Larry Burkhalter, resident of Maple Crest Senior Living Village, was honored on Jan. 29 with an opportunity to be the “resident art expert” for Vicki Garmon’s Bluffton High School photography class. 
 
Seventeen students and a couple community members joined elders at Maple Crest for a unique show of framed photographs and slides taken around the world by Burkhalter.

MORE PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF STORY -
 
Burkhalter began taking photos at the age of 16 in India, where he was born and raised as a missionary child. His photography journey culminated with international trips taken by Larry and his late wife, Holly, during their retirement years. 
 
Burkhalter’s daughter, Ruth, served as the “hostess and reader” for the event.
 
She shared that her father is a “designer in his head” and picked up photography because he simply “wanted to take beautiful pictures!” 
 
Burkhalter certainly met that goal and the high school students were amazed by what he accomplished with traditional film and mostly manual-operated cameras.
 
This intergenerational art moment was an idea of Kyla Dawson, a resident assistant at Maple Crest. She took high school photography classes from Garmon and now takes photos for Bluffton University events. 
 
Dawson was impressed with Burk halter’s photos and that he developed and printed his own black and white shots.  She knew that the high school students would benefit from his expertise.    
 
As an interesting side note: JoAnn Krugh of Bluffton made a connection with the Burkhalter family through a book she picked up at Bluffton “Book Reviews,” titled “Four Midwestern Sisters’ Christmas Book.” 
 
Krugh was intrigued by the Bluffton references and asked around until she discovered that Burkhalter was the father of the women who wrote that book. 
 
Meeting Burkholder’s daughter, Ruth, at the show was an added bonus for Krugh. 
        
Photos: 
• Burkhalter with BHS photography students
• Gladys Simmons (Maple Crest resident) viewing some of Burkhalter's photos
• Burkholder with Kyla Dawson, Maple Crest resident assistant and former student of Vicki Garmon