James Nunn

Category: @featured

  • 6 Years On. Dear Mom.

    August 2, 2024

    Dear Mom,

    Today marks six years since you left us, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about you and miss you dearly. Your love and guidance have always been my anchor, and I find myself constantly drawing strength from the memories we shared. I wish you were here to see how much you’ve shaped my life and the person I’ve become.

    This past year has been particularly eventful. We had the wonderful experience of hosting an exchange student, Michele (Michael). It was incredible to see the world through his eyes and to share our culture with him. As you had seen with our first two guys, they all become like family, and Michele’s presence reminded me of how much you valued family. I have often thought of how proud you’d be of this enriching and educational journey. You would have loved Michele, as I know you would have loved all of our kids.

    We spent some time traveling around the USA, which I know you probably miss more than anything. We went to a few new places, and reacquainted ourselves with a few from years gone by. There have been so many locations where I’ve shared with Chris or Michele about how much you would have loved being there. Moreso when we revisited the Grand Canyon, and drove along Route 66. Traveling provides opportunities to enjoy moments of quiet reflection, and there were times when I felt your spirit alongside me. You always loved to travel, and I carried a part of you with me on every trip.

    I still often find myself thinking to call you and talk about the things we are doing, and I hope you feel those moments as strongly as I do.

    I miss you every single day, Mom. Your absence leaves a void that can never be filled, but I find comfort in knowing that your love surrounds me always. Thank you for being the incredible mother you were, and for continuing to inspire me even from afar.

    With all my love,
    James

  • Request for Posthumous Award of Promotion

    Request for Posthumous Award of Promotion

    Today, I submitted my request to the Australian Defence Department to recognize and award (posthumously) a promotion for my grandfather, Sgt. David John McCullough that he had been given prior to his death in the Fall of Singapore. Read the letter below.

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  • Hello Mother. Three Years On.

    Hello Mother. Three Years On.

    Hello Mother. It is I, your number three son.

    I remember the first FB message I got from you. “Hello James … this is your mother.” I’d been trying to get you to set up a Facebook account for months, maybe a year or so before, and then one day, out of the blue I get this message with a friend request. Little did I know the carnage that was about to be unleashed on the farming community when you got into Facebook. I’m not sure they ever did recover.

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  • Happy 13th Little Brother

    Happy 13th Little Brother

    I think it is true for everyone, but there are very few moments in history that have a lasting impact on my life. Sure, there is the day you are born; the day you meet your soul mate; the day you marry that soul mate; among others. One such date is March 14, 2008. That is the day we met @treykrivo. A cherubic little 10 year old, shy and quiet at first, partially hiding behind his mom while we learn about the journey we were all about to embark. On a personal level, this is probably the best thing to have come out my involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

    Chris and I met this young man, days before Chris’s birthday. We made a commitment to him and his mother, that we would do everything we could to be there for Trey. We first thought let’s try this every other week, and see how it goes. With few exceptions through his middle school and high school life, every week we got to get some “Trey time.” The week after we met him, he was so excited to celebrate the first (of many) of our birthdays. That is him with the cake he helped make for Chris’s birthday in 2008.

    Thirteen years ago today, “that guy” continues to be one of the most amazing joys in our life. We see less of him nowadays, but we remain in very regular contact and few things excite me more than our plans to hang out with Trey. I’ll be honest, adult Trey tends to be a tad more fun to hang out with than 10 yo Trey, but that is mainly due to not really knowing the right answer to the question “if Superman and Iron Man were in a fight, who’d win?” The logical answer was apparently not correct?

    Trey is one of the people in the world that I (we) would do absolutely anything for. He continues to grow into who he is destined to be. He is smart, kind (well maybe not to @mrmaxtoyou ), handsome, and a freaking amazing baker. We are thankful that his mother agreed to give us this amazing opportunity to be part of their family. We adore them both and look forward to all the future moments in his life, of which I am sure there will be many. Happy 13th anniversary Little Brother.

  • Life Story for David John Barlow (McCullough)

    When David John Barlow was born on February 25, 1916, in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia, his father, Stanley Victor Barlow, was 22 and his mother, Olive Martha Barlow (nee Veale), was 23. His father, Stanley, abandoned his mother (Olive) and David in approx. 1916, and Olive filed for divorce through desertion in 1919. Olive married Charles McCullough in 1920, and young David took his step-father’s last name, McCullough, at some point during his childhood.

    David married Vera May Cleary on January 18, 1937, in Seymour, Victoria, Australia. They had four children during their marriage (his first son died at birth).

    On 11 June 1940, David enlisted in the Australian Army (Service Number VX30784) with the 2/10 Field Company Royal Australian Engineers. He departed for overseas service on 2 February 1941 as part of the 22nd Brigade from Sydney on board the Queen Mary. He disembarked in Singapore on 18 February 1941. He was promoted to the rank of Lt. Sergeant on 20 March 1941, and subsequently to Sergeant on 1 May 1941. In a letter from his commanding officer received after the war, it was noted that he was recommended for a promotion of Sergeant Major, a position he was acting in at the time of his death. (A subsequent request to the Australian Army for recognition of this promotion was denied.)

    While the exact date of his death is unclear, David died in the Fall of Singapore around 11 February 1942 at the age of 25. We learned that he was wounded a few days earlier by a bomb blast where he sustained chest injuries. His body was never found, however he has a memorial marker in Kranji, Singapore.

    Ancestry Life Story for my maternal grandfather. Father of Dawn Olive Nunn.

    Ancestry Link

    Life-Story-David-John-McCullough-08AUG2020Download

  • Letter to Mom – Two Years

    Today is fast becoming my new mother’s day. Not in a way to celebrate, but more to honor my mom. I often talk with her and let her know what is going on, and this year, I’m writing a letter to my mom, to keep her updated on life as it has happened without her since she left us. In a way, it is my therapy.

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  • Life Story of Dawn Olive McCullough

    As I continue to explore my family history, I will post occasional life stories of individuals from my family tree. These will be noted with who each person is to me.

    Ancestor Reference: Mother

    When Dawn Olive McCullough was born on November 30, 1938, in Seymour, Victoria, Australia, her father, David, was 22, and her mother, Vera, was 19.

    Dawn was the eldest child of Vera and David, and together they had two other children. Dawn’s father, David, fought and died for his country in the Fall of Singapore in 1942. Vera had five other children with Len Smith, which Dawn helped raise.

    At the age of 18, Dawn married Donald Martin George Nunn on September 28, 1957, in Tallarook, Victoria, Australia. They had five children in 15 years. She died on August 2, 2018, in her hometown at the age of 79, and was buried in Tallarook, Victoria, Australia.

    At the time of her death, she had 8 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

    Ancestry Life Story, edited by James Nunn

    Life Story of Dawn Olive McCullough as of May 7, 2020Download