[1] Thomas was the descendant of two Chickasaw families, both named Love, who were forced to participate in the Trail of Tears.
[4] At age 13, he left home to be educated as a boarder at St. Gregory's High School in Shawnee, where he was a standout football player.
[6] Initially, Love owned restaurants and car washes, until he discovered an opportunity in abandoned gas stations.
Then in 1971, he decided to merge self-service gas stations with convenience stores and the business continued to grow.
[3] Today, Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores is a national chain with more than 600 locations in 42 states.