Stranger Takes a Photo Just Days Before Woman Passes Away

A stock photo of ice cream (Annie Wu/The Epoch Times)

A simple photo turned out to be a family’s final memory of a woman who later passed away.

Joyce Rhinehart, an Ohio woman, said she took a photo of a happy family after eating ice cream.

“I have an incredible story to share,” she wrote on Facebook.

“On June 8th I was at Rita’s Italian Ice with my grandson Blake treating him after his tennis lesson. As we were about to leave, there was this sweet family all sitting together on one of the benches enjoying a custard cone,” she wrote.

Rhinehart added that she felt the urge to take their photo.

“I took this picture below and then handed my phone to the young daughter and told her to go ahead and text the picture to their cell phone. Left to take Blake home and explained to him how I have done this before when I see cute family moments of total strangers so they can have the memory. Usually, I do this on vacation,” the woman added.

Days later, Rhinehart said that she got text messages, including “one that still sends chills through me and brought me to tears.”

One message said, “Dear madam, you took our picture in front of Rita’s on June 8th. My wife has passed away yesterday and this is the last picture we have together as a family. Please accept my deepest gratitude for your kindness, it means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Rhinehart said that simple acts of kindness could prove to be powerful for others.

“I corresponded back with him a few more times and found out his wife had been ill for the past year,” she added.

She suggested that she doesn’t believe it’s a coincidence.

“As I look more closely at the picture it does appear she may be wearing a wig so I’m guessing maybe she had cancer. My [heart] is heavy for this sweet family I don’t even know and the tremendous gift that was left to them cause I listened to my gut that day. I’m in awe!! This has the hand of God all over it!”

Kids Pen Viral Obituary for Mom

Sybil Marie Hicks from Ontario passed on Feb. 2 at the age of 82, and her obituary is going viral.

She worked with two of her children to pen the obituary.

“It hurts me to admit it… but I, Mrs. Ron Hicks from Baysville, have passed away,” the obituary in the Hamilton Spectator said.

“I passed peacefully with my eldest daughter, Brenda, by my side February 2, 2019 at 8:20 a.m.,” it added. “I leave behind my loving husband, Ron Hicks, whom I often affectionately referred to as a ‘Horse’s [expletive].’”

She also said she left behind “children whom I tolerated over the years; Bob (with Carol) my oldest son and also my favorite. Brian (with Ginette) who was the Oreo cookie favorite, Brenda AKA ‘Hazel’ who would run to clean the bathrooms when she heard company was coming.”

It continued: “I graduated from Waterdown High School with honors while wearing my shiny bright saddle shoes. I later graduated from Hamilton General Hospital School Nursing class of 1957B — Best Class EVER!”