52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025: Week 24 – Artistic

NOTE: I accepted the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge headed by fellow genealogy blogger Amy Johnson Crow. The idea behind this challenge is that you will receive email prompts, a word or phrase, every week, and you find something about your research or family history to write about.  Click HERE to read my first 52 Ancestors blog post in 2019.

My Uncle, Leslie S. Mays, was a true renaissance man of his time. He was a math teacher, sergeant in the Air Force, played the piano, a comedian in his own right, an excellent cook, and an artist. He was definitely a man of many talents. While most teachers used cut outs to decorate their classrooms, my Uncle always drew something special for his students every year. Anytime I needed something for a school project that required drawing, art, or paint, my Uncle was the first person I asked to help me. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that most of the art on the walls of my grandmother’s home was painted by my Uncle.

I have wonderful memories of my Uncle that bring a smile to my face now that he is no longer with us. It is also so nice to have a piece of his art that reminds me of a side of him that he rarely talked about.

Click HERE to read 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2019 – Week 10: Bachelor Uncle