FIFTH GENERATION

370. Dempsey Allen Hunter was born on 19 Jun 1851 in Williamson County, Illinois.⁽³²⁹⁾ He appeared on the census on 15 Jun 1880 in Enfield, White County, Illinois. ⁽⁸⁵¹⁾ He appeared on the census on 8 Jun 1900 in Jefferson, Greene County, Iowa.⁽⁸⁵²⁾ He died on 19 Jan 1911 in Williamson County, Illinois. ⁽³²⁹⁾

Reverend D. A. Hunter
Pastor of Christian Church, Herrin, Illinois

From 1905 Historical Souvenir of Williamson County, Illinois by J. F. Wilcox



The subject of this brief sketch, whose labors in the ministry have made his name a familiar household word over half a dozen or more states and territories in the West, is a native-born Williamson County product, where he first saw the light on a farm near Herrin. His father was Allen Hunter, who bought the farm when his son was one year old, and where he lived to the ripe old age of 83. He was a United Baptist preacher, preaching the Gospel Sundays and working his farm weekdays for upwards of fifty years. The son followed in the footsteps of the father, remaining on the farm and in the local schools until 18 years old, when he spent a year in the college at Enfield. Two years at McLeansboro, followed by two more at Enfield, closed his school days, when he turned his attention to teaching as a profession. He had sandwiched teaching between terms at College up to this time, but from this period forward for thirteen years he did little else. He married at the age of 22, while at Enfield the second time. His wife's name was Florence Garrison.

He first joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, with which body he remained until 26 years old. At the age of 26, he joined the Christian Church and occasionally preached for them, but it was not until he was 33 that he laid aside all other business and gave himself up to the work of the ministry. He first evangelized in White County for three years and spent two years in Southern Illinois and Indiana, when he took a pastorate at Gurnee, in Lake County, Northern Illinois. From the first he has been active and successful as a minister, laboring and traveling extensively in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Oklahoma, but whether as evangelist or Missionary or settled as a pastor he was always successful and welcomed to his flock.

The following are the principal places where he has labored: On leaving Gurnee, where he spent one year, he went to Lynnville, Morgan County; then to Princeton, the County Seat of Bureau Co, then to KesKerk County, Iowa, where he served the church at Delta and Sigourney for four years. This was followed by two years at Laurels, when he resigned and took charge of the church at Jefferson, Green County, Iowa, where he stayed for seven years, the first two as pastor, and the balance of the time as Evangelist, part of the time under the direction of the Missionary Board. He served the church at Augusta, Butler County, Kansas, two years, then to Galena, near the Southeast corner of the state. He then received a call to serve the church at Herrin, his native town, where he is now settled since March, 1904.

Mr. Hunter has a vigorous and active brain, which brooks no limit in knowledge, but seeks to compass as wide a field as possible. He has studied medicine, psychology, osteopathy, as well as matters of general interest and utility connected with the ministry. He has never practiced medicine as a profession, and osteopathy but six months, filling the pulpit Sundays meanwhile. He took his degree in psychology from Dr. Parkyn of Chicago, confining his work generally to the ministry. He at one time took some interest in Fraternal Insurance and organized the Order of Giant Oaks, now consolidated with the American Guild at Richmond, Va. He is a member of the Modern Woodsmen and A. O. U. W. besides the greater orders of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and Knights Templar.

He has three sons and one daughter living and grown to maturity. His eldest son, E. E. Hunter, is an electric light and steam engineer at Oklahoma City, Okla. His second son, C. R. Hunter, is a train dispatcher of Boone, Iowa., and his third son, Marshall, is the editor and publisher of the Herrin Daily Promoter. His daughter, Mildred Lee Hunter, lives in Joplin, Mo. His youngest child, Dempsey Dale, died of diphtheria last December.

Mr. Hunter comes of a vigorous and long-lived stock on both sides. His mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Lee, of the Virginia family of Lee's is still living on the old homestead near Herrin, at the age of 84.

He was married to Elizabeth Florence Garrison (daughter of William P. Garrison and Elizabeth Boyer) on 7 Mar 1875 in White County, Illinois.⁽⁸⁵³⁾ Elizabeth Florence Garrison was born on 15 Sep 1858 in Enfield, White County, Illinois. Dempsey Allen Hunter and Elizabeth Florence Garrison had the following children:

+1026 i. Ernest Elam Hunter.
+1027 ii. Charles Royal Hunter.
+1028 iii. John Marshall Hunter.
+1029 iv. Mildred Lee Hunter.
1030 v. Dempsey Dale Hunter was born in Mar 1892 in Iowa. He died in Dec 1904 in Herrin, Williamson County, Illinois.


Died of Diptheria.