While Klaus Kocher and I were coordinating with mothers as they arrived for the Mother’s Day photo shoot this year, we came across a 1991 bound volume of the Valley Journal. The archive included that year’s Mother’s Day edition, which featured a former editor of The Sopris Sun, Will Grandbois (as a baby, of course), along with his mother, Becky Young, one of the founders of the Valley Journal.
It got me thinking. How long has this tradition been going on? So I headed over to the Carbondale Library, which has a complete set of the Valley Journal canon, to find out.
The Valley Journal started the Mother’s Day tradition in 1984, featuring just portraits of new babies starting out. The following year, the Carbondale paper included mothers with their babies in the portraits, which has been the modus operandi ever since.
For over 41 years, mothers in this valley have graced the pages of either the Valley Journal or The Sopris Sun with their babies. As can be the case with long-standing traditions, full-circle moments unfold from time to time. Take Sabre Scout Brothers for instance, who was featured with her mother in 1993 and this year — in this very issue in your hands — appears with her son, Teddy Huck Brothers.
Our current editor, James Steindler, was also featured with his twin brother, William, and their mother, Anne Rector, in the Valley Journal’s 1991 Mother’s Day issue — along with Grandbois. Some fun synchronicity happened again this year, with not one but two mothers who welcomed twins into their families and are featured in this issue: Christie Qual (Beckham & Everett) and Hannah Said (Maya and Freddie).
Every year during the photo shoots, The Sopris Sun office is abuzz with so much joy, excitement and baby energy.
My son, Zachary, and I were lucky to be included in 1997. Zack was just getting over the chicken pox, so we were unable to participate in the official photography sessions. I inquired if there was any way we could get in.
I had missed the opportunity with my daughter, Elizabeth, two years prior and was determined not to miss out a second time. To my amazement, Valley Journal photographer Carol Craven offered to come to my house and take our portrait. I am forever grateful for her generosity.
I still have a copy of that issue and posted it to Facebook when my son graduated from Roaring Fork High School in 2014. It was fun to see so many of his classmates and their moms all together on the pages of the classic Valley Journal.
Bound editions of the Valley Journal are available at the Carbondale Library by request. There are also digital versions available, from 1975 to 1992, on the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection’s website (coloradohistoricnewspapers.org) thanks to an effort taken on, and funded, by the library. The remaining volumes are scheduled to be on the website in the next month or so, according to Branch Manager Tracy Kallassy.
The Sopris Sun is proud to carry on the tradition of giving space each year to local mothers and their newborns. Whether it be welcoming a new addition to their growing family or experiencing motherhood for the first time, we honor all our community moms.
If you enjoy seeing special editions like this Mother’s Day issue. Please consider signing up as a SUNscriber to help The Sopris Sun and Sol del Valle newspapers thrive. Visit soprissun.com/donate to chip in.
Thank you to photographer — and Sopris Sun board treasurer — Klaus Kocher for volunteering his time and expertise to capture the essence of motherly love.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Terri Ritchie is The Sopris Sun’s lead editorial graphic designer, and so enjoyed meeting all the new moms and babies who took time from their busy lives to be a part of this tradition.