It has come to our attention that we are rapidly losing members of our community, friends and supporters of ACB. In order to honor these people whose lives have impacted us, in large and small ways, we are publishing this column. See below for the format in which to submit information.
** HUNT, ANNA MARIE LOVEJOY
Anna Marie Lovejoy Hunt died unexpectedly at her home in Scott Depot, W.Va., on the evening of July 5, 2010. She was born in Palermo, W.Va., on Aug. 15, 1925. Anna Marie is well-remembered by her many friends as a long-time member of the National Association of Blind Teachers, the American Council of the Blind, and the Mountain State Council of the Blind.
After graduating from the West Virginia School for the Blind in Romney, Anna Marie attended Glenville State College in Glenville, W.Va., for two years. She then transferred to Marshall University, graduating in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in music and English. Anna Marie Hunt was one of the first blind people to hold a full-time position as a public school teacher in West Virginia. For a number of years beginning in the fall of 1950, she was high school choir director in Hamlin, W.Va. In 1966, she moved to Muskogee, Okla. as a faculty member at the Oklahoma School for the Blind, where she served as choir director and English teacher until her retirement in 1995. Anna Marie was an accomplished pianist and vocalist as well as an outstanding teacher who received a number of awards recognizing her professional achievements and those of several choirs that she directed over the years.
A quiet and unassuming person, Anna Marie Hunt maintained a level of independence and self-reliance achieved by few people, blind or sighted. She will be greatly missed.
** KETTERLING, LESTER
Lester Ketterling, a past president and treasurer of the North Dakota Association of the Blind, passed away on March 6, 2010. He was also an active member in the American Association of Visually Impaired Attorneys.
It is a privilege for me to say that Lester Ketterling was one of my best friends! He is a great example of a person who, although was blind, achieved much in life. He was a graduate of the University of North Dakota Law School and North Dakota School for the Blind. He was a practicing attorney, was city attorney for the city of West Hope for many years, served as a county justice and was elected for three terms as district judge in the Bottineau area.
I will miss Lester's humor, his laugh and his intellect. These were traits that were often mentioned at his funeral at First Lutheran in Bottineau on March 13th. What was so impressive about his funeral was that all the justices of the North Dakota Supreme Court made a point to attend his funeral. To do so, they had to drive as a group from Bismarck because the fog that morning was so thick that they couldn't fly in. This alone tells me that it is quite apparent that he and the legal work he did were valued and appreciated by many in the state.
What I liked so much about Lester's personality was not only his wit, humor and intellect but also his sincerity. I also knew him as a very caring and generous person. I thank God for the privilege of having known Lester. My deepest sympathies to his wife, Eunice, his son, Jeremy and the extended Ketterling family!
-- Allan Peterson
** Obituary Format
When submitting material for this column, please include as much of the following information as possible. Submissions must involve dates no more than six months from intended date of publication.
Name (first, last, maiden if appropriate)
City of residence (upon passing)
State/province of residence (upon passing)
Other cities/states/countries of residence (places where other blind people may have known this person)
Occupation
Date of death (day if known, month, year)
Age
ACB affiliation (local/state/special-interest affiliates or national committees)