Dorothy K. Hunter, 96, passed away Saturday, December 3 at Box Butte General Hospital.
Dorothy Kathryn Hunter was born September 16, 1920 to Kathryn Freimuth and George Breckner in their home above her father’s welding shop at 210 West 3rd Street in Alliance, Nebraska, where Alliance Cable is now located.
Following her father’s death in 1932, Dorothy went to live with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Wolfgang Freimuth.
Dorothy entered kindergarten at St. Agnes Academy in Alliance and graduated in 1938. From 1938 to 1941, she taught in rural schools. She worked as a telephone operator for Northwest Bell Telephone Company from 1941 to 1944, and was the first civilian switchboard operator at Fort Robinson, then a busy wartime Army post.
Dorothy Breckner married Richard D. Hunter of Hemingford, Nebraska on October 31, 1944 at Alliance; Monsignor J. P. Manning officiated. The Hunters were blessed with six children.
While Richard was serving in the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, Dorothy became a Red Cross nurse in neighboring Jacksonville, North Carolina. Upon Dick’s honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, the couple returned to live on the Hunter ranch on the Niobrara River. In 1979, Dorothy purchased property at the corner of 10th and Flack in Alliance and developed a mini-storage facility.
Dorothy is survived by sons Robert of Alliance; Gary (Sandra), Donald (Sherry), and David of Hemingford; daughters Susan (Stephen) Reams of Centennial, Colorado and Anne (Arthur) Smith of Phoenix, Arizona; grandchildren Kathryn (James) Paddison, Kerry Herhalt, Ryan (Deborah) Hunter, Shawn (Rikki) Hunter, Rebecca Hunter, Scott Hunter, and Hunter Smith, seven great-grandchildren, and step-brother John (Marilyn) Odell of San Diego, California. She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Richard Hunter; mother and father, George and Kathryn Breckner; step-father, John Odell; brother Lowell Breckner; step-sister Nadine Odell Keating; and sister-in-law Dorothy Breckner.
Memorial services will be Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Bridget Catholic Church with Father Tim Stoner officiating. Inurnment will be in the Hemingford Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to the Hemingford Volunteer Firefighters Association.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com with Bates-Gould Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.