My uncle and
aunt, Dick (1923-1982) and Jeannette Quintal Hunter. The picture was taken about 1978 at a Hunter
Reunion, when I was building a foundation , or base, of my roots, in family
research. Dick joined the Navy and served
in WWIII. Once his brother W.C. was
recuperating from a head wound in North
Africa. and sitting outside a Red Cross facility and a group of sailors came by
who just came ashore. W.C. turned to a
friend, also a patient, and said something like, "See that guy there? He looks just like my youngest brother
Dick." And it was.
Dick was/is
the youngest of eight siblings. While he
was in the Navy, stationed at Boston he met Jeannette and they courted and married. They had
thirteen children. Twelve lived well
into adulthood. One died at birth.
Dick was a
planner at Lockheed and Jeannette started her own successful real estate business (Hunter Realty). As a kid I used to be amazed at the enormity
of running a household of fourteen
eaters. They bought a big freezer and
bought in large qualities cheaper.
He got into
local politics, first councilman then Mayor of Marietta. Later he was a State of Georgia inspector and
he also built houses.
As far as I
know he always seemed to be smiling. I
cannot imagine him frowning. He had a
positive drive. Failure wasn't an
option.
He lived
fifty-nine years. Jeannette will be 90
this summer. A couple of years ago I sat behind Jeannette at a funeral, Bobby Crain, a cousin, asked Jeannette the number of one of her sons in the contracting business, she instantly told him. Then he asked the number of another one of her sons, also in the contracting business and she instantly told him. I can't do that instant recall with my own two sons' numbers.
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