John Hunting

HUNTING LECKE ROLLIN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/22/2010 at 17:51:28

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

John Hunting
By Harmon H Hunting
(with much information taken from the family history as compiled by Kathryn Hunting Gannon)

The Deacon John Huntting, direct descendant of Roger and Jane Lecke Huntting of Palgrove, England, moved from East Corinth, Maine to Cedar County, Iowa in 1863 and died there shortly thereafter. His widow, Sarah Chapman Rollin Hunting and four children, Etta, Flavius, Charles and Willard journeyed by wagon train to Lakeport Township in Woodbury County, where they homesteaded near Sloan.

Etta married the Rev William Hamilton and taught at the Omaha Indian Mission in Decatur, Nebraska.

Willard was killed in a farm accident at an early age.

Flavius Ovando Hunting was born in East Corinth, Maine in 1858, came west with his family in 1868. He married Hannah Mathia Hansen in 1873 and the couple had eight children: Hannah, John, William, Carrie, Sarah, Edwin, Frederick and Frank. The family moved from the homestead to Sloan in 1891 and Flavius served on the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors for two terms. He also was a school director for the Solan Schools, was elected to the City Council and acted as Justice of Peace for ten years. Flavius died in 1936 and his wife, Hannah, died in 1938.

Charles Chapman Hunting was born in East Corinth, Maine in 1858, came west with his family in 18658 and in 1882 started the first newspaper in Sloan, ‘The Sloan Independent,’ which was a short lived venture. He taught school in Decatur, Nebraska at the Omaha Indian Mission and then moved to Ute, Iowa to work for the railroad. After retirement, the family moved to Sioux City where he raised and sold large amounts of garden vegetables. His wife was Julia Bean, 1868-1954, and the couple had six children: Mae, LeRoy, Ralph, William, Rollins ‘Jack’ and Ruth. Charles Chapman Hunting died in 1949 and is buried in Ute, Iowa.

(Incidentally one ‘t’ was dropped from the family name during the Civil War to coincide with spelling of the name on pension from two of Sarah Hunting’s sons killed in action.)
1-Mae Hunting, married Voyle Kassing and farmed in Nebraska. Their children: John, Charles, Dennis and Robert.
2-LeRoy, never married.
3-Ralph Allen Hunting came to Moville, Iowa in 1912 to clerk in the Freeborn-Rasmus General Store, later purchased the business and continued to operate it as such for over fifty-six years. He served on both the Moville Towns Council and Moville School Board for many terms. He is remembered for his generous extension of credit during the critical Depression Years of the 30’s, and was honored upon his retirement by the community when they celebrated ‘Ralph Hunting Day’. He married Rosa Harm, 1889-1918, and Edna Leinbaugh, 1898-1972. The children are: Harmon Gordon, Ralph, Duane, Mary and Martha.
4-William, killed in France in 1918.
5- Rollins ‘Jack’ married Margaret McGee and Selma Steien. Children: Phyllis, William and Charlene.
6-Ruth Hunting Conklin, one daughter Shirley.

The descendants of Ralph Allen Hunting are:

1-Harmon Henry Hunting born 1912, connected with the family store for over fifty years, married Anna Earline Guthridge. The children are Connie Hunting Coffey, Harmon Eugene and Rand Allen Hunting (third generation operator of the business).

2-Gordon Charles Hunting, born 1915, who, with his brother, Ralph, was instrumental in initiating the development of the vast turkey production in northwest Iowa. He married Kathleen Kennedy and the children are Kenneth Gordon and Susan Kay.

3-Ralph Gale Hunting, born 1916, married Eleanor Reynolds, two daughters Ellen and Maggie Ann.

4-Duane Allen Hunting, born 1925, now residing in Cedar Falls, Iowa, manager of the College Square Mall, married Margaret Hunt; three children: Linda, Marianne and Mark.

5&6- The twins, Mary Ellen and Martha May, born 1926. Martha married Kenneth Lepley and they have three children, Alan, Carol and Brian. Mary married Vern Simson and they also have three children, James, Craig and Julie.