But he had no idea the lengths his daughter would go to preserve the portrait for posterity.

Keyser Tarrant recently traveled to Paterson, N.J., to donate the portrait to the Lambert Castle Museum. The trip brought the portrait home, while allowing Keyser Tarrant to connect to her family history.

Jeffrey Keyser gave the portrait to his daughter when he discovered he was terminally ill with lung cancer. The portrait was in the family for years, and he thought she would like to have it as a keepsake.

For Keyser Tarrant, the portrait sparked an interest in family history. After a bit of research she learned how unique the portrait was.

Florence Lambert died in childbirth, and was mourned by her father until his death. To remember her, he had a large stained-glass window dedicated to her memory placed in the castle's music room.

But despite the tribute, today no one in Passaic County knows what Florence looked like, said Alison Faubert, Director of the Passaic County Historical Society.

One portrait survives, but it was painted after Florence's death. Keyser Tarrant's pencil drawing is the last known likeness of Florence.

When Keyser Tarrant learned the portrait's history, she decided to donate it to the museum. She felt that it did not belong to her.

"The best way to preserve such a colorful history was to gift it to the museum," Keyser Tarrant said.

The gift came as a complete surprise to Faubert, who did not know there were Lambert heirs in Utah.

"It was really a treasure because we didn't know it existed," Faubert said.

After hosting a reception to unveil the portrait to the public, Faubert placed it in its new home in the music room, between portraits of Florence's parents. Both Faubert and Keyser Tarrant remember the moment as a moving experience and feeling that somehow Florence's spirit knew it had come home.

Some in Keyser Tarrant's family were displeased by the donation, and thought the portrait should have stayed with immediate relatives. But Jeffrey Keyser believes his daughter made the right decision.

"It took a lot of moxie," Keyser said. "I'm proud of her."

The story has not ended for Keyser Tarrant. The past came to life for the stay-at-home mother of three during her stay in Paterson, where she had access to many items the public never gets to see.

She was able to read letters from her ancestors and touch Catholina's pocketbook. She also connected with a distant cousin, Hazel Lambert Spiegelberger, and learned more about the family.

Family history has become such a passion for Keyser Tarrant, she now dreams of leaving her Avenues neighborhood for Paterson and working to preserve the castle and her heritage.

kdrake@sltrib.com

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* To learn more about the Lambert Castle Museum, visit www.lambertcastle.com.