Earl Dean Hunter was born on September 11, 1915 to C. J. and Georgia Hunter on a homestead in Eastern Colorado. He moved with his family to a homestead at Harper, OR in 1932. It was there that he joined the Church of the Nazarene. He graduated from high school in 1937 and from NNC in 1941 with a ThB. He married Mabel Allen on Halloween day 1940.

Earl served as pastor of Grand Coulee, where his son Earl Dean Jr. was born; and in Coeur d'Alene, where his son Ronald Joseph was born. He was ordained in Yakima on 5-15-'42. From '44-'47 he served as a US Army Chaplain including being in Italy in WWII.

Earl's ministry on 5 continents included missionary service in Guatemala, where his daughter Wanda Fay was born; Bolivia, where his son Samuel Richard was born and Nigeria. Between assignments he did his doctoral studies at the University of Oregon in Clinical counseling in '59-'60 and earned a lifetime teaching credential from UCLA in '65-'66. He taught 6th grade in Duarte, CA '67-'68.

His ministerial career concluded with pastoral assignments in Newbridge, OR; Burley, ID; Green River, Wy; Tulsa and Skiatook, OK. After retirement he did alcohol counseling in the Yakima Valley, enjoyed a trip around the world, served as associate pastor of the Coeur d'Alene Church of the Nazarene and as chaplain in the Veteran Association. He became an expert in hearing assistive devices and was deeply involved in the Cd'A Senior Center.

He moved from his home on McFarland to Bestland and then to Wellspring Meadows, where he died on April 8. He is survived by his three children: Ronald, Samuel and Wanda, six grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at the Coeur d'Alene Church of the Nazarene at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday April 18th. Please visit Earl's online memorial and sign his guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.