If you love "love stories," meet Willie Dell. Her life is a chronicle of continually falling in love.

You may have heard of her before. Dell was the first African-American woman elected to Richmond City Council in the 1970s and early ‘80s. But, let’s go back a few years before that election.

Born to a single mother in rural, segregated North Carolina, Dell learned at an early age the lessons of family, giving and faith.

"My mother was a hard worker, a religious woman who served as my inspiration and role model. Although we had limited resources, we always had enough to share," she recalled. "As a girl, I witnessed Mama providing for Miss Sarah who lived next door and was ill. When it became too difficult for Mama to take care of two households, we moved in with Miss Sarah and her two children. Although Mama worked outside the home she still cared for all of us."

"Miss Sarah died but her two sons stayed with us as a family. We have remained connected and Brother Bob, the sole survivor who is 92, returned to Rocky Mount a few years ago and lives with my sister."

Dell’s family has always been "extended," as her arms have reached around the globe many times. For more than 25 years she has traveled on volunteer mission trips to Haiti, caring for babies hospitalized for conditions including AIDS, malnutrition and tuberculosis. "When they vomit, sometimes they throw up worms," she said. "Often the parents do not have money to buy food. We had one child who did not weigh as much as a loaf of bread."

Her days in Haiti are spent "rubbing lotion on the babies, changing diapers and beds."

No matter what subject one approaches with Dell, she invokes her unmistakable sense of humor and laugh.

"Years ago when my pastor told me he had a young fellow coming to Richmond who he thought I would like, I asked what he did for a living," she said. When he told me he was a minister, I told him the last thing I wanted was a preacher. I was enjoying life and being with a preacher would put me in a box."

Dell, 82, and that preacher have now been married for 49 years. The Reverend Nathan Dell, 80, next to the Lord, is probably her biggest source of strength. "He was really easy to get to know. He charmed Mama," she said. The couple also raised Wayne, Willie’s son from a previous marriage, who teaches at Virginia State University.

Their marriage has involved issues that most couples do not face, but anyone who knows them realizes that they probably knew from the beginning that "normal" was not going to be their definition of marriage. For example, 39 years ago when Richmond City Council members Henry Marsh and the Reverend Jim Carpenter approached Dell about running for council, life stood still, if just for a moment.

"Reverend Carpenter asked if he could come over and I had no idea why the visit. At that time I did not even know Henry Marsh," she said.

At that time, Dell was teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University, plus her role as the "minister’s wife" created an already demanding schedule. But, the decision was "yes," and the next few months were consumed with campaigning, arguing political stands, and plenty of stress along with lots of prayer.

Ultimately, the voters liked what she had to say and sent her to City Hall where she served from 1973-82.

"I did not feel welcomed on Council," she said. "Everything I said was challenged by the men. It was more of a gender thing than racial. I had to prove that I could think."

And she did more than think. She acted.

"There were no libraries in black neighborhoods. They told us black people did not check out books," Dell said. As a result of her efforts, libraries were built on Church Hill and North Avenue. "I told everybody to get a library card and check out books as they don’t think you can read."

Another concern was that many commissions and boards had never included membership of women, much less black women. "Whenever a space came open, I made sure a woman’s name was on the list. I tried to get a bus rider on the GRTC Board, but that failed. It was always a concern of mine that voices of women would be present."

"I have always been proud of her," said the Reverend Dell, who served as minister of Woodville Presbyterian Church in Church Hill for 32 years and now teaches at the Virginia Union School of Theology. He also serves as interim pastor at All Souls Presbyterian on Church Hill.

"I always pushed her. Willie and I have never competed so I loved it that she was well known and sought after. I have never been worried about her safety. I did worry about the stress when she was on Council. We did receive a few letters that we turned over to the police."

The couple know discrimination well. "We both grew up with it. You have to learn how to negotiate it. When I was a child, people could attack you with words. I have learned to read body language. You get used to it," said Reverend Dell.

This month, Dell will again be in Haiti, loving the babies and the orphaned boys who call her "Auntie Willie."

"I wish I could take a cadre of people with me on these trips," she said. "People tell me they are afraid to go. I can understand being afraid to go to Iraq, but not wanting to go because of poverty, I don’t understand that. When you go, you put yourself in a place of personal and spiritual growth."

"I cry when I get there as I have fallen in love with the babies, so I cry when I leave. I’ve told Nathan I am getting too old to keep falling in love, but I just keep falling." FP