James Henry Love, the last child of James Hamilton and Susan Love to be born in New York state, was born March 3, 1854 and within just a few weeks of his birth, his family moved from their home in central New York state to southeastern Iowa.
By 1862, the family had moved on to Albia, Iowa where James' father rented a building and opened his first dry goods store. In 1875, when James would have been 21 years old, he and his brothers helped their father open the first store he owned outright.
Most of the Love sons were involved in the operation of the store in some capacity, but James who, in his adulthood, was known as Henry, eventually became the primary manager. The Loves built a new store in 1894 and the History of Monroe County Iowa, published in 1896 identifies James Henry as the proprietor.
Minnie was the daughter of Finis M. Whitacre, born September 23, 1834 in Frederick, Virginia, and Margaret Vanortwick, born in March 1839 in New York, and was 1 of 10 children. The Whitacre family lived in Mahaska County, Iowa as early as 1860.
Henry and Minnie became the parents of Roger Whitacre Love, born on October 7, 1907 probably in Albia.
The family relocated to Los Angeles, California sometime between 1910 and 1915, accompanied by Minnie's mother, Margaret Whitacre.
Minerva Whitacre Love died June 12, 1942 in Los Angeles and James Henry Love died December 1, 1944 in Los Angeles.
Roger Whitacre Love joined the U.S. Army on April 20, 1943, and was discharged on August 16, 1946. He then appears in the 1947 city directory working as dept. mgr. at Bay News Co. in Santa Monica, CA and residing in Los Angeles.
The 1940 Los Angeles, California city directory shows Henry and Minnie living at 1421 Vista Street, the same address at which they are shown in the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Census.
Roger married Mary Clifton and on March 23, 1960, the couple became parents of a son. Roger died July 25, 1978 in Los Angeles, California.
