Obituary for Lawren Curtis Hunt
Lawren Curtis Hunt, passed peacefully on April 7, 2019 at Memorial Central
Hospital in Colorado Springs, CO.
Lawren was born February 17, 1927 in Dixon, NE, to Harold William Penn
Hunt and Mable LaVina (Havens) of Dixon, NE. He was the seventh of ten
siblings. His primary education was completed in Batesland, SD. He began
high school in Custer, SD, and graduated at the Immanuel Bible College,
Colorado Springs, CO. He also took Bible college classes at the same time
for ministerial studies. Bible school was where he met his future bride,
Rilda Zoe Craton. His Christian life began at the age of 18 and continued
until the day of his eternal home coming. Lawren and Zoe married on June
20, 1949 at the Immanuel Missionary church in LaGrange, WY. After
marriage he attended Faith Bible School in Mitchell, SD to further his
ministerial studies. Together they pastored churches in Carlisle, WY;
Custer, SD; Colorado Springs, CO; Wauneta, NE; Flathead Indian
Reservation, MT; Denver, CO; Mitchell, NE; and at Pueblo, CO, where he
preached his last message on March 24, 2019. He was his wife’s singing
companion, and steadfast faithful mate! Together, they renovated many a
parsonage as they served the Immanuel Missionary Church throughout
their sixty-four years of marriage.
A “Man-of-all-trades,” his occupations were many including rancher,
farmer, pastor, missionary, carpenter, janitor, plumber, welder, cabinetry,
electrician, logger, sawyer, truck driver, teacher, and leader. Our Dad,
Daddy, Pops, Pa, Papa, Pappy-Jakers dearly loved his children and they
will never forget his words of wisdom such as: “Always follow a stream
downhill when you are lost,” “There’s always three ways to skin a cat,”
“Don’t let the machine control you, you control the machine,” “If someone
did it (made it), you can,” “Always check your tires before you go
anywhere,” “If you borrow something, return it like you got it or better, if you
broke it, buy a new one,” “Think ahead,” and “There’s always a faster and
easier way.” If you made a mistake, he’d say, “Did you learn anything?”
“Write it down,” “Keep your double chin up!” “I don’t know if he was poor, or
just stupid!” “Hey…,why don’t you make a jig…!” His youngest brother,
Duane, affectionately recalls, “My brother was always patient with me
learning new things.” The greatest life lesson we all saw and learned from
our father was his faithfulness on his knees at 4:00 every morning, praying
and praising his Heavenly Father!
Memories of our great father:
“When lost in the woods with me as a six-year-old, dad said with
confidence, “Always follow a stream downhill when you’re lost!”
“Pa’s laugh was great!”
“Daddy gave me away to the best man in my life!”
“Daddy making oatmeal for the family in the wee hours of the morning!”
“Always praying in intercession for those he loved or had crossed his
pathway. And then to see God answer!!!”
“In waking we children in the morning, hearing Dad say, “Love not sleep
lest thou come to poverty and thy want as an armed man!” Makes the bed
uncomfortable all these years!”
“He advanced others before he would give himself the advantage!”
“Getting up at 4:30 AM with Daddy to have my special time with him before
he went to work.”
“Great times doing automotive repairs with Dad and getting greasy. I still
love the smell of grease.”
“I always loved the smell of grease and oil mixed with sawdust on Daddy’s
clothes when he came home from logging all day!”
“He always kept a small portion of a snickers candy bar in his lunch box for
us little kids!”
“For some reason the box of .22 shells on ole’ “Betsy’s” pickup dash, never
ran out!”
“The touch of his hands,…his hands were connected directly to his heart,
his heart was connected to God!”
“When we were young, he’d let us comb his hair while sitting on his
shoulders, as he ate his late dinner. Sometimes even barrettes found their
way into his silky strands!”
He is now with his wife, parents, siblings, a baby, a daughter-in-law, and
grandchildren. He is survived by his youngest brother Duane, and his own
eleven children, forty-one grandchildren, and sixty-two great-
grandchildren:
•Curtiss D. and Janet (MN): Vanessa (Devin) and Chris Jansen (Reyna,
Liam), Carilla and Troy Wallin (Oliva, Zoe), and Renatta (Nadija) and
Nicholas Fasching (Felix and Jasper);
•W. Keith and Susan (SD): Jeff and Susan (Colton and Weston), Chad,
Martin and Bethany (Carolina, Georgia, Dakota, Alaska, Kentucky);
•Sharen M. and Lee Rickenbach (OH); Daniel and Michelle (Levi), James
and Rachel (Amanda, Anna, and Amy) Rose, Andrew and Katie (Emilia
and Martin);
•Linda M. and David Mertzweiller (WY): Samuel and Chalnessa (Grant,
Morgan, Levi, Matthew), James and Alicia (Cierra, Tyrell, Merlin, Gabriella,
and Jessamine), Tim and Emily (Ike and Letty), Rebecca and Nicholas
Zimcosky (Jayce, and Aiden), Ruth and James Jones (Kara, Ian, and
Alivia), Sharon and Seth Keck (Aaron, Heidi, and Eli), Seth, and Stephen;
•Ronald G. and Jane (AK): Nathan and Alicia (Jonathan and Jeremy),
Bryan and Faith (Ellie and Lucy), Janan and Ezra Byer (Zoe);
•Derald D. and Kimberly (NC): Marlene (Ben: Cassie, Titus, and Shane),
Duane and Annette (Ryan, Aaron, Brandon, and Logan), Nathan and
Hayley (Jordan, Avielle, and Andi), Judy and Tomweya Sherman (Aiden
and Krishana);
•Gary K. and Rebecca (NE): John and Dawn (Brandon and Austin), Leanne
and Tyler Klein, Melissa and Jonathan Klentz (Kaia), Krystal and Julie;
•Glenn Canyon Lee and Jeannie Bartholomew (CO): Lakeisha; Angela and
Matt Blackledge (Clayton and Natalia), and Virginia;
•Beverly Z. and John Myers (SC): J. Anthony, Andrew, Aaron, and
Joyanna;
•Maria K. Hunt (CO);
•Dennis L. (IN): Matthew and Melissa, Luke, Elizabeth and Mark Richmond,
Edna and Tyler Straight (Anna).
Visitation will take place on April 15, 2019 at 10:00 AM Faith Covenant
Bible Chapel. A celebration of his life will be held April 15, 2019, at 11:00
AM, Faith Covenant Bible Chapel, Colorado Springs; interment at the
LaGrange Cemetery, LaGrange, WY April 16, 2019 at 12:00 PM.
The family wishes to thank all who have sent their prayers and support at
this time.
Hospital in Colorado Springs, CO.
Lawren was born February 17, 1927 in Dixon, NE, to Harold William Penn
Hunt and Mable LaVina (Havens) of Dixon, NE. He was the seventh of ten
siblings. His primary education was completed in Batesland, SD. He began
high school in Custer, SD, and graduated at the Immanuel Bible College,
Colorado Springs, CO. He also took Bible college classes at the same time
for ministerial studies. Bible school was where he met his future bride,
Rilda Zoe Craton. His Christian life began at the age of 18 and continued
until the day of his eternal home coming. Lawren and Zoe married on June
20, 1949 at the Immanuel Missionary church in LaGrange, WY. After
marriage he attended Faith Bible School in Mitchell, SD to further his
ministerial studies. Together they pastored churches in Carlisle, WY;
Custer, SD; Colorado Springs, CO; Wauneta, NE; Flathead Indian
Reservation, MT; Denver, CO; Mitchell, NE; and at Pueblo, CO, where he
preached his last message on March 24, 2019. He was his wife’s singing
companion, and steadfast faithful mate! Together, they renovated many a
parsonage as they served the Immanuel Missionary Church throughout
their sixty-four years of marriage.
A “Man-of-all-trades,” his occupations were many including rancher,
farmer, pastor, missionary, carpenter, janitor, plumber, welder, cabinetry,
electrician, logger, sawyer, truck driver, teacher, and leader. Our Dad,
Daddy, Pops, Pa, Papa, Pappy-Jakers dearly loved his children and they
will never forget his words of wisdom such as: “Always follow a stream
downhill when you are lost,” “There’s always three ways to skin a cat,”
“Don’t let the machine control you, you control the machine,” “If someone
did it (made it), you can,” “Always check your tires before you go
anywhere,” “If you borrow something, return it like you got it or better, if you
broke it, buy a new one,” “Think ahead,” and “There’s always a faster and
easier way.” If you made a mistake, he’d say, “Did you learn anything?”
“Write it down,” “Keep your double chin up!” “I don’t know if he was poor, or
just stupid!” “Hey…,why don’t you make a jig…!” His youngest brother,
Duane, affectionately recalls, “My brother was always patient with me
learning new things.” The greatest life lesson we all saw and learned from
our father was his faithfulness on his knees at 4:00 every morning, praying
and praising his Heavenly Father!
Memories of our great father:
“When lost in the woods with me as a six-year-old, dad said with
confidence, “Always follow a stream downhill when you’re lost!”
“Pa’s laugh was great!”
“Daddy gave me away to the best man in my life!”
“Daddy making oatmeal for the family in the wee hours of the morning!”
“Always praying in intercession for those he loved or had crossed his
pathway. And then to see God answer!!!”
“In waking we children in the morning, hearing Dad say, “Love not sleep
lest thou come to poverty and thy want as an armed man!” Makes the bed
uncomfortable all these years!”
“He advanced others before he would give himself the advantage!”
“Getting up at 4:30 AM with Daddy to have my special time with him before
he went to work.”
“Great times doing automotive repairs with Dad and getting greasy. I still
love the smell of grease.”
“I always loved the smell of grease and oil mixed with sawdust on Daddy’s
clothes when he came home from logging all day!”
“He always kept a small portion of a snickers candy bar in his lunch box for
us little kids!”
“For some reason the box of .22 shells on ole’ “Betsy’s” pickup dash, never
ran out!”
“The touch of his hands,…his hands were connected directly to his heart,
his heart was connected to God!”
“When we were young, he’d let us comb his hair while sitting on his
shoulders, as he ate his late dinner. Sometimes even barrettes found their
way into his silky strands!”
He is now with his wife, parents, siblings, a baby, a daughter-in-law, and
grandchildren. He is survived by his youngest brother Duane, and his own
eleven children, forty-one grandchildren, and sixty-two great-
grandchildren:
•Curtiss D. and Janet (MN): Vanessa (Devin) and Chris Jansen (Reyna,
Liam), Carilla and Troy Wallin (Oliva, Zoe), and Renatta (Nadija) and
Nicholas Fasching (Felix and Jasper);
•W. Keith and Susan (SD): Jeff and Susan (Colton and Weston), Chad,
Martin and Bethany (Carolina, Georgia, Dakota, Alaska, Kentucky);
•Sharen M. and Lee Rickenbach (OH); Daniel and Michelle (Levi), James
and Rachel (Amanda, Anna, and Amy) Rose, Andrew and Katie (Emilia
and Martin);
•Linda M. and David Mertzweiller (WY): Samuel and Chalnessa (Grant,
Morgan, Levi, Matthew), James and Alicia (Cierra, Tyrell, Merlin, Gabriella,
and Jessamine), Tim and Emily (Ike and Letty), Rebecca and Nicholas
Zimcosky (Jayce, and Aiden), Ruth and James Jones (Kara, Ian, and
Alivia), Sharon and Seth Keck (Aaron, Heidi, and Eli), Seth, and Stephen;
•Ronald G. and Jane (AK): Nathan and Alicia (Jonathan and Jeremy),
Bryan and Faith (Ellie and Lucy), Janan and Ezra Byer (Zoe);
•Derald D. and Kimberly (NC): Marlene (Ben: Cassie, Titus, and Shane),
Duane and Annette (Ryan, Aaron, Brandon, and Logan), Nathan and
Hayley (Jordan, Avielle, and Andi), Judy and Tomweya Sherman (Aiden
and Krishana);
•Gary K. and Rebecca (NE): John and Dawn (Brandon and Austin), Leanne
and Tyler Klein, Melissa and Jonathan Klentz (Kaia), Krystal and Julie;
•Glenn Canyon Lee and Jeannie Bartholomew (CO): Lakeisha; Angela and
Matt Blackledge (Clayton and Natalia), and Virginia;
•Beverly Z. and John Myers (SC): J. Anthony, Andrew, Aaron, and
Joyanna;
•Maria K. Hunt (CO);
•Dennis L. (IN): Matthew and Melissa, Luke, Elizabeth and Mark Richmond,
Edna and Tyler Straight (Anna).
Visitation will take place on April 15, 2019 at 10:00 AM Faith Covenant
Bible Chapel. A celebration of his life will be held April 15, 2019, at 11:00
AM, Faith Covenant Bible Chapel, Colorado Springs; interment at the
LaGrange Cemetery, LaGrange, WY April 16, 2019 at 12:00 PM.
The family wishes to thank all who have sent their prayers and support at
this time.