Merle was born at home on May 13, 1926, at 4434 Lewis Ave., Eureka, California, to the parents of Roy and Cora Emelyn Hunter.
He attended public schools in Eureka: Lincoln Elementary to the sixth grade, Eureka Junior High School in the seventh and eighth grades and Eureka Senior High School ninth to 12th grade and graduated in 1944.
He worked in the logging industry until 1945 when he was drafted into the service during World War II. He served with the signal corp at Camp Crowder, Missouri, Camp Polk, Louisiana, and Fort Dix, New Jersey. He then transferred to the engineers at Fort Belvoire and Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, and was discharged in Nov. 1946. He returned to Napa, California, where his parents were living at that time, having moved from Eureka in late 1945.
In Jan. 1947, he went to Napa Junior College for two years and after being hospitalized in the Veterans Hospital in Oakland for one year he returned to work in the logging industry. To further his education, in Jan. 1951 he enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College in California. In June 1951, he entered the University of California at Berkeley where he graduated in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in civil engineering. After graduation, he worked on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge for the State of California, the State Division of Highways in San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa County Highway Department and Napa County Highway Department. He then worked in private practice for Farnum Kerr Associates (15 years), Sandis and Associates (two years) and Brown & Caldwell (17 years), where he retired at age 67.
He met his future wife, Barbara Jane Benthien, in Napa in Jan. 1955. They were engaged on Aug. 5, 1955, and married Aug. 5, 1956, at the First United Methodist Church in Napa. They had a wedding reception at Churchill Manor immediately after the wedding and then left the next morning on their honeymoon for Feather River Inn at Blairsden, California, in the Sierras.
They had four sons all born in Napa: Mark Alan, born Sept. 1958, Brian David, born July 1960, Bret Douglas, born Dec. 1962 and Matthew Roy, born Jan. 1964. Merle and Barbara made their home at 580 Foothill Blvd. in Napa until 1970 when they moved to Green Valley in Solano County, California, where they built their home.
Merle is survived by his wife of 59 years, Barbara; four sons and daughters-in-law; multiple grandchildren; sister, Babe Foutch of Napa, California.
Burial was private at Rockville Cemetery.
Published in the Fairfield Daily Republic on September 27, 2015
_______________________________________
Merle was the son of Cora E. Shroyer and Roy Hunter; brother of Lillian M. and Kenneth Ellsworth Hunter.
Merle's mother, born October 30, 1903 in South Dakota, died September 15, 1968 in Napa County, CA.
Merle's father, born June 22, 1896 in Nebraska, died November 1, 1987 in Napa County, CA.
Merle's brother, Kenneth, born June 14, 1925 in Imperial County, CA, died November 5, 1995 in Napa County, CA.
He attended public schools in Eureka: Lincoln Elementary to the sixth grade, Eureka Junior High School in the seventh and eighth grades and Eureka Senior High School ninth to 12th grade and graduated in 1944.
He worked in the logging industry until 1945 when he was drafted into the service during World War II. He served with the signal corp at Camp Crowder, Missouri, Camp Polk, Louisiana, and Fort Dix, New Jersey. He then transferred to the engineers at Fort Belvoire and Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, and was discharged in Nov. 1946. He returned to Napa, California, where his parents were living at that time, having moved from Eureka in late 1945.
In Jan. 1947, he went to Napa Junior College for two years and after being hospitalized in the Veterans Hospital in Oakland for one year he returned to work in the logging industry. To further his education, in Jan. 1951 he enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College in California. In June 1951, he entered the University of California at Berkeley where he graduated in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in civil engineering. After graduation, he worked on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge for the State of California, the State Division of Highways in San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa County Highway Department and Napa County Highway Department. He then worked in private practice for Farnum Kerr Associates (15 years), Sandis and Associates (two years) and Brown & Caldwell (17 years), where he retired at age 67.
He met his future wife, Barbara Jane Benthien, in Napa in Jan. 1955. They were engaged on Aug. 5, 1955, and married Aug. 5, 1956, at the First United Methodist Church in Napa. They had a wedding reception at Churchill Manor immediately after the wedding and then left the next morning on their honeymoon for Feather River Inn at Blairsden, California, in the Sierras.
They had four sons all born in Napa: Mark Alan, born Sept. 1958, Brian David, born July 1960, Bret Douglas, born Dec. 1962 and Matthew Roy, born Jan. 1964. Merle and Barbara made their home at 580 Foothill Blvd. in Napa until 1970 when they moved to Green Valley in Solano County, California, where they built their home.
Merle is survived by his wife of 59 years, Barbara; four sons and daughters-in-law; multiple grandchildren; sister, Babe Foutch of Napa, California.
Burial was private at Rockville Cemetery.
Published in the Fairfield Daily Republic on September 27, 2015
_______________________________________
Merle was the son of Cora E. Shroyer and Roy Hunter; brother of Lillian M. and Kenneth Ellsworth Hunter.
Merle's mother, born October 30, 1903 in South Dakota, died September 15, 1968 in Napa County, CA.
Merle's father, born June 22, 1896 in Nebraska, died November 1, 1987 in Napa County, CA.
Merle's brother, Kenneth, born June 14, 1925 in Imperial County, CA, died November 5, 1995 in Napa County, CA.
Merle was born at home on May 13, 1926, at 4434 Lewis Ave., Eureka, California, to the parents of Roy and Cora Emelyn Hunter.
He attended public schools in Eureka: Lincoln Elementary to the sixth grade, Eureka Junior High School in the seventh and eighth grades and Eureka Senior High School ninth to 12th grade and graduated in 1944.
He worked in the logging industry until 1945 when he was drafted into the service during World War II. He served with the signal corp at Camp Crowder, Missouri, Camp Polk, Louisiana, and Fort Dix, New Jersey. He then transferred to the engineers at Fort Belvoire and Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, and was discharged in Nov. 1946. He returned to Napa, California, where his parents were living at that time, having moved from Eureka in late 1945.
In Jan. 1947, he went to Napa Junior College for two years and after being hospitalized in the Veterans Hospital in Oakland for one year he returned to work in the logging industry. To further his education, in Jan. 1951 he enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College in California. In June 1951, he entered the University of California at Berkeley where he graduated in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in civil engineering. After graduation, he worked on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge for the State of California, the State Division of Highways in San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa County Highway Department and Napa County Highway Department. He then worked in private practice for Farnum Kerr Associates (15 years), Sandis and Associates (two years) and Brown & Caldwell (17 years), where he retired at age 67.
He met his future wife, Barbara Jane Benthien, in Napa in Jan. 1955. They were engaged on Aug. 5, 1955, and married Aug. 5, 1956, at the First United Methodist Church in Napa. They had a wedding reception at Churchill Manor immediately after the wedding and then left the next morning on their honeymoon for Feather River Inn at Blairsden, California, in the Sierras.
They had four sons all born in Napa: Mark Alan, born Sept. 1958, Brian David, born July 1960, Bret Douglas, born Dec. 1962 and Matthew Roy, born Jan. 1964. Merle and Barbara made their home at 580 Foothill Blvd. in Napa until 1970 when they moved to Green Valley in Solano County, California, where they built their home.
Merle is survived by his wife of 59 years, Barbara; four sons and daughters-in-law; multiple grandchildren; sister, Babe Foutch of Napa, California.
Burial was private at Rockville Cemetery.
Published in the Fairfield Daily Republic on September 27, 2015
_______________________________________
Merle was the son of Cora E. Shroyer and Roy Hunter; brother of Lillian M. and Kenneth Ellsworth Hunter.
Merle's mother, born October 30, 1903 in South Dakota, died September 15, 1968 in Napa County, CA.
Merle's father, born June 22, 1896 in Nebraska, died November 1, 1987 in Napa County, CA.
Merle's brother, Kenneth, born June 14, 1925 in Imperial County, CA, died November 5, 1995 in Napa County, CA.
He attended public schools in Eureka: Lincoln Elementary to the sixth grade, Eureka Junior High School in the seventh and eighth grades and Eureka Senior High School ninth to 12th grade and graduated in 1944.
He worked in the logging industry until 1945 when he was drafted into the service during World War II. He served with the signal corp at Camp Crowder, Missouri, Camp Polk, Louisiana, and Fort Dix, New Jersey. He then transferred to the engineers at Fort Belvoire and Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, and was discharged in Nov. 1946. He returned to Napa, California, where his parents were living at that time, having moved from Eureka in late 1945.
In Jan. 1947, he went to Napa Junior College for two years and after being hospitalized in the Veterans Hospital in Oakland for one year he returned to work in the logging industry. To further his education, in Jan. 1951 he enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College in California. In June 1951, he entered the University of California at Berkeley where he graduated in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in civil engineering. After graduation, he worked on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge for the State of California, the State Division of Highways in San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa County Highway Department and Napa County Highway Department. He then worked in private practice for Farnum Kerr Associates (15 years), Sandis and Associates (two years) and Brown & Caldwell (17 years), where he retired at age 67.
He met his future wife, Barbara Jane Benthien, in Napa in Jan. 1955. They were engaged on Aug. 5, 1955, and married Aug. 5, 1956, at the First United Methodist Church in Napa. They had a wedding reception at Churchill Manor immediately after the wedding and then left the next morning on their honeymoon for Feather River Inn at Blairsden, California, in the Sierras.
They had four sons all born in Napa: Mark Alan, born Sept. 1958, Brian David, born July 1960, Bret Douglas, born Dec. 1962 and Matthew Roy, born Jan. 1964. Merle and Barbara made their home at 580 Foothill Blvd. in Napa until 1970 when they moved to Green Valley in Solano County, California, where they built their home.
Merle is survived by his wife of 59 years, Barbara; four sons and daughters-in-law; multiple grandchildren; sister, Babe Foutch of Napa, California.
Burial was private at Rockville Cemetery.
Published in the Fairfield Daily Republic on September 27, 2015
_______________________________________
Merle was the son of Cora E. Shroyer and Roy Hunter; brother of Lillian M. and Kenneth Ellsworth Hunter.
Merle's mother, born October 30, 1903 in South Dakota, died September 15, 1968 in Napa County, CA.
Merle's father, born June 22, 1896 in Nebraska, died November 1, 1987 in Napa County, CA.
Merle's brother, Kenneth, born June 14, 1925 in Imperial County, CA, died November 5, 1995 in Napa County, CA.
Gravesite Details
Interred 9/19/2015
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