RACINE, Wis. – When Louise Hunter left Vicksburg nearly 50 years ago, she had no idea her life would be the blueprint for a book.

Hunter, 72, has 21 children, 60 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren. It was her ability to care for such a large family and become the founder of Racine’s first homeless shelter, Love and Charity Mission, that inspired Chicago author Dennis J. Woods to put Hunter’s life on paper.

Hunter was born in Warren County in 1934. She lived there until she was 25. She grew up on Royal and Cherry Streets and attended Magnolia Avenue High School.

&#8220I haven’t been home in a long time, but I still remember so much,” Hunter said in a recent telephone interview. &#8220There was a military airplane crash when I was 8. And I can remember how my father helped carry all of those bodies out of that field. He came home with blood in his shoes. I said if my father can go through all of that to help others, then I can do the same. I felt like I was born to help others.”

&#8220When I left Vicksburg, I moved to North Carolina for two years,” she continued. &#8220Then, we moved to Racine and I’ve been here ever since.”

Hunter has seen quite a few tragedies in the 45 years she’s lived in Racine. Her house burned and her husband and three of her children died.

&#8220I had a set of twins that were stillborn, and my son Thomas died of smoke inhalation after the house fire,” she said. &#8220Then my husband James Hunter, who was the father of my last 18 children, was killed in a fatal wreck in 1978. I thank God for my 18 children who are still living.”

When Hunter was pregnant with her 14th child, she said the sheriff’s department threatened to evict her family from their two-bedroom home because there were too many people living there.

&#8220They gave us 30 days to get out,” Hunter said. &#8220On the last day, the sheriff came back and he just didn’t have the heart to put us out on the street. He gave us one more day and that’s when it happened – God showed up.”

Hunter said a stranger knocked on her door and told her he had a friend who wanted to sell a house. Although she didn’t have the money, Hunter asked to see it anyway.

&#8220There I was standing outside of this big house with 18 rooms, and I just knew I couldn’t afford it,” she said. &#8220I somehow mustered up the courage to ask him how much they wanted for it. That man laughed for a second, then he said $1.”

&#8220I couldn’t believe it – it had to be a joke,” Hunter continued. &#8220The look on his face let me know he was serious. I started rumbling through my purse to find a dollar, and I couldn’t. That man laughed again and said, ‘I’ll pay it.’”.

Hunter said she dropped to her knees and began to thank God. She said it was at that moment she realized how she was going to help others.

Shortly after moving into her 18-room home, she opened her doors to homeless women and children. In 1970, Love and Charity Mission was born.

&#8220I would sit up all night sometimes because I had given my bed to someone who didn’t have one,” said Hunter. &#8220I watched my children sleep and all the others, making sure they were all right. Lord knows it was hard, but that’s how I did it. I used my home until I was blessed with a store-front location.”

&#8220My children would get jealous sometimes because I would share the little we had with everybody else. We were poor and didn’t have anything,” she continued. &#8220I had to explain to my children when God blesses us with even a little bit, we must help others. It’s about being grateful because there are so many who have a lot less than us.”

Hunter’s 19th child, Paul, 35, said he recalls his mother working hard to provide for her family. He believes all of the trials and tribulations made them a closer family.

&#8220It was very difficult growing up in a family that large and having to share with those my mother took in off the streets,” said Hunter. &#8220We had to share clothes, socks, the bed – I mean everything. We rotated every night from sleeping on the floor to sleeping in the bed. Even with all of that, my childhood was fun.”

In 1987, when most of her children had grown up and moved away, Hunter moved into the shelter to minimize drug and alcohol use. She said the people coming to her shelter had a sickness and she was &#8220there to help them get over that sickness.”

&#8220I allow people to stay as long as they need to and continue to show me they want to do better,” Hunter said. &#8220When you’re not around, people tend to do things they wouldn’t do if you were there. I can get closed down if drugs and alcohol are found in the shelter. So, I guess I moved in to save my shelter.”

About five years later, Hunter met Woods, the man who would write her life story. while he was working with a ministry that got supplies from Love and Charity. Woods said he was instantly drawn to Hunter. She offered Woods a job as her assistant and he accepted.

&#8220Mother Hunter’s sister would tell me about all of these things that happened in her life,” said Woods, 50, who is also the executive director of Couples Mentoring Service in Illinois and Indiana. &#8220I spent about six months at the shelter talking to Mother Hunter, her sister and researching old newspaper articles to put her life story together.”

&#8220I completed the first draft of the book in 1994 and began shopping for a publisher,” he said. &#8220I got rejected quite a few times, but I took that time to perfect the project. It took about 10 years of rewriting and all of that to get it published. It’s a wonderful story that was well worth the wait.”

Hunter’s biography was published in 2005 by Publish America and has led to Hunter being profiled in several magazines including this month’s issue of Ebony and Today’s Black Woman. Hunter and Woods have also been featured on Tavis Smiley’s nationally syndicated radio show. Woods recently finished the screenplay based on the book and hopes that it will one day make it to the silver screen.

Hunter is grateful for her newfound fame, but says she works because it’s her calling.

&#8220For over 30 years I’ve been getting up at 5 in the morning giving out food and clothes because God gives me the strength to do it,” she said. &#8220It hasn’t been easy – it wasn’t always cake, you know. I drive my little pickup in all kinds of weather, picking up food, and I’ll park in the poorest of neighborhoods because I want people to be blessed.”

&#8220Love and Charity houses 12 homeless men and women at a time and we serve three meals a day,” she continued. &#8220And anything else they need, we do our best to get it for them. I can’t turn people away who are hungry and cold. We just do the best we can.”

In 1997, with the help of one of her sons, Hunter opened Love and Charity Mission II in Memphis. The shelter is run by her husband of nine years, 62-year-old Eugene Milligan. Hunter visits Memphis once a month to visit her husband and the shelter.

&#8220He understands my passion for helping people, but it’s still hard not seeing each other every day,” said Hunter. &#8220We’re both devoted to this ministry.”

Hunter does not receive federal funding for either shelter. Instead, she relies on donations. She has nearly 30 volunteers, including some of her grandchildren, with about nine working in each shelter daily.

Hunter said the road has been long, but she’s not finished yet.

&#8220I must go back where I came from,” she said. &#8220I believe God is going to help me get back to Vicksburg so I can help my people there.”

Mella Wilson, a lifelong Vicksburg resident and Hunter’s 69-year-old cousin, said she is looking forward to that day.

&#8220Louise has always been a great person, always giving to other people,” said Wilson. &#8220She’s been that way ever since I’ve known her.”