Everyone loved Ken Cole’s fudge.

“Dad loved to bake and he was so good at it,” said Cole’s daughter Kristin Dykstra. “We looked forward to his fudge every Christmas.”

When Cole was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer at the age of 66 in 2018, and only given months to live, Dykstra decided to partner with Memory Lane Jane to preserve her dad’s life story in an heirloom book. Cole passed away in February 2019—a few months before the book was completed. What Dykstra didn’t realize at the time was how truly special the book would be to her family.

“Last Christmas was our first Christmas without him, so we thought we’d make the fudge in his honor,” she said. “But we couldn’t find the recipe anywhere. My mom and I searched every box, every cookbook, everywhere we thought Dad might have left it. It was nowhere. It was gone…and we were devastated.”

That is, until they remembered the book.

“Sure enough, we opened the book and there it was on page 65,” Dykstra said. “We couldn’t stop crying.”

Now more than ever we are aware of how fragile and how fleeting life is, especially with our elders. What greater gift than to preserve their story and legacy now before it’s too late. I’m so grateful we saved Ken’s fudge recipe. It means the world to his family!

Most people won’t remember the gift you get them this holiday season. If the research is right, one in six gifts received this holiday season will never be touched or used again after January 1. How about giving your loved ones the gift of a lifetime?

We’d love to talk more with you about our life story work and invite others to honor their loved ones this holiday season. Let’s connect!

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