Services for J.E. "Shorty" Cunningham, 79, of Clovis, longtime cattle rancher and pack station operator, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Tollhouse Cemetery. Mr. Cunningham died Wednesday. Born in Hail, Colo., he came to Clovis in 1917 with his family. He and his family operated a ranch in Clovis and later lived in Taft and Shafter before returning to Clovis. He was a 1928 graduate of Clovis High School. He attended college briefly at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. He later returned home and moved with his family to North Fork, where he continued to work on the family ranch.
Mr. Cunningham began his packing career in 1925, working at a pack station at Huntington Lake. He and his brother Tom later went into business together as co-owners of the High Sierra Pack Station at Mono Hot Springs. The station was later moved to Edison Lake.
Mr. Cunningham worked at the pack station from 1945 until his retirement in 1968. The pack station is still in operation today and is run by Mr. Cunningham's nephew.
Mr. Cunningham also aided search and rescue parties in the Sierra back country.
He always remained a rancher. While working at the pack station, he purchased and ran acattle ranch near Tollhouse Road.
Mr. Cunningham was a member of the Clovis Rodeo Association and in 1977 was grand marshal of the Clovis Rodeo Parade. In 1984 he was grand marshal of Mule Days in Bishop.
He was a member and past president of the Packer's Association. He was a World War II veteran and a Purple Heart recipient.
Surviving are a brother, William Alfred Cunningham of North Fork; two sisters, Lura Ross of Clovis and Nola Whitley of Oregon; a stepson, Walter Keplinger of Clovis; two stepdaughters, Dorothy Drummond of Arkansas and Mildred Howard of Tollhouse; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Clovis Funeral Chapel.
Mr. Cunningham began his packing career in 1925, working at a pack station at Huntington Lake. He and his brother Tom later went into business together as co-owners of the High Sierra Pack Station at Mono Hot Springs. The station was later moved to Edison Lake.
Mr. Cunningham worked at the pack station from 1945 until his retirement in 1968. The pack station is still in operation today and is run by Mr. Cunningham's nephew.
Mr. Cunningham also aided search and rescue parties in the Sierra back country.
He always remained a rancher. While working at the pack station, he purchased and ran acattle ranch near Tollhouse Road.
Mr. Cunningham was a member of the Clovis Rodeo Association and in 1977 was grand marshal of the Clovis Rodeo Parade. In 1984 he was grand marshal of Mule Days in Bishop.
He was a member and past president of the Packer's Association. He was a World War II veteran and a Purple Heart recipient.
Surviving are a brother, William Alfred Cunningham of North Fork; two sisters, Lura Ross of Clovis and Nola Whitley of Oregon; a stepson, Walter Keplinger of Clovis; two stepdaughters, Dorothy Drummond of Arkansas and Mildred Howard of Tollhouse; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Clovis Funeral Chapel.
Services for J.E. "Shorty" Cunningham, 79, of Clovis, longtime cattle rancher and pack station operator, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Tollhouse Cemetery. Mr. Cunningham died Wednesday. Born in Hail, Colo., he came to Clovis in 1917 with his family. He and his family operated a ranch in Clovis and later lived in Taft and Shafter before returning to Clovis. He was a 1928 graduate of Clovis High School. He attended college briefly at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. He later returned home and moved with his family to North Fork, where he continued to work on the family ranch.
Mr. Cunningham began his packing career in 1925, working at a pack station at Huntington Lake. He and his brother Tom later went into business together as co-owners of the High Sierra Pack Station at Mono Hot Springs. The station was later moved to Edison Lake.
Mr. Cunningham worked at the pack station from 1945 until his retirement in 1968. The pack station is still in operation today and is run by Mr. Cunningham's nephew.
Mr. Cunningham also aided search and rescue parties in the Sierra back country.
He always remained a rancher. While working at the pack station, he purchased and ran acattle ranch near Tollhouse Road.
Mr. Cunningham was a member of the Clovis Rodeo Association and in 1977 was grand marshal of the Clovis Rodeo Parade. In 1984 he was grand marshal of Mule Days in Bishop.
He was a member and past president of the Packer's Association. He was a World War II veteran and a Purple Heart recipient.
Surviving are a brother, William Alfred Cunningham of North Fork; two sisters, Lura Ross of Clovis and Nola Whitley of Oregon; a stepson, Walter Keplinger of Clovis; two stepdaughters, Dorothy Drummond of Arkansas and Mildred Howard of Tollhouse; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Clovis Funeral Chapel.
Mr. Cunningham began his packing career in 1925, working at a pack station at Huntington Lake. He and his brother Tom later went into business together as co-owners of the High Sierra Pack Station at Mono Hot Springs. The station was later moved to Edison Lake.
Mr. Cunningham worked at the pack station from 1945 until his retirement in 1968. The pack station is still in operation today and is run by Mr. Cunningham's nephew.
Mr. Cunningham also aided search and rescue parties in the Sierra back country.
He always remained a rancher. While working at the pack station, he purchased and ran acattle ranch near Tollhouse Road.
Mr. Cunningham was a member of the Clovis Rodeo Association and in 1977 was grand marshal of the Clovis Rodeo Parade. In 1984 he was grand marshal of Mule Days in Bishop.
He was a member and past president of the Packer's Association. He was a World War II veteran and a Purple Heart recipient.
Surviving are a brother, William Alfred Cunningham of North Fork; two sisters, Lura Ross of Clovis and Nola Whitley of Oregon; a stepson, Walter Keplinger of Clovis; two stepdaughters, Dorothy Drummond of Arkansas and Mildred Howard of Tollhouse; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Clovis Funeral Chapel.
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