Happy 80th Birthday, Gerald Dayton Hardin!
We love you so much.
Gerald and Sadie.
Gerald and his grandfather Cooper.
Gerald, Greg with his mother Elzie.
Gerald and a horse.
joining the fight against cancer
At Gerald & Joan, there are many causes that are dear to our hearts. Unfortunately, one that has touched us repeatedly is cancer. In honor of my family members we lost to cancer much too soon, we recently made a donation to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.
This specific Relay for Life will take place in Grand Prairie, Texas. A Habitat friend of mine organized a team there in honor of her husband who has been bravely batting cancer for several years. They are a great couple who gave selflessly of their time and resources as Habitat volunteers when they lived in Memphis, and it's an honor to be a part of their Relay for Life team. We look forward to a time when cancer no longer exists in the world. In our opinion, that day can't come soon enough.
If you would like to join us in the fight against cancer, you can make a donation here. You can also purchase a luminaria bag for $5 that can be given in honor or in memory of someone you love.
Our luminaria bags will be lit in memory of:
Joan Fay Stroup Portillo-Shaffer, 1933-2003
William Andrew Cannon, 1920-2001
Russell E. Shaffer, 1923-1997
Isidro N. Portillo, 1933-1984
Betty Jane Stroup Snodgrass, 1921-1980
The Story of Gerald and Joan
One year ago, from our hotel room balcony with the Pacific Coast Highway and Hermosa Beach in front of me, I wrote the words "Gerald and Joan" in a notebook. Jonathan and I were visiting our favorite place together for the first time since July 4th of the previous year. I had been in the South Bay area exactly one year before to help my mom pack Joan's house before the new owners took possession.
I didn't realize it at the time, but that moment -- the entire trip really -- was a turning point in our lives. Although Gerald and Joan was just a pipe dream -- simply an idea to create and style pretty things to supplement my current income -- it would soon alter our world.
Born under the California sun with the view of Palos Verdes and my great-grandmother's home in the distance, we have nurtured that dream at home in Tennessee this past year. Carrying the name of my grandma and Jonathan's grandfather, Gerald and Joan has united our own heritage.
What began as a vintage-inspired business has become a business of storytelling -- for families, friends, events, small businesses and nonprofits. The stories take a variety of forms, but they are there all the same. By preserving these stories, Gerald and Joan ensures that they'll exist tomorrow. Along the way, we keep alive the memories, treasures and traditions. We preserve history by design --- weaving it into a fabric that can only be described as heritage.
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