Stewards of Stories: the Stoever Legacy
The birth of Stoever Studios has coincided with the death of my beloved grandmother, Katharine Martin Stoever, on Valentine’s Day 2025, God rest her soul. Death has a way of precipitating new beginnings. In my 36 years, my grandmother has been a continuous presence in my life, and I miss her terribly. Even at the end of her life, I was blessed to exchange many meaningful conversations with her at her bedside and to share my vision for a photography studio with her. These conversations have kept me motivated, propelling me forward in spite of the weight of my grief.
So it was, in the wake of her death, that a collection of family heirlooms streamed in to adorn my studio and office space. These items help tell the story of the Stoever family. There are items of faith: a family bible detailing family records, my grandmother’s wooden rosary from Jerusalem, and an assortment of beautiful artistic prayer cards from the 1930s. There is a c. 1935 8mm Kodak Cine8 film video camera, property of my great grandfather Robert Stoever, which I look forward to using in the future.
The birth of Stoever Studios has coincided with the death of my beloved grandmother, Katharine Martin Stoever, on Valentine’s Day 2025, God rest her soul. Death has a way of precipitating new beginnings. In my 36 years, my grandmother has been a continuous presence in my life, and I miss her terribly. Even at the end of her life, I was blessed to exchange many meaningful conversations with her at her bedside and to share my vision for a photography studio with her. These conversations have kept me motivated, propelling me forward in spite of the weight of my grief.
So it was, in the wake of her death, that a collection of family heirlooms streamed in to adorn my studio and office space. These items help tell the story of the Stoever family. There are items of faith: a family bible detailing family records, my grandmother’s wooden rosary from Jerusalem, and an assortment of beautiful artistic prayer cards from the 1930s. There is a c. 1935 8mm Kodak Cine8 film video camera, property of my great grandfather Robert Stoever, which I look forward to using in the future.
There are many black and white photographs:
one of my young grandfather, Thomas Stoever, leaping exuberantly in front of a crowd when he was a yell leader at UCLA in the 50s
a studio portrait of my grandparents with their children (my dad, aunt, and uncle), all dressed beautifully in dresses and suits for the occasion of a formal portrait sitting, many portraits of my grandmother at various stages of her childhood and adolescence, bearing her same distinctive smile (isn’t it amazing how we retain the same recognizable essence from infancy through old age?),
candid shots of my grandparents together offering us a glimpse into a time gone by, and a photo of my grandmother from her time as a Pan American stewardess, consulting with a pilot and fellow stewardess.
With this photo, I received my grandmother’s iconic Pan Am uniform hat (I was chosen out of the family to receive this because of my known fascination with hats). I found this to be a fitting inheritance, as I have become a stewardess of family history, both of my own (past and present), and of others’ in my capacity as a photographer.
one of my young grandfather, Thomas Stoever, leaping exuberantly in front of a crowd when he was a yell leader at UCLA in the 50s
a studio portrait of my grandparents with their children (my dad, aunt, and uncle), all dressed beautifully in dresses and suits for the occasion of a formal portrait sitting, many portraits of my grandmother at various stages of her childhood and adolescence, bearing her same distinctive smile (isn’t it amazing how we retain the same recognizable essence from infancy through old age?),
candid shots of my grandparents together offering us a glimpse into a time gone by, and a photo of my grandmother from her time as a Pan American stewardess, consulting with a pilot and fellow stewardess.
With this photo, I received my grandmother’s iconic Pan Am uniform hat (I was chosen out of the family to receive this because of my known fascination with hats). I found this to be a fitting inheritance, as I have become a stewardess of family history, both of my own (past and present), and of others’ in my capacity as a photographer.
To my beloved Grammy and Grampy, may you Rest In Peace. I aim to honor your beautiful legacy through my new venture.