Hunter

Homer J. Hunter, 94, of Eau Claire died at 7:02 a.m. Sunday at the Concordia Care Center in Cabot after a long illness.

Born May 30, 1913, in Eau Claire, he was the son of Harry O. and Edith Anchors Hunter.

In his early years, he worked on his father's farm in Eau Claire and also worked for the late J.M. Beatty delivering groceries, driving truck and hauling produce from the produce yards in Pittsburgh to the grocery store in Eau Claire.

In 1938, he established Hunter Truck Sales of Eau Claire. In the beginning, he was a sub-dealer for Mack trucks and any other brand he could broker for customers. In 1950, he became an authorized International-Harvester truck dealership, later known as International Truck Sales. In 1984, the Peterbilt brand was added.

With the addition of many family members, the original dealership and service center grew to 14 locations with several hundred employees. He and his company were many time winners of the prestigious I-H Triple Diamond Roundtable Award.

In his early years, he was a member of the Bethel United Methodist Church in Eau Claire. He was a member of the North Main Street Church of God for more than 50 years.

Mr. Hunter was known for taking many young men, outside of his family, whom he referred to as "his boys," under his guidance and promoting their well-being in the trucking work force and other occupations.

Decades ago, a fire truck sales person stopped in Eau Claire and asked Mr. Hunter for the location of the fire department. When he replied there was no fire station, the salesman suggested a fire company be established. Homer called the borough council together, and it was instantly agreed to form what is now the Eau Claire Volunteer Fire Department. He was the last charter member of the fire company.

Mr. Hunter was a longtime Eau Claire Borough Councilman, a member of the fire department and was a silent charitable supporter of many activities.

He enjoyed listening to gospel and the "big band" era music. He had been a member of the former Eau Claire 500 Club.

A devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, he is survived by a daughter, Donna Hunter Rankin of Butler; two sons, Harry J. Hunter and his wife, JoAnne, and Robert L. Hunter and his wife, Gail, all of Butler; 10 grandchildren, Dr. Todd Hunter Rankin of Newburn, N.C., Dr. Lynn Rankin-Esquer of Moraga, Calif., Alison Rankin Albert of Chatham, N.J., David John Hunter of Eau Claire, Jeffrey and William Hunter and Deborah Hennig, all of Butler, Steven J. Hunter of Atlanta, Ga., and Nancy Hunter-Mycka and Susan E. Hunter, both of Butler; 23 great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Josephine Beatty Hunter, who died in 1968; his second wife, Erla Robb Stone Hunter, who died in 1997; and a brother, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Harry Floyd Hunter.

<B>HUNTER</B> — Friends of Homer J. Hunter, who died Sunday, July 1, 2007, will be received from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the <B>H. Jack Buzard Funeral Home </B>Main Street-Route 38, Eau Claire. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the North Main Street Church of God with the Rev. Kenneth Hall officiating. Burial will be at the Eau Claire Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Concordia Care Center, Marwood Road, Cabot, 16023; or to the Eau Claire Volunteer Fire Department, Eau Claire, PA 16030.Information also is available at www.buzardfuneralhomes.com.