IVAN F. HUNTER

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GOWRIE - Ivan F. Hunter, 94, died Sunday, April 26, 2009 at Tompkins Memorial Health Center, Fort Dodge.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, May l, 2009 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Callender with Pastor Kent Wallace officiating. Burial will be in the Callender Cemetery with military rites by American Legion Peterson Post #431 of Gowrie. Friends may call after 4 p.m. Thursday at Palmer Funeral Home, Gowrie.

Ivan Francis Hunter was born January 5, 1915 to William Webster and Elizabeth Cordelia (Fishel) Hunter in Roland Township, Webster County, Iowa. Ivan was baptized in June 1930 at the United Methodist Church in Gowrie. He attended Gowrie Consolidated School and graduated from Gowrie High School in May 1933. He farmed with his Father until his Father's death in 1942. He also delivered the Des Moines Sunday Register from 1933 to 1939. He hired out to neighbors to make hay, shock oats, thresh and pick corn. From 1942 until 1943 he worked as a mechanic for the International Harvest Dealer. After the death of his Father he enlisted in the Army Air Corp and took civilian pilot training at the Eno Airport, Fort Dodge, IA.

He was called to service on September 1st, 1943. Basic training in Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, Aerial Gunnery in Las Vegas, Nevada and flight training at McDillfield, Tampa, Florida. Then on to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey for overseas deployment. He was sent to England and assigned to the 418th Squadron, Bloody Hundreth Bomb Group 8th Army Air Group. He served as Tail Gunner on B-17s. He flew 33 combat missions over Normandy, Germany & Hungary. On the 33rd mission the B-17 Bomber was hit by flack and disabled. Ivan and his crew bailed out and became German prisoners of war on November 10, 1944, near Trier, Germany, then by train to Wetzlar-Interrogation onto Stalag Luft IV left in Jan 1945 by boxcar (40 & 8) for 8 days to Nurenberg Luft XIII left in April by foot to Moosberg VIIA marched 100 miles. He was liberated on April 29, 1945 and repatriated to the states June 13, 1945. He was discharge in October 1945.

Ivan then worked as a mechanic until 1947 when he returned to farming after his marriage to Deloris Murrine Piltingsrud at Out Saviors Lutheran Church in Callender on February 12, 1947. He continued farming and worked with the soil conservation service as a soils tech in 1959. He retired from the soil service in July 1975 and continued to serve the area privately until 1985 while still farming. He continued to farm until 1992. His wife Deloris deceased in January 1994. He sold the acreage in 1994 and moved to Gowrie in 1995. He donated the farm to Lutheran Social Services in 1995 and established an Endowment Fund.

He is survived by one sister E. Mae Gallentine and a host of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Deloris, his parents, sisters Goldie Klement, Margaret Piltingsrud and brother John William Hunter.

He was a member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Callender for over 66 years, Life member of the American Legion Post 431, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart, American Ex-POW Org., Disabled American Veterans. Ivan was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European, African, Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Stars, WWII Victory Medal, Prisoner of War Medal. His Bomb group was cited with the Presidential Citation Badge Military rites by American Legion Post 431.

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.