Mary Hunter

Mary Hunter, was found dead in her bed at Garden Terrace of Overland Park nursing home in Overland Park, Kansas on the afternoon of January 9, 2001. Her funeral was held Friday, January 12 at Ritchie Funeral Home, Bedford, Iowa with Pastor Jamie Mogler of First Baptist Church of Bedford officiating. Interment was held in Fairview Cemetery in Bedford. Memorials can be given in her name.
 
 

Mary Charlotte Longfellow Hunter was born November 14, 1914 in Taylor Co, Iowa, the daughter of Henry and Alta (Nash) Longfellow and a descendant of the Nash and Luellen families who settled in Taylor County in the early 1850's and the Longfellow family who moved to Taylor in about 1880. Mary was born and grew up on her parents farm in TayIor Co, Iowa and graduated from High School at Bedford, Iowa in 1932. She taught school at a one room country school house in Taylor Co., near where the Hunter family lived. It was then she met Faye Raymond Hunter, who was a bachelor living with his parents on a farm in the neighborhood. Faye agreed to appear in a play at the school and they got to know each other as he practiced and rehearsed his part. They were married on July 8, 1936 at the courthouse in Maryville, Missouri. Mary gave up her occupation as teacher to become a farm wife and a mother to sons Duane and John.

Faye built a new house on the farm in preparation for their wedding. During her years on the farm with Faye she gardened, raised chickens, sold eggs and butchered chickens which she sold to the local grocery store. One summer she worked, and was in charge, on a detasseling crew that went to different corn fields and pulled the tassels (the tops which hold the pollen) so the corn could be cross-pollinated. This involved walking between rows of corn and pulling the tops from both sides. The weather was hot and dry and the edges of corn leaves are sharp enough to cut whatever skin they come against. These efforts were in addition to the chores and work that were the normal part of farm life in the 1930's and 40's.
 
 

In the 1950's, at about 40 years of age, she started working as an attendant at the State Mental Hospital at Clarinda, Iowa. Soon after starting, she was assigned to work on the women's violent ward which was where the most violent of the patients were housed. She remained assigned to this ward for much of the time she worked there. She related very well with the patients and there were always those among the patients who were ready to take her defense if anyone appeared to threaten her.
 
 

In the early 1960's it was required that the ward attendants be upgraded and given responsibility to dispense medication. This upgrade requirement caused the state of Iowa to provide for her and other empoyees training and licensing to be Licensed Practical Nurses. She continued in the nursing occupation at the State Hospital at Clarinda until the late 1960's. She then moved to Omaha, Nebraska and worked at hospitals in the Omaha area. In 1975 she moved to Kansas City where she worked at Shawnee Mission Hospital in Overland Park, Kansas. She worked there on a part time basis for several years after reaching age 65 before taking full retirement.
 
 

Mary was very active in the LPN association and held several offices within the organization. Her activity in the association included attending conference meetings which gave her the opportunity to see other parts of the country.
 
 

Mary was baptized and became a member of the Bedford Baptist church at a young age, which membership she still retains, athough her church attendance has been at churches near her residence.
 
 

Mary's favorite activity was dancing and she continued this activity until she was felled by Alzheimer's disease in 1998. She was at a "tea dance" at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City when the tragic skywalk collapse occured, although not hurt she did witness the death and damage of a number of friends.
 
 

For the last years of her life she lived at Alterra - Sterling House, an assisted living residence which specifally addresses the care needs of Alzheimer's patients, moving to Garden Terrace of Overland Park nursing home on Decemer 19, 2000 after a stroke had left her left side unresponsive.
 
 

Mary has always had time for her family and remained involved in the lives of hers. She is survived by 2 sons; Duane Hunter and his wife Carolyn of Yankton, South Dakota and John Hunter and his wife Vida of Merriam, Kansas; 2 granddaughters Angela Babb of Lenexa, Kansas and Mary Fay Hunter of Olathe, Kansas; 7 great grandchildren and 1 great great granddaughter along with numerous neices and nephews and their families.
 
 

She was preceded in death by her former husband Faye; her parents, Henry and Alta; three brothers, Carl, Wilson and Ivan Longfellow; and a sister-in-law, Ethel Hunter.