In Memory of Betty Hall

On January 2, 2019, my wonderful and loving grandmother, Betty Hall, went home to heaven to be with Jesus.

When she passed away, I thought about having a painting made for my Grandpa that would portray my Grandma entering heaven and reuniting with her son, Dan, who had passed away when he was only four years old in 1958 (61 years before his mother). For some reason, I delayed ordering such a painting, but the idea was reinforced in my mind when we had a memorial service for my Grandma in May 2019.

At the burial service, my Grandfather read the following story:

After we all dried our eyes, I knew in my heart that I had to have a painting commissioned of that scene. It took me a few more months before I was able to find the correct artist and someone who could hold the story and understand what I was asking for.

Barbara Monte is an INCREDIBLE artist and she was able to capture exactly what we had all envisioned when my Grandpa read that story at the memorial service.

How BEAUTIFUL is that? How well did she capture the emotion? And how incredible is it that she was able to paint a picture of a man that none of us know on this side of heaven? What a beautiful tribute to my grandma, my grandpa and the years of dedication and service that they gave to mission work. I am so thankful for the legacy that I have in those who have gone before me, and I’m so grateful for the testimony of great faith that my grandparents have shown throughout their lives, even walking through the death of their young son.

And, oh how grateful I am to be able to give this painting to my wonderful Grandpa to have displayed in his home.

For those interested, my grandparents co-wrote a chapter in the book Hope Grows in Winter about this trial that they suffered through and endured.