William Hunter

William Samuel Hunter, age 85, passed away March 15, 2007 at his home in Artesia, New Mexico following a long battle with cancer. Closed casket funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, March 19, at First United Methodist Church, Pastor Paul Duerksen presiding. Burial will follow at Woodbine Cemetery with honors by the U.S. Naval Honor Guard. Pallbearers will be family members J. D. Krause, Jeff Young and Brian Watson, and Artesia Downtown Lions Club members Ken Aaron, Gary Scott Jr., and Terry Maupin. Honorary pallbearers will be all members of the local American Legion. Visitation at Terpening Son Mortuary will begin at 2:00 p.m. Sunday. William Bill or Red Hunter was born May 3, 1921 in Hominy, Oklahoma, to Mattie Lackey Hunter and Sam Hunter. He moved to Carlsbad, N.M. and graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1939. He joined the U.S. Navy in El Paso, Texas from Eddy County, New Mexico in 1940 and served throughout World War II in the Pacific until honorably discharged in 1946; he was a survivor of Pearl Harbor. He married Betty Angle on May 24, 1949 and had two daughters, Lynn Lind of Deming, N.M. and Karen Young of Carlsbad. Bill was a member of the First United Methodist Church, the Artesia Downtown Lions Club, and the American Legion, his favorite hobbies were hunting and fishing. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, a brother James P. Hunter Bataan, and brothers John Golden and Lloyd Golden. Surviving are his wife Betty of the family home, daughters Lynn Lind and husband Ken, and Karen Young and husband Jerry; grandchildren Jennifer Watson and husband Brian, Amy Krause, John D. Krause and wife LaShawna; and Jeffrey Young; five great grandchildren Tyler, Autumn, Ryan, Karis, and Kaitlin; brothers Harvey Golden and Jack Golden; and cousin and friend Wayne Gregory. Bill was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He will be greatly missed by his family. Memorial donations may be made to Lakeview Christian Hospice, 1300 N. Canal St., Carlsbad, NM 88220 or charity of one's choice.