by Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick, For New Pittsburgh Courier
My wife, Gloria, and I are a living and grateful example of the goodness of God. We have done our utmost to live out God’s greatest commandment, LOVE. It is inclusive not only of our immediate family, but an extended family. Allow me to list some of those who have been a part of our lives. Our parents, two brothers and a sister, Gilbert, Milton Jr., Jewell; three daughters, Toni, Kim and Jerri; two grandchildren, Tamarae, Louis; four great-grandchildren, Chase, Lauren, Caden, Londyn. There were two lifelong friends, Thomas E. Edison and Orland Leach, they were my best men at our wedding and both were also married in 1954. God has called both of them home.
Gloria, Toni and myself went to dinner to celebrate our anniversary and we picked out what we considered was appropriate place, a recently-opened restaurant which is owned by a young, Black female.
The most-asked question is, explain how the two of you remained together 65 years? I usually in jest state that I made an excellent choice from the beginning. A couple of weeks ago I received an award and in my acceptance speech, I stated that every award I’ve received over the years I have shared with my wife. Why? I embarked upon helping to solve the multitude of problems that were confronting Black people, having no idea the complexities would take years.
Over the years, I spent enormous amounts of time, energy, effort and money on the battlefield of equalities. Gloria was a full-time mother, wife who fulfilled the role of instilling in our three daughters the overwhelming importance of commitment, concern, caring and compassion not only for yourself but others, and if you know our daughters, Mother did an outstanding job.
I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge my church family. I joined Carter Chapel Church as an infant in 1931 and have been an active member ever since. The name of the church has been changed, it is now New Destiny C.M.E. I won’t name all of my church family because I may miss some persons, but I will mention a sister, Vivian Shelton.
(Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a contributor to the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
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