This photograph is of a gift from my wife, Frances, who commissioned Ray Kunz to carve a 40th Anniversary gift to celebrate our wedding day December 1, 1968.  Two hearts are connected together with a ribbon of LOVE to symbolize the “tie that binds our hearts together in love.”

The hearts, ribbon and the numbers “40” are carved out of butternut wood with the background plaque carved out of walnut wood.  The design was created by Ray Kunz who also penned a poem to go with the 40th Anniversary Carving:

To Frances and Don

These hearts are together as you can plainly see,

tied by a ribbon that is tight as can be.

This ribbon is not just tied tight with a bow,

if it was it could fray as the hearts move to and fro.

This ribbon is made from a love that is strong,

so strong that it’s lasted more than 40 years long.

But 40 years is really just a good start,

and there are many more coming for these two hearts.

Ray Kunz 08