1940s

HEATHER EKINS

My mom grew up in a rural and very remote area of northeastern Washington, and she was a country girl through and through. As a little girl, she would fish from the nearby creek to help put food on the table. She also knew how to hunt from a young age. Though the game she hunted was always small (squirrels and grouse, mostly), she was an impressive shot. She’s a woman with grit but also so much gentleness, which I think this photo shows perfectly. Even in her work clothes, she’s still absolutely stunning. I also love seeing her long black hair up in braids. After she had children, she always kept it short. She became a mother of seven children and is now a grandma to thirty-seven grandchildren and sixty-five great-grandchildren!