What's worth remembering? Photographs tell the story of your life, as Jill Krentz outlined in her introductory talk.
Jill Krentz strives to live a life worth remembering. It all started in Milwaukee, when her dad, from a family of one, met her mom, from a family of eleven. They planned to have many children, but when they had one son and no more, they decided to adopt Jill. Jill was a bit of a tomboy, who enjoyed music and travel. When she was 12, her family took a trip to Yellowstone and she realized she wanted to be a writer, starting with a poem about the sunset. She continued writing through high school, enjoying speech and forensics. When she was 16, she had the opportunity to go on a study tour of Europe, including the USSR; when she came home, having seen what she saw in the USSR, she was never prouder to be an American.

As a young adult, she worked at Boston Store, selling cameras, calculators and luggage; she got her first camera when she was eleven. When she came to UW-RV to study Journalism, she made many new friends. Jill also loved motorcycles; she regularly rode a 350 Honda from River Falls to Milwaukee. Her motorcycle “phase” lasted about seventeen years.

Jill’s first full-time job was with the Hudson Star Observer; she moved from production to advertising, with a brief writing stint. Looking for a higher salary, she took a job at Minnesota Mutual, where she worked for 30 years. She started in graphic services, moved to public relations, and – after finally finishing her degree – became a publication editor. When a position opened in marketing communications, she made the leap, working on the company’s first website in the early days of the internet.

At the time, Jill was a proud cat lady, and thought she had everything she needed to be happy. Her friend Cheri finally convinced her to go on a date with her brother, Harry, who had a ten year-old daughter. They purchased a fixer-upper in Beldenville, and have barely managed to “stay ahead of the rate of decay.” They had a big Hollywood wedding and honeymooned in San Francisco, Jill’s first time seeing the Pacific.

Life was good! Their family was doing well, they were building a menagerie at home. Then, in 2008, they had a surprise addition to the family, when their three grandchildren came to live with them; they legally adopted them in 2010. The children are growing – as is the menagerie – and Jill and Harry are kept busy with all of the kids’ activities.

When they adopted the kids, Jill’s employer allowed her to go to part-time status, which really helped her balance everything; that said, she soon opted for an early retirement, and decided to instead launch a photography business from her home. She took about two years getting ready to launch her business, Hidden Pine Image Studio. She wanted her business to be creative and relational, a slower and more intentional approach to working with clients. She considers it a privilege and an honor to work with families to make them feel comfortable, honor themselves, and “capture their special sparkle.”

In closing, Jill encouraged all of us to take photos of your family that include you.