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Merle Eugene Hunt
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August 22, 1925 ~ March 23, 2013 |
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March 26, 2013 |
Merle Eugene Hunt, of Roundup, Montana, died
Saturday, March 23, 2013. Services are Saturday,
March 30, at 11 a.m. at Wier Funeral Home in
Roundup.
He was born August 22, 1925, in Fonda, Iowa, the
oldest of 12 children, to Harold Richard Hunt
and Helena Collman Hunt. Two children died in
infancy. Merle is survived by one brother,
Shelby of Demming, New Mexico; sister Orletha in
Indiana; sister Lenora, also of Indiana; and
sister Lois of Oregon.
Merle and his siblings were raised on a farm,
working along side their parents, surviving the
Great Depression. After graduation from high
school, in Cincinnati, Iowa, he joined the Navy
and served in World War II as a radioman in the
Aleutian Islands of Alaska. While Merle was in
boot camp in Farragut, Idaho, he was sent to the
University of Idaho in Moscow. There, he
received a degree in radio science, math and
Morse code and other code building courses.
He was an honorably discharged veteran at the
end of the Pacific conflict of WWII. Merle
returned to Iowa and worked on various farms,
sometimes for his uncles in both Minnesota and
Iowa. He also worked in the steel mills of Gary,
Indiana.
He decided this was not for him and told
everyone he was heading west, possibly to
Oregon. He never looked back.
He married Jeanette Scott and they stopped in
Roundup on the way to Oregon — he never really
left Roundup after that.
He and Jeanette had two daughters, Shirley and
Deborah. They were divorced a year later.
Faced with raising two young daughters on his
own, he enlisted the help of his aunt, Mary Hunt
Kruger. He worked the oil fields in and around
Glendive. It was there that he met the love of
his life, his sweet Lou. They were married on
May 29, 1956, in Glendive, Montana. Merle and
Louise had a daughter, Pamela, born in Baker,
Montana, in 1957.
Merle and Louise settled in Roundup in 1959.
Merle began buying land and raising cattle and
horses. He also worked in the oilfield business
in various supervisor and consultant positions.
He and Louise bought a water well drilling rig
in 1966 and started Hunt Water Well Drilling
Inc. He enjoyed horses and drove his horse and
mule teams in parades in Montana and Wyoming.
After he sold his business, he and Louise bought
their dream home and he went into the hay
business.
He loved the state of Montana and served on many
boards and committees, both state and local. He
was past president of the local VFW, the Roundup
Ridge Riders Club (several times), the Roundup
Cattle Drive and the Montana Well Drillers
Association. He was a member of the Montana
Stockgrowers and the Cattlemen's Association. He
also contributed greatly of time and money to
the Roundup Rodeo and Parade and the Great
Cattle Drive of ’89, the Montana Centennial. He
took his sweet Lou to the Governor's ball in
Helena to celebrate the 1989 anniversary of
Montana. Merle was a member of the Lutheran
Church.
Merle was a great friend of people, animals, and
the Big Sky Country. He was a lifelong
Republican.
He is survived by his wife Louise Weidner Hunt —
they would have been married 57 years in May. He
is also survived by three daughters, Shirley
(Tom) Mayo of Bonners Ferry, Deborah (Calvin)
Lear of Lavina, Montana, and Pam (Mike) Stigen
of Roundup; grandchildren Rachel (Rob) Morehead
of Billings, Dylan Thomas Mayo of Redmond,
Washington, Riley Scott Mayo of Poplar, Montana,
Celestial (Howie) Coppel, Shawna (Scott)
Sessions, Damon (Lisa) Lear, Brandon (Heather)
Lear, and Eric Stigen in the armed forces
stationed in North Carolina.
Merle and Louise have 15 great-grandchildren.
Merle was preceded in death by his parents;
brothers Richard, Dale and Roger; sisters Leanna
and Florence; and one grandson, Donald B. Janich.
Memorials may be made in his memory to Roundup
Memorial Hospital or the charity of your choice. |
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