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Jerry O. Hunter

contributed by The Hugo Daily News

    Jerry Otis Hunter, 76, was peacefully escorted by heavenly angels into the presence of his Lord and Savior on Friday, April 15, 2005. Jerry was born on May 1, 1928 in Goodland Community, Choctaw County, to William Jerry and Mary Ethel (Barnes) Hunter. Jerry met the love of his life Geraldine Geneva Strickland while both were attending college in Durant, Okla. They were married July 8, 1949 in De Queen, Arkansas. They moved to Ft. Towson, Okla., in 1950. Geraldine preceded Jerry in death on December 20, 1996, ending forty-seven years of a wonderful and solid marriage. No children were born to this union, but they filled the role of parents to hundreds of students.

    Jerry started elementary school at Pleasant Hill, Okla., and finished eighth grade there, then went on to finish high school at Haworth, Okla., in 1946 where he was a star basketball player. Jerry graduated from Southeastern State College (now S.O.S.U.) in Durant, Okla., with a Bachelor's degree in 1950; and from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas, with a Master's degree in 1953. He started teaching at Gray Jr. High School in Idabel, Okla.; before moving to Fort Towson, Okla., he taught jr. high for 25 years, and then was elementary superintendent of Ft. Towson School District for five years. He taught fifth grade at Horace Mann School in Hugo for five years and served four years as principal at Eugene Field School in Hugo, Okla. Jerry retired from teaching in 1984.Jerry served his country in the Air Force in 1946-47 at radar school in Boca Raton, Florida.

    Jerry was a faithful and dedicated member of the Fort Towson First Baptist Church since the early 1950s, having served in the office of Sunday School Superintendent and junior boy's Sunday School teacher.

    Jerry enjoyed growing vegetables in his garden and sharing with his friends and neighbors. He was an avid deer hunter, and hunted elk in Bogosha Springs, Colorado. He loved to hunt and taught a lot of boys how to use a rifle and hunt. He liked to fish and had gone red snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. He loved most sports and former students enjoy telling memories of his coaching days at Fort Towson. He and Geraldine travelled to Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, D.C., and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

    Jerry joined the Fort Towson Masonic Lodge No. 303 in 1952 and served as Worshipful Master in January 1, 1957. He was a member of the Retired Educators Association in Hugo, Okla. Jerry leaves to cherish his memory his nephews, Jerry Lee Young of Pearland, Texas, James Strickland and wife, Becky of Wilburton, Okla.; nieces Bobbye Haggard of Bedford, Texas, and Gerri Lynn Thompson and husband Justin, of Wilburton, Okla.; brothers-in-law Fred Peck of Houston, Texas and Dudley Strickland of Wilburton, Okla., and many surviving relatives. His constant companion, a two-year-old Yorkie named Tarzan, was faithful to Jerry and always wanted to ride in the pickup wherever Jerry went. He was preceded in death by wife Geraldine, his parents, and his sister Charlsie.

    Jerry was loved by many people and had many friends and will be missed by those who had the privilege of knowing him.

    The family received friends at the Prater-Lampton-Mills & Coffey Funeral Home Monday evening from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Funeral services were Tuesday, April 19, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Fort Towson with Reverend Kurtis Huffman officiating. Burial was in Fort Towson Cemetery.

    Prater-Lampton-Mills & Coffey Funeral Home.

    Paid announcement.