In a tribute to Mother's Day, two Denver families reveal beauty secrets they passed down to their family members.

Van Derbur/Wham family

Together, the Van Derbur and Wham women are an example of Denver genetics Sans Pareil.
The elder generation of Van Derburs, sisters Nancy Knowlton, 73, far left, and Marilyn Van Derbur Atler, 70, (see Claim to Fame, page 128) not only embody physical beauty, but Colorado history and pride. Knowlton was a Central City Flower Girl. Marilyn offered an heirloom to the family; a dress she wore as Miss Colorado and Miss America in 1958.

The dress was handed down to her niece, Julie Wham, 44, who wore it to her high school senior homecoming dance. Wham's 14-year-old daughter, Coco, tried it on for the first time the day before this interview and photo shoot. "It fit like a glove," she said, of the pretty, pink satin number. These Princess Grace look-alikes show off their beauty and style in a gracious way. Julie admits her mother passed down a multitude of beauty secrets, but they pale in comparison to the example she set for living a happy life. Nancy made sure to pass on her philosophy that "a woman is only as beautiful as her heart is happy."

To Julie, that made the biggest impression. The CU graduate volunteers for the Denver Debutante Ball Committee and has led fundraising auctions at Graland Country Day School and Kent Denver School.
Julie's values have rubbed off on Coco, who hopes to become a veterinarian, and has raised funds and awareness for animal welfare and volunteers at MaxFund and the Denver Zoo.

Living generously is an attribute Nancy inherited from her mother, the late Gwendolyn Margaret Van Derbur Olinger.
Known to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as "Bootsie" "” she grew up around horses and always wore her riding boots "” she set the bar for the family's way of life.

"She started so many wonderful things," remembers Nancy. Every year, the family would spend Christmas in Vail, always trying to find the perfect gift for Bootsie. One Christmas, Bootsie told everyone to do a good deed for someone in her name instead. The gift: Telling Bootsie, at Christmas dinner, what each of them did.

Bootsie's simplicity is also exemplified in a beauty tool she bestowed on her daughters for 20-plus years. She bought high-end face cream for each of her four daughters. When the previous container was near empty, she would send a new one. Nancy attributes her youthful glow to her mother's generous gesture.

"No matter how her daughters were doing financially, she wanted them to have a strong sense of female pride and beauty," Nancy explains.

And the women in this family have plenty of pride and beauty "“ inside and out.

Taylor/Jamison Family

A woman who knows her own strength, intelligence and beauty can get a lot done. There is no better gift than for a mother to see her daughter become this kind of a woman, especially if she is following in the family's strong female footsteps.

The Taylor and Jamison women support and encourage each other and aspire to set an example for others when it comes to fierce female independence. They are all successful, bewitching women, who give their time and friendship to those in need. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with.

"Mama Rae" Taylor heads this army of philanthropic beauties. At 72 years young, time has not diminished her proud, sassy and sexy personality. How does she stay so radiant? From beautiful skin to her taut, curvy figure, which contradicts her grandmother status.

"My answer to everything is genetics," she explains.

Along with a lucky gene pool, Mama Rae never uses soap on her face. She uses baby oil to remove her makeup and Vaseline as her nightly moisturizer.

Far more than her beauty routine, Mama Rae made it her mission to relay her incredible "sense of self" to her daughter, Vanessa Jamison, 53, her granddaughter, Mikiala Jamison, 21, and other young women, who crossed paths with the once shy Rae, who became a model and instructor.

She decided to use her experience in the beauty industry to help other girls gain poise, which in turn gave her assurance. Somewhere along the line, she shed her meek attitude and gained a serious sense of adventure.

In July 1963, newly divorced with two young children, Mama Rae decided it was time to leave Houston. She and a good friend took the plunge together. They departed Houston by car on a Friday, and were employed in Denver by the following Monday.

She passed on her tenacity and helpful human nature to Vanessa, whose earliest memories are of their house near City Park. She recalls hearing her mother for hours on the phone, talking to friends, supporting them and always giving encouragement to those in need.

Until she had her own daughter, Mikiala, who complained about her similar phone habits, Vanessa never understood what kind of comfort her mother was to others. "It's gone from generation to generation," said Vanessa, who now takes pleasure watching her own daughter, a pre-med student at Arizona State University, take phone calls from friends in need.

Vanessa is also committed to bettering the world through philanthropy. "If you had a mother like Rae Taylor, that's what you do," she explains. "I don't get caught up in the insignificant things."

Vanessa, director of Emergency Procedures Training and Programs at United Airlines and lecturer for the Communications Department at University of Colorado at Denver, also is involved with organizations including Colorado Council of the Arts, Jack & Jill of America Inc., Shades of Blue, International Black Aerospace Council (IBAC), Goodwill and the Organization of Black Airline Pilots. She also hosts mock interviews for high school students, East High graduating seniors in particular, to prepare them for scholarship interviews for college.

Mikiala was very involved in the Jack & Jill organization all through high school. It encourages its members to be leaders, and helps them attain their fullest potential as individuals, so they can contribute to world peace, progress, and prosperity. Mikiala is well on her way to accomplishing the goals set by Jack & Jill by becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

hair: jake mcbride, click | makeup: gina comminello