PICTURES OF LOVE
What image would you choose to depict love? Perhaps a mother gazing intently at her newborn child, or a couple sharing a tender moment on their wedding day?
Couple who married 70 years ago and stayed so in love that they held hands every day at breakfast die 15 hours apart
A couple who held hands at breakfast every morning even after 70 years of marriage have died 15 hours apart.
Helen Felumlee, of Nashport, died at 92 on April 12. Her husband, 91-year-old Kenneth Felumlee, died the next morning.
The couple's eight children say the two had been inseparable since meeting as teenagers, once sharing the bottom of a bunk bed on a ferry rather than sleeping one night apart, the Zanesville Times Recorder reported.
In this picture taken in September 1941, Kenneth and Helen Felumlee pose nearly three years before their marriage in February 1944
When Helen Felumlee passed away at the age of 92 Saturday morning, her family knew her husband Kenneth Felumlee, 91, wouldn’t be slow to follow her. The couple couldn’t bear to be apart very long, and Kenneth passed away only 15½ hours after his wife of 70 years.
“We knew when one went, the other was going to go,” said daughter Linda Cody. “We wanted them to go together, and they did.”
After Kenneth had his leg amputated 2½ years ago because of circulation problems, Helen became his main caretaker, making sure he got everything he needed. She continued this up until three weeks before their deaths, when she became too frail to care for him.
“She was so weak, she could hardly do it,” Cody said. “But she was still pushing his chair; she was still filling his water cup.”
When Kenneth’s health started to fail, Helen began sleeping on the couch to be near him. The two hadn’t slept apart in 70 years, the family said. Years ago, when the two took an overnight ferry equipped with bunk-beds, they chose to both sleep on the bottom bunk rather than be separated for even a night.
Soon after Kenneth, Helen’s health also started to go downhill, and she was confined to a hospital bed near the end of her life. Kenneth took this particularly hard.
“He would just reach out and grab her hand, but he would keep his head down because he couldn’t stand to see her hurting,” Cody said.
Upon his wife’s death, Kenneth was ready to join her, family said. “She was staying strong for Dad and he was staying strong for her,” Cody said. “That’s what kept them going.”
Helen and Kenneth’s love story began when they were just 18 and 19 after Kenneth’s ex-girlfriend, a friend to Helen, introduced the two. They immediately hit it off, dating for three years before deciding to elope.
Lying to their parents, the two said they were taking a day trip to Kentucky to visit Kenneth’s old basketball coach. Heading to the courthouse with only $5 in their pockets, Kenneth and Helen arrived with barely enough to pay the $2 fee. The couple were wed Feb. 20, 1944, two days before Kenneth was legally old enough to get married. “He couldn’t wait,” son Jim Felumlee said.
When the couple returned, they were too nervous to tell their parents right away, so they lived separately several weeks until Kenneth developed the courage to break the news of their elopement.
“I would have liked to have been there for that conversation,” Cody said.
The Felumlees, who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in February, died 15 hours apart from each other last week
They remained deeply in love until the very end, even eating breakfast together while holding hands, said their daughter, Linda Cody.
'We knew when one went, the other was going to go,' she said.
According to Cody, about 12 hours after Helen died, Kenneth looked at his children and said, 'Mom's dead.'
He quickly began to fade and was surrounded by 24 of his closest family members and friends when he died the next morning.
'He was ready,' Cody said. 'He just didn't want to leave her here by herself.'
The couple remained deeply in love until the very end, even eating breakfast together while holding hands
The pair had known each other for several years when they eloped in Newport, Ky., across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, on Feb. 20, 1944.
At two days shy of his 21st birthday, Kenneth was too young to marry in Ohio.
'He couldn't wait,' son Jim Felumlee said.
Kenneth worked as a railroad car inspector and mechanic before becoming a mail carrier for the Nashport Post Office.
He was active in his Nashport-Irville United Methodist Church as a Sunday school teacher.
Helen stayed at home, not only cooking and cleaning for her own family but also for other families in need in the area.
Kenneth and Helen pose in their later years, surrounded by their eight children
She taught Sunday school, too, but was known more for her greeting card ministry, sending cards for birthdays, sympathy and the holidays to everyone in her community, each with a personal note inside. 'She kept Hallmark in business,' daughter-in-law Debbie Felumlee joked.
When Kenneth retired in 1983 and the children began to leave the house, the Felumlees began to explore their love of travel, visiting almost all 50 states by bus. 'He didn't want to fly anywhere because you couldn't see anything as you were going,' Jim Felumlee said.
Although both experienced declining health in recent years, Cody said, each tried to stay strong for the other.
'That's what kept them going,' she said.
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Wedding photo: This stunning photo has been submitted to the latest National Geographic photo assignment which has been posted at its online photo-sharing platform Your Shot
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Priceless moment: 'What's more precious than capturing the love of mother and children in one shot?' asks photographer M. Drey
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A group of children watch as a walrus performs and then waves to them in this photo by Brenda Sutton
The latest theme is Love Snap and appropriately enough it started on Valentine’s Day.
‘Welcome to the month of love. Now is the time to turn words into images. Don’t tell us who or where or what makes your heart sing—show us,’ writes National Geographic. ‘Photography is a powerful voice for all things, physical and metaphorical. How can the people and things you love be expressed with light, movement, and color? We challenge you to go beyond the saccharine-sweet clichés and show us the intimate and personal aspects of your ideas on love.
'We tend to be casual about using this powerful word, so stop for a moment and consider what love actually means to you. Now is the time to turn words into images. Don’t tell us who or where or what makes your heart sing—show us.
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Angel: 'I was walking in the famous neighborhood of Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey when I saw an 'Angel' in the middle of the street. The man was waiting for somebody who never shows up,' writes photographer Boryana Katsarova
The latest National Geographic theme is Love Snap and appropriately enough it started on Valentine's Day and runs for a month
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'On the banks of the Ohio River, the Kentucky side, I watched as the shifting ice, momentarily formed a heart ringed in blue,' writes photographer Danielle Mussman
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Photographer Hadi Asgari took this photo of his grandma and young cousin
'Photography is a powerful voice for all things, physical and metaphorical. How can the people and things you love be expressed with light, movement, and color.
'Your images can be superreal or dreamlike, journalistic or imagined; they can speak to a person or to a moment in time. We challenge you to go beyond the saccharine-sweet clichés and show us the intimate and personal aspects of your ideas on love.
'Elevate us. Surprise us! Inspire us with what you love, and we'll share it with the world.'
The assignment runs until March 7 and anyone can submit photos of the people and things they love expressed with light, movement and color, images that capture the beauty and wonder of L-O-V-E.
To see more images or participate, visit Love Snap.
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How would you encapsulate love in a photograph? Here's Bernard Jacques submitted effort
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Two butterflies mating are captured in this photo by Andrey Antov
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'Shot this at home... tuberose or "rajnigandha" what a lovely fragrance, writes photographer Shivam Misra
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What it got in return was a stunning collection of photos.
'Amid the torrent of babies and puppies, we applaud those of you who refreshed the clichés,' the magazine said of its reader-provided collection. 'You brought the romance back into the 1950s American wedding-kiss fantasy—using the bride’s veil as if it were a filter for intimacy. We admire those of you who found the more unexpected moments of tenderness—a father releasing a bird, or a girl and her grandmother spinning in matching polka dots. And we are especially grateful to those of you who shared heartfelt stories of loss and recovery.'
Additional images can be found on the National Geographic website.
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Double rainbow: This image shows a young child jumping in puddles following a storm in the Arizona desert
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Wedding photos: The photographer says 'I composed and shot this during the early morning hours [a] few days prior to the couple's wedding'
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Morning: The photographer says 'love comes in many forms and a peaceful morning can be full of it'
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Family: The photographer captured this candid image of her cousins playing with their children as she was getting ready to go to a concert
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Grandma: This image shows a little girl named Maja imitating her grandmother as they dance in the lawn
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Baby: Cecelia only weighed two pounds when she was born and spent six weeks in the Intensive Care Unit as her father stayed by her side
The photographer titled this image 'Giacomo e Maria'
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Filter: This couple had the clever idea to use the woman's bridal veil as a filter on this wedding photo
SUMMER OF LOVE
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- Beautiful photograph captures Meagan Snook, 36, and her husband Lee O'Sullivan's home birth
- Shows Meagan cradling their son Reuben in her arms as Lee, 46, looks on with pride and relief
- Lee said the calm birth was all the more special as their first-born's delivery had been extremely stressful
You never forget the moment you first lay eyes on your child, but so rarely does that moment last for longer than a split second.
But one Western Australia family will be able to cherish that instant forever thanks to this beautiful photograph that was taken as they first held little Reuben.
The gorgeous picture shows Meagan Snook, 36, holding her son in a birth pool, cradling him in her arms, as her proud husband Lee O'Sullivan beams with pure joy.
It is a beautiful moment, one that is all the more special for the family as it came nearly two years to the day that the birth of their first child
This is the beautiful moment Meagan Snook, 36, and her husband Lee O'Sullivan, 46, laid eyes on their son Reuben for the very first time
The couple's first-born came into the world under much different circumstances.
Lee, 46, told Daily Mail Australia that he often remembers the day his daughter Alice was born as 'the best and worst of my life'.
He was whisked away from the birthing room by midwives, leaving Meagan in a 'bath of red', before he had to hold a tiny oxygen mask to his daughter's face.
Lee had no idea what condition his wife was in, or if Alice was going to be okay. He took a photo with their daughter before Meagan even got the chance to meet her.
It was a traumatic experience for the family, so Lee was apprehensive when Meagan first told him she wanted to deliver their second child at home in November.
'When Meagan told me she wanted a home birth, most of what happened that day came flooding back,' he said.
Meagan chose to give birth in a pool at the couple's Western Australia home when she delivered Reuben in November
After such a chaotic delivery with her first-born, Megan wanted Reuben's entrance in the world to feel as natural as possible
'I had my concerns, but trusted Meagan's choice was the right one.'
After such a chaotic delivery with her first-born, Megan wanted Reuben's entrance in the world to feel as natural as possible.
Giving birth in the comfort of her own home also alleviated many anxieties, she added.
'I did not need to worry about travelling to a hospital in labour, worry about who would look after our daughter, worry if the birthing pool would be vacant,' she said.
'Having a home birth also reassured me that I would not be exposed to unnecessary interventions and that every effort would be made to follow my birth wishes.'
That comfort was paramount as Meagan went through six-and-a-half hours of labour during what she calls one of the hardest nights of her life.
But all that stress and pain melted away when Reuben calmly came into the world at just the right time.
'There's so much unpredictability with birth, but his timing was perfect because our daughter was asleep next door,' Meagan said.
Her daughter Alice woke up 10 minutes after Reuben was born, and then got to meet her little brother for the first time
The couple's photographer also captured the touching first moment that the entire family first cuddled together
As Meagan and Reuben first laid eyes on their newborn son, the rest of the world melted away.
'Birth for me was such an internal experience, I barely opened my eyes,' said Meagan.
'That relief once the baby is there and you can actually open your eyes and breathe again, it's such an amazing moment.'
'When Reuben was born all the happiness, relief, worry and stress surfaced in my emotions,' added Lee.
'Every parent I'm sure would describe the birth of their children as the most emotionally-filled day of their lives. You can add me to that list.'
Both parents completely forgot their birth photographer, Belle Verdiglione, was in the room as they stared into Reuben's eyes for the first time.
But as they looked at her photographs, they were able to relive the beautiful and peaceful experience all over again.
'I will be forever grateful to have these images,' Meagan said.
'Especially seeing the facial expressions of Lee seeing his son for the first time and Alice meeting her little brother for the first time. Priceless.'
Meagan said the family often forgot that their photographer Belle was in the room as they melted into the moment
She is grateful that she will now have these touching photographs to look back on and remember how she felt forever
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Love is patient and kind according to the famous Corinthians verse, but love is also strange as evidenced by the portraits on AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com.
In addition to the run-of-the-mill awkward group shots, many have submitted their own relationship-themed photos to the site from weddings, engagements and lovey-dovey mall photo shoots.
The photos show a spectrum of weird relationships from a man biting his girlfriend's ear in one professional shot to newlyweds tossing chicken carcasses in their wedding shoot.
The photo set is hilarious, and endearing at the same time - proving even weirdos can find true love.
Thinking of you: A man gazes fondly at a projected vision of him and his girlfriend
On bended arm: Peter Parker and Mary Jane had their infamous upside down kiss. This couple has their own version
Still got it: At least he's still attracted to his wife after all these years
Tied down: He realized real quick he had to lock down this girl before some other guy snatched her up
Photobomb! Is the Llama jealous of their union?
Background: A keepsake from a day at the beach will forever be tainted by the red-shirted man
Love birds: Throwing rice, throwing chickens, what's the difference?
Pessimistic in pink: She promised it was a dress they'd be able to wear again
Fiery love: The flaming barbeque is a symbol for their passionate love
Her knight in shirtless armor: He protects her with his epic bow and arrow
Back it up: The couple that grinds together stays together
Double the love: It either depicts two sets of twins dating each other or some sort of pre-photoshop play on the image
Beach wedding: A union that can only be pictured against an epic background
It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life, so what better way to celebrate your wedding than by posing as centaurs to demonstrate your love? Or riding a giant swan? Or perhaps fleeing a fire-throwing Transformer?
From the crude, to the rude, to the downright bizarre, these Russian newlyweds certainly know how to put the fun in wedding function.
Many rely heavily on post-production, whether it's shrinking a bride or blowing up a church, while others are just forensically choreographed happiness.
And when the special day is over, they will take their places in family albums so future generations can know who their ancestors really were.
Their special neigh: This happy couple couldn't stop horsing around throughout their wedding ceremony
A rearly happy occasion: This bride needed a well-earned nap after the ordeal of getting married (apparently)
Baguette me to the church on time: This bride knows exactly which side her bread is buttered
Young love: This couple couldn't get to the honeymoon suite soon enough
Thigh do! The photographer couldn't wait to start the shoot whether the brides stockings were on or not
Holy pond of marriage: This wedding was ruined by a giant swan who swooped in and whisked the happy couple off for an early honeymoon... at their local park
Always the bridesmaid: This bridesmaid was keen to show her frustration at never being the centre of attention herself
Some seem to be the newly betrothed wife seeking to show who is the boss after the nuptials.
Cars feature strongly - in one picture the couple's faces are superimposed on the wheels as they begin the journey on the family road to happiness.
To have and too cold: This bride has her husband wrapped around her little finger
Stupid's arrow: This bride was more concerned about snaring herself a groomsman than she was about her dress
Wee do: This photo raises more questions than it answers
The first chance: It wasn't long before this couple sneaked away for a bit of alone time
Who says a can of lager and a cigarette or putting a chair between your legs isn't classy?
Wedding cows: The groom at this wedding wanted nothing more than to celebrate by climbing a giant bull
Not now, dear: She was so cute he literally put her in his pocket and took her home
Give us a big kiss: There has been a huge rise in demand in recent years in Russia for mini brides
Does this dress make my bum look big? Even when all the groomsmen worked together, they couldn't get this bride to fit in her dress
Transformers in surprise: No one knew which way to turn when Optimus Prime arrived to give the bride away
A tyring day!: The congregation realised the car would need a push when the bride and groom turned into wheels
Criminal photography: The bridesmaid was inconsolable after she stumbled across the crime scene
Run for your wives: When the best man described the groom as larger than life, he didn't mean it literally
You are my strength: Her pre-wedding diet appeared to have paid off
Your love is like a giant mug: It's unclear exactly what point this picture is trying to make
Smile, we're framous: Despite every attempt to bring a touch of class to their wedding, he just couldn't take it seriously
Lenin me your ears: This couple were desperate to trumpet their union from under the statue of their favourite revolutionary
In most cases, though, you wouldn't know this is supposed to the happiest day of their lives, though one couple are look full of joy as they serenade a statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin.
The popular blogger who goes under the name 'pryf' simply says 'How not to take wedding pictures', and his montage is spreading like wildfire round the web.
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