Comments on: Gerald Love and His Remarkable Mother

By: Carol A. Nunnelly

Carol A. Nunnelly — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:21:35 +0000

My experience of knowing Geraldine is one I treasure. She enriched my life! She was a second mom to us kids in the Nunnelly family (as my sister has mentioned) and we saw her everyday. She taught me how to iron a shirt perfectly and how to live in a world that is filled with rich diversity. She was kind and loving and I have gotten a letter and Christmas card from her for the past 30 years. (She attended my wedding.) If there is hope for the future of race relations, Geraldine paved the way in our home during the era of the sixties. Thanks for that!

By: Barbara Nunnelly Adler

Barbara Nunnelly Adler — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 22:41:03 +0000

I was really lucky because I got to know Geraldine and her family really well because she worked for my parents. It was my Dad, Gordon Nunnelly who happened to be on emergency room duty when Gerald’s father was brought in. My Dad has the horribly difficult task of going to our house where Geraldine was working to tell her her husband had passed away leaving her with 8 children. The lovely Hannah Love was in my class of ’67. I learned about how the races can get along by watching my parents and Geraldine Love and the remarkable relationship they had through the years. When my own Mother, Marge Nunnelly was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, Geraldine called immediately to offer to take care of my mother following her surgery and chemo-therapy. Geraldine was really the third parent of us Nunnelly children. She kept our photos and those of our children with those of her family and always told people, we were her “white children.” This was truly, truly an extraordinary woman who lived in an era when she could have had great resentment and anger but who only had love and joy in her heart and kindness enough to share with her entire family–black and white. She will be sorely missed!

By: Paul Kitchen

Paul Kitchen — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:57:11 +0000

I had classes with Gerald and got to know him very well. I actually didn’t know Gerald was black until I read this article by Ken. It came as quite a shock to me. As a young person, I didn’t know much about Gerald’s homelife, however, it is obvious that his mother was an outstanding person who has made an impression upon his life as well as his brothers and sisters. I don’t know if Gerald gets this e-mail but I would love to hear from him or have his e-mail address. Paul Kitchen

By: Judy Lueders

Judy Lueders — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:11:22 +0000

I met Geraldine several years ago through my work with the Eldercare Center at SEMO University. She was a lovely woman that smiled constantly and loved to laugh. She was so proud of her children and was always getting ready to go visit one of her children that lived away. She was very proud of Gerald for raising his large family. She will be missed.

By: Ken Steinhoff

Ken Steinhoff — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:15:35 +0000

It was one of those questions that was awkward to ask, but I’m glad I did. I only wish I had been able to capture it on video because his delivery made the message so much more powerful.

Here’s a guy who, literally, had the fate of the world in his hands when he was programming coordinates into nukes, but an incident when he was in grade school continues to stay in his memory.

His exact words escape me, but he said something to the effect of, “I accomplished every thing I wanted to in my life, except for that sales job.”

I’m glad he didn’t take offense at my question and I’m glad I asked it of someone as articulate as Gerald.

By: David Dalton

David Dalton — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:03:37 +0000

I want to commend Mr. Love for portraying, with such good illustration, the answer to your question about race relations. I have watched movies such as Remember the Titans which focused on race relations in the 1960s, but none achieved the elegance, and inspired the feelings, as Mr. Love’s story. Everytime I find myself slipping, I want to remember Gerald’s story, so that I can understand the magnitude of impact that we have on each other with our prejudices and biases. I was quite a few years behind you (graduated in 1981), and I’d like to think progress was made over that 16 years spanning our graduating classes.

By: Margie Hoffman Reece

Margie Hoffman Reece — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:08:39 +0000

Ken, Thanks again for the inspiring story of Mrs. Love. I went to St. Mary’s Grade School with Jo Ann and always wondered what ever happened to her. Now I know. She lived across from school and I remember her small house. I also remember Gerald as being very protective of his siblings. Thanks

By: Pat Seabaugh Kaiser

Pat Seabaugh Kaiser — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:50:07 +0000

Thank you Ken for alll the wonderful stories you have published for our enjoyment. You are truly gifted and we have enjoyed them so much. I worked with Jeanne Love at SEMO in the computer center years ago and she was a wonderful person whom I enjoyed knowing. I was sorry to hear about her mother.

By: BEV (HALTER) PETERSON

BEV (HALTER) PETERSON — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:41:17 +0000

Ken, thank you for another story that touches the heart. I was in the CHS class of ’70 with Henry Love and remember him as a very quiet and sweet guy with great dignity – a tribute to his upbringing. I didn’t know he had passed until I read Mrs. Love’s obit just now. My regards and sympathy to all of the Love family on their loss.

By: Linzel Fulton

Linzel Fulton — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:01:00 +0000

Very touching story. His mother did a wonderful job rearing all her children.