Support for the family of fallen officer Peter Jerving is coming from across state lines.
Ron Moore Jr. is an artist from Austintown, Ohio, a suburb of Youngstown. The city is 491 miles away from Milwaukee. Last week, he spent 27 hours creating a portrait of Officer Jerving.
“My thought is, no matter how much time is put into it, if it puts a smile on their face who’s battling this kind of tragedy, then my entire job is worth it.”
Mariam Mackar asked Moore what compelled an Ohio artist to bring kindness to strangers states away. He says it all started with his own personal battles.
“I’ve been an artist my entire life, then I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2004 and lost the ability to create artwork because the symptoms got too bad,” explained Moore. “I was praying one day, and I said, ‘God, if you give me the ability to create artwork again, I’ll use it to bless people more than make money for myself.’”
And he’s made good on that promise. He has been adjusting his technique to accommodate symptoms of his Parkinson’s and has been back to creating artwork every day since 2010.
“I noticed on days that I don’t do any artwork, my muscles are stiffer, I ache, and my tremors are worse. So, art is a great form of therapy for me and it’s also a way to share the gift that I have with other people and hopefully to put a smile on their face.”
Many of Moore’s creations honor victims of tragedies across the country. In the last five years, he estimates he’s done 400 portraits and sent them to different people and families.
Officer Jerving’s story is just one of many that touched him from afar.
“I’m a father, I’m a husband and I can’t imagine any of my kids, my grandkids, or especially my wife not coming home. The challenges I face physically with Parkinson’s disease, it’s nothing compared to what these folks are battling.”
He’s now contacted the Milwaukee Police Department and arranged to have them deliver his portrait of the fallen officer to the Jerving family.
“My motto is I don’t have to know you to love you and to treat you with respect and dignity,” said Moore.
The artist says this gesture is just one way of loving beyond your own walls, in any way you can, to help those who need it.
