsie at a church
picnic while George was working in the furniture business in Lafayette,
Indiana. Elsie was working as a secretary in Chicago, Illinois. After they
married, George moved to Chicago where George worked as a maintenance supervisor in
a large South Chicago apartment complex. They remained in South Chicago most of
their marriage. In 1987, they moved to Village Woods (Christian Retirement
& Conference Services) southeast of Chicago in Crete, Illinois.
Village Woods is a large residential independent
living facility that allows married couples to continue their relationship with one
another while providing the medical and other services required to maintain a quality
standard of living with a strong emphasis on faith. They enjoy a strong family
support and continue extended contacts and visits to the homes of their sons,
daughter and grandchildren. In many ways their continued relationship within an
assisted living facility symbolizes the best that long term care can provide-- minimal
disruptions to their lives with maximum care available if needed.
Their faith is a major factor in maintaining the
loving relationship and family unity they have shared so many years. George and
Elsie are posed in front of a wall holding precious memories and statements cherished
throughout their lives; the day they married, a statement on friendship made
by a granddaughter, historical family portraits and a print of "The
Gleaners," by Milo, which symbolized the faith that governed their lives.
Their love for one another has not been
diminished by time or the struggle to raise a family during some of the most difficult
times in our nation's history. Fortunate are those who have the privilege of meeting
that"just one love" and are able to share a lifetime of love and joy as seen in
the images of George and Elsie Hanstra.
Postscript:
At each "Work in Progress" exhibition
of the Aging in America original drawings, I would tell the story of George and
Elsie Hanstra's lifetime in love and would again be reminded of the young girl I had loved
three decades earlier, my first love, Mary Roberts.
Since our relationship had ended by her families objections to our relationship, she
remained in my mind and heart throughout my adult life. I never had an exhibition
without wondering if she remembered me, if she married, had children and, most
importantly, if she was happy. Two years after completing this drawing I began
an extensive search to find her and learn the answers to my questions.
I found her phone number and called; she
remembered my voice thirty-two years after last hearing it; she had married and had
two children, but the marriage had not brought happiness. After nearly a third
of a century, she also retained a love for me. Each of us had the same
questions for the other leading to the question, would you like to complete the
plans for a life together which we made as teenagers? Six months after finding
her, we were married. Since our plans had been to "run away" to
Arkansas to be married where the legal age for marriage without parental consent was
lower, we made plans to fulfill our earlier promises in Little Rock, Arkansas.
While making arrangements for our marriage in
Little Rock, a number of events happened which altered the simple wedding we
planned. Our "love story" came to the attention of Kathleen Gray,
Director of Marketing for the Arkansas Health Care Association (one of my sponsors
of the Aging in America drawing project). Kathleen told me how the Arkansas State
Capitol Building had been lavishly and beautifully decorated for the Christmas season and
suggested that we consider getting married in that festive setting. Kathleen talked
to contacts within the Arkansas State Capitol and received special permission for us to be
married on the Capitol's front steps. A local television reporter was present while
Kathleen made the arrangements for the ceremony. She asked for interviews and
brought a news crew to record the event. Our "Love Story" and wedding was
reported on the 10 PM news broadcast and repeated through noon the next day. While
we would have been "fugitives" married in secret thirty two years earlier,
our marriage was reported and celebrated by tens of thousands of viewers that evening.
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of the Aging in America project or to place an order for individual prints,
Click Here.
Copyright © 1992 -2006/ All Rights
Reserved Jim Branscum Art Studio
Copying or Reproducing the Original Artwork on this Site
Electronically or Any Other Means is Strictly Forbidden
Without the Express Written Consent of the Artist.
Jim Branscum
Art Studio ~ P.O. Box 2048 ~ Sapulpa, OK 74067
Phone: 918/227-7856
email: jim@jimbartstudio.com
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