Services were Saturday, May 21 at First United Methodist Church in Blair for Emory C. Hunt, Jr., 83, who died May 20, 1994 of complications of emphysema. Rev. Curtis Trenhaile officiated. Burial was in Blair Cemetery.

Emory C. Hunt, Jr. was born November 24, 1911 in Creighton, Nebraska, where his father, E.C. Hunt was general manager and owner of the Northern Telephone Company, which included the Creighton and Niobrara Telephone exchanges. In 1913, his family moved to Malmo, Nebraska when his father purchased the Citizen's Telephone Company, including the Malmo, Weston, Morse Bluff and Prague telephone exchanges. In 1921, they moved to Walthill, Nebraska and in 1926 they moved to Blair, where his father managed The Blair Telephone Company.

After attending the ninth grade at the Blair High School, Emory, Jr. enrolled in Wentworth Military Academy in Missouri in 1927. He completed his secondary education and junior college at Wentworth. While there, he was a member of the varsity football team, the Academy's heavyweight boxing champion and he won the Kansas-Missouri Wrestling Championship in his weight division.

He majored in business and also attended the University of Nebraska, beginnning in 1932. When the Depression interrupted his college career, he returned to Blair and was a working member of the outside plant crew. He moved to Walthill to manage that telephone company in 1938 and then returned to Blair the same year as the company's general manager.

In 1946, he purchased the Bassett-Springview Telephone Company. At that time , he and his wife, Edna moved to Bassett where he managed the company while Edna ran the switchboard and handled the bookkeeping.

They settled in Grant, Nebraska in 1949 where he became the Western District manager. In 1951, he moved back to Blair and became the company's vice president. Upon his father's death in 1968, he became president of Hunt Telephone Properties. He then laid the foundation for the diversification and expansion of HunTel Systems, a family of communication, service and manufacturing companies headquartered in Blair.

He was the recipient of the Dana Community Service Award, the Blair Chamber Community Service Award and the Melvin Jones Bellow Award. He was a member of the Lions' Club and Blair Fraternal Order of Eagles.

He was a member of the Blair Fire Department from 1939-1946.

He is survived by his two sons and daughters-in-law, Richard and Janyce and Hugh and Jane, all of Blair; five grandchildren, David and Dan, both of Blair; Nathan of Moscow, Russia; Bryce of Colorado and Karen of Blair; five great-grandchildren, Spencer Hunt, Madison Hunt, Megan Hunt, Matthew Hunt and Andrew Hunt and a brother, Robert of Blair.

Casketbearers were Jim Erwin, Mike Jacobson, Mike Johnson, Mick Mines, Rick Plugge, Bob Pounds, Jim Pounds, Larry Stier, Dar Sutherland and Mark Wagner.

Honorary casketbearers were Tom Allen, Malcom Fisher, Ron Hansen, Dan Hunt, Nathan Hunt, Wayne Marcino, Mark Schreffler, Bert Spanton, Lee Suhr, Doug Davidson, Marjorie Fredd, Roberta Hightree, David Hunt, Pete Kosmicki, Marvin McAlhaney, Phil Schreffler, Ruth Ann Sprick, Roger Bandenack, Mark Davidson, Erna Good, Bryce Hunt, Karen Hunt, Rick Kuhr, Paul Nockels, Neil Smith, Wayne Steinbaugh and Shirley Watson.

Marilyn Urwin was organist. Scott Wachter was vocalist.

Memorials are suggested to the Blair Volunteer Fire Department or the Blair Rescue Squad.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements for the services.

See the website Find-A-Grave, Memorial 115539413