My Dad just sent me this wonderful historical snapshot.  It must have been taken in 1958 (or earlier), so he would have been at most 6 years old at the time.  He didn’t give any other background on the photo, other than the email subject line, which suggested that the snapshot was taken in connection with a trip on horseback — not surprising, since the McKays were/are horse people.


Back row, left to right:  John A. McKay (Granny’s oldest brother); Ernest R. McKay (Granny’s dad, i.e. my great grandfather); David O. McKay (Mormon prophet at the time); unknown; the last one is probably a son of David O. Front row, left to right:  Jim McKay (John’s son, my first cousin once removed); unknown; Ernest C. “Bud” McKay (Granny’s middle brother); Jack J. Davis (my paternal grandfather); and probably another son of David O.

The only two people that I, personally, have known are my grandfather (the original JJD) and Jim McKay.  I can’t recall if I met the others before they passed away; if I did, I would have been very young.  But I’ve heard their names forever, and I’ve seen things they passed down.  For example, I remember playing with Ernest R’s white cowboy hat when I was a little boy. 

I love photos like this.  They make connections between the folks I know and the folks who have gone before.  And they help me feel connected to my heritage by linking faces to names and specific historical context (even if all I know about that context is that these men all went horseback riding once).