One cold February night in 1973, my Grandma Donna and I assisted Mother in packing her suitcase as she prepared for that anticipated moment when she needed to head to the hospital to deliver her second child.

At age 8, I was disappointed that my new sister was not born on Abraham Lincoln’s February 12th birthday. Instead, Dena was born on Valentine’s Day.

October 31, 1974, was the due date for my next sibling. Our next door neighbor, Betsy Herndon, was due with their first child on November 4th. Ironically, Carter Anderson Herndon was born October 31st and my baby brother, Destin, was born November 4th.

I was thrilled.

Mother got it right this time as Destin was born on the November 4, 1842 wedding anniversary of Abraham and Mary Lincoln.

When I moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1990, I became acquainted with Lincoln artist and historian, Lloyd Ostendorf.

Mr. Ostendorf was famous for a plethora of artwork featuring Abraham Lincoln. I was especially taken with his drawings of the wedding scene of Lincoln to Mary Todd.

Mr. Ostendorf had a number of other pairings of Mr. & Mrs. Lincoln that I’ve always loved.