Gray Essary, of Somerville, Tennessee, bows his head in prayer before his bull ride during the Lawrence County PRCA Rodeo on Aug. 18 at Lawrence County Fairgrounds in Imboden, Arkansas. The 23-year-old, who makes a living traveling “coast to coast, border to border” for rodeos, said prayer is a way to help clear your head and help him focus before the ride. “Kind of takes some of that weight off of you,” he said.

For 30 years, Bob Meyer has placed American flags along roadways in his hometown of St. Henry, Indiana. "What started out as just decorations went much, much deeper. It's the symbol of freedom," Meyer said Sept. 2 after completing a round of flag placement. "And that ties in big time with all these veterans here in this town." He said his mother, Nip Meyer, was on the decorating committee when the community celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1987 and asked him to put up the flags initially. Three decades later, Meyer is still placing the flags out for Labor Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Veterans Day, September 11 and the community's annual festival. "When I started I thought, 'Well I'll do them as long as my mom wants me to," he said. "And then bless her heart, she's still here today for this 30th anniversary."

Monday was 16 years since the birth of Madison Robinson; Tuesday was her funeral. Robinson died after being shot Aug. 24 on the front porch of her Cape Girardeau home. Scores turned out for Robinson’s visitation and funeral Sept. 3 at Mercy Seat Missionary Baptist Church in Charleston, Missouri. “I’ll have people remember this day, today, that a 15-year-old girl is dead in our community,” Robinson’s cousin Alex Gilbert said. “If you want to remember her, remember her as somebody that shouldn’t have died because of the gun violence.” Pictured from left: Sunnyboy Mims, 7, and Randi Jones, 9, cousins of Robinson; and Misty Robinson, aunt of Madison, mourn with Martez Johnson (Madison’s aunt who raised her), with head bowed, during Madison’s services.

Santa Claus, portrayed by Steve Southard of Jonesboro, pays a visit to 9-day-old William “Liam” Clairday on Dec. 20 at St. Bernards Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Jonesboro, Arkansas. “This is one of my emotional stops,” Southard said. “I enjoy just the love and holding those babies and squeezing them. And just giving them a little hug from God.”

“It’s rough,” Jasmine Parker said about taking care of her father. “I don’t know if it’s going to be weeks or months. I mean I feel like he doesn’t have that much longer to go.” The Lehi resident said this Jan. 27 about her 79-year-old father, Richard "Dick" Fisher, of Cottonwood Heights, who died March 20. Fisher quit smoking more than 20 years ago, but died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which Mayo Clinic defines as “a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs.” Fisher would receive help throughout the week from various professionals and Parker would visit her father every weekend and sometimes throughout the week depending on her schedule. “It’s hard to run two households,” she said speaking also about her own family. “But what do you do? I mean they take care of you when you’re little so I mean it’s the right thing to do.” Pictured: Fisher is embraced by his daughter, Parker, before she departs from her father's home Jan. 27 in Cottonwood Heights, Utah.

Preston Turney, 8, of Manila, runs his hand through Ranger's mane during an equine assisted therapy session at Diego Ranch on Oct. 3 off Arkansas Highway 91 West near Jonesboro, Arkansas.

As students process through a blessing of backpacks ceremony at Trinity United Church of Christ's Sunday service, Pastor Jane Hillman says a prayer for Corbin Schnarr of Jasper, 6, on Aug. 13 in Jasper, Indiana. Hillman said she hopes to impart upon students that God is with them at school as well as in church. “Kids are comforted by having their backpack blessed,” she said. “One kid got a new backpack during the year and brought it back in because he wanted it blessed. It gives them that symbol that God is with them.”

Ron Bristol cares for Lucy after the dog was rescued by firefighters from a house fire June 21 on 19th Avenue in Moline, Illinois. Bristol, a neighbor of the Carr family whose house caught fire, said Lucy was located in the basement of the home. Jim Versluis, a training officer with the Moline Fire Department, said Lucy and Truman, the family’s other dog, were rescued from the home, but the family’s bird died. Jasmine and Daniel Carr and their two sons were not home at the time of the fire. Jan MacFarlane, a neighbor to the family, said the family moved in a few weeks ago.

Arleen Tipsword, who at age 90 believes herself to be the oldest member of Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, takes a brick as a souvenir from the remains of the church June 22 at 210 E. Outer Road in Scott City, Missouri. "It's heartbreaking," Tipsword said of the building that was destroyed in a fire during Friday afternoon's storm. "I met my husband here in this church." She believes it was 1978 when she first attended the church where she would marry her husband in 1985. "I mean this is most wonderful church family that we can depend on," she said.

John-Ross Williams, 6, left, and Rylan Ryan, 7, both of Sikeston, Missouri, stand with the rest of the crowd for the playing of the national anthem at the start of opening night of the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo on Aug. 7 in Sikeston.

Men wait by a bucking chute during the Professional IPRA Rodeo on Aug. 3 at the Du Quoin State Fair in Du Quoin, Illinois.

Father Christopher Martin carried the Blessed Sacrament in eucharistic adoration during week two of the Steubenville STL Mid-America youth conference July 16 at the Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield, Missouri.

The oldest boy of Rueben Hotop's 13 children, Ronnie Hotop of Perryville, Missouri, lights a fire under a cooking pot shortly prior to 7 a.m. before the start of hog butchering. For the Hotop family, hog butchering is a decades-old tradition passed down from generation to generation. Read about the Hotop’s family tradition under the “Of Hogs and Hotops” tab.

Ella Guinn, 4, of Jonesboro, twirls around while dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast and dancing next to her mother Lida Guinn, in pink, during a Mother & Daughter Tea Party held by Princess Parties by Stranded Threads on Sept. 8 in Jonesboro. Party guests were given the chance to meet numerous princesses as well as decorate crowns and cookies, attend an etiquette training, play games and dance.

Father Tom Vordtriede lit a paschal candle held by Deacon Ray Burle at the start of the Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 8, 2023, at Holy Rosary Parish in Warrenton, Missouri. At the Mass, 24 people from the parish were received into the Catholic Church.

Accompanied by numerous animals, Mary Roelofsz tends to the morning’s tasks at Dreamers' Farm outside of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. The dreamers mentioned in the name of the 45-acre farm north of Excelsior Springs are Mary and her mother, Bea Roelofsz, who died in January of 2019. “Our dream was to raise Gypsy Vanner horses and my dream was to raise goats, but she kind of got into that too a bit,” Mary said. “We were very similar.” See “Mary’s Dream Farm” for more.

Sister M. Gloria Buckley, of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, prayed the Stations of the Cross during personal prayer time Oct. 31 at St. Francis Convent in Alton, Illinois.

Chase McClelland, of Cardwell, Missouri, and his cousin Elliot Smith, 4, of Arbyrd, Missouri, sit atop a chute during the bull riding portion of the Greene County Fair's rodeo Sept. 6 in Paragould, Arkansas. McClelland said his cousin came to the rodeo to ride a sheep in the mutton busting. The rodeo also featured assorted competitions such as barrel racing and ring of fear.

Worshipers flock to Bald Knob Cross of Peace most years for the annual Easter sunrise service, but not during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there were a few people at the cross, located in Alto Pass, Illinois, to conduct the service and share it with the masses. Teresa Gilbert, executive director of Bald Knob Cross of Peace, said WSIL-TV live streamed and broadcast the service. "It's just been an amazing experience watching everybody pull together," Gilbert said. "Not one of us could have done it by ourselves." Pictured here: Victoria Bittle, 17, of Cobden, Illinois, rings a bell at the beginning of the Easter sunrise service Sunday, April 12, 2020, at Bald Knob Cross of Peace in Alto Pass, Illinois. Gilbert said it's a tradition to start the service by ringing the old church bell.

Jason Desmond, of Lehi, rests his Winchester rifle, given to him by his grandfather, on his shoulder while attending a pro-gun rally on the steps of the Utah State Capitol on April 14 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Desmond said he attended the event because he believes people need to come out to support what they believe in. “This is something I believe in,” Desmond said. “I’m not a huge gun nut, but I don’t like that the Second Amendment is under attack and getting all the attention that it is in the media.” At the protest, demonstrators heard from numerous speakers airing their anti-gun control beliefs.

A helper is silhouetted through an American flag while assisting in assembling the Avenue of Flags for Patriot Day on Sept. 11 at Cape Girardeau County Park North in Cape Girardeau.

Jim Ladd and his son Mark Ladd, both of Lake City, take a look at the aftermath of an overturned 18-wheeler on Aug. 23 at the intersection of Rogers Chapel Road and East Highland Drive in Jonesboro. Jonesboro police officer Keith Baggett said the semi truck turned over when its load shifted while making a left turn from Rogers Chapel Road onto East Highland Drive. Baggett said there were no injuries from the incident. Jim and Mark Ladd are friends with the truck's owner Jeff Spencer, of Jeff Spencer Trucking, who was also on scene.

Tammie Swinney, of Carbondale, takes part in a worship service Oct. 30 at Olivet Free Will Baptist Church in Carbondale, Illinois. “I do believe that [at] Olivet, we all love each other,” said Olivet deacon Kent Mason. “I mean, I can go talk to any brother, any sister and they say they’ll help me. They’ll do things for me. I mean that’s what you want. You want to be a family. And we are a family.” This year the church celebrates 150 years in the Carbondale community.

Dane Cliften, of Layton, 5, holds his arms in the air as bubbles float over the lawn of the Utah State Capitol on May 13 in Salt Lake City, Utah. “It doesn’t matter what country you’re from, we all love bubbles,” said Abraham Roe, of Salt Lake City, who released the bubbles. Roe said the act of releasing the bubbles relaxes him.

Kaitlyn Davenport and Jacob Grimes, both of Brookland, share a kiss while making the final decent on a carnival ride Sept. 19 at the Northeast Arkansas District Fair in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The pair said they have been dating for six months.

"You come to see your loved ones," Army veteran Nicholas Fotiadis of East Moline said after kneeling at the gravestone of his wife Mary Ann Fotiadis. "I think what [Memorial Day] is supposed to stand for is the important thing. … If you served, I think you deserve this." Fotiadis, whose father and brothers also served in the military, placed a yellow rose and an American holly at his wife’s grave May 30 at Rock Island National Cemetery at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.

Deacon Clark Lenz of Torrington, Wyoming, prepares to take the stage as a newscaster Dec. 5 during practice for a skit for the annual St. Nicholas Banquet at the St. Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana. Deacon Patrick Friend of Little Rock, Arkansas, said the banquet, which is hosted by seminarians in their final year, is a chance to say “thank you” to the community at the Archabbey and seminary.