[bcsco]

"I may not have known Rowan very much, but I know that she loved her mom and her sisters very much,"

Step-father not mentioned? But then again he may not be the church-going kind.

You're right, though. It's easy to read too much into a photo. OTOH, when kids get formal photos taken, there's at least an attempt at either smiles or feigned introspection. Here, there's a feeling of sadness. Maybe it's just me.

[Marysecretary]

No, I felt the same way. It’s not a typical school picture where kids at least try to smile a bit.