Photo by Deb Gau Marshall resident Judie Graffunder, seated, gathered together with multiple generations of her family on Friday. In the back row, Judie’s granddaughter Iva Sjoblom, great-granddaughter Abigail Helzerman, and great-great-granddaughter Selah Rose, all traveled to Minnesota from Alaska to see Graffunder. Graffunder’s daughter Julie Miller, of Pennsylvania, had also planned to come, but was unable to make it to Marshall.

MARSHALL — It was already a special occasion for Judie Graffunder. Some of her family had traveled all the way from Alaska to Minnesota to visit her. She got to meet her great-great-granddaughter for the first time.

But while Judie and family members were together in Marshall last week, they also had a unique photo opportunity. On Friday, the oldest daughters of four generations of the family gathered for a picture together.

Graffunder was photographed together with her graddaughter Iva Sjoblom, Iva’s daughter Abigail Helzerman and Abigail’s three-month-old daughter Selah Rose.

“She’s my first great-great-grandchild,” said Graffunder, 85. It was special to get to meet Selah, she said. “I never thought I would make it.”

Last week, family members including Iva, Abigail and baby Selah traveled to Marshall from the Fairbanks, Alaska, area. Graffunder said her daughter Julie Miller, who was the second generation in the five-generation line, had also planned on coming to Marshall from Pennsylvania but ran into travel delays.

Graffunder lives in Marshall. But she has family members spread out across the country, including 18 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. Graffunder said Julie’s husband is from Pennsylvania, and they moved back there. Both Iva and Abigail’s husbands are from Alaska.

The long distance from Minnesota means Judie doesn’t often get to see her family members from Alaska in person. But they still stay in touch through phone calls.

“And I still like to write old-fashioned letters,” Graffunder said.

Graffunder said Friday wasn’t the first time that multiple generations of women in her family had been brought together for a portrait. She shared a photograph that was taken in Bloomington, when she herself was only about three months old. Judie said the women in that picture with her also went back three generations, including her mother Eleanor (LaBrie) Warnke, Eleanor’s mother Lillian (St. Martin) LaBrie, and Lillian’s mother Marie Adele St. Martin.

Iva and Abigail said they were happy to get a chance to come visit Judie. Some of the group would also be heading to Pennsylvania this week to visit family there.