Maxcy Patterson Hunter, Sr.
This picture of Maxcy Hunter was originally taken by staff photographer Jim Klutz and published in The Laurens County Advertiser as a feature article circa 1965. Max was a founding member of the Laurens County Cattlemen’s Association, and served as a Laurens County Farm Bureau Director for over 40 years. Max put his degree in Animal Husbandry from Clemson to good use, inoculating and dehorning his herd, managing his own breeding program. Max started out with Polled Hereford (red and white cows in the picture), while his brother, Ben, favored Black Angus. With adjoining farms, Max used to joke that they color-coded their cows on purpose, so if a cow “got out”, they knew who it belonged to! Max and Sue raised four children on their family farm in Ora. With creeks and ponds to play in and snow covered hills to slide on, John, Carole, Pat and Ann Marie are forever grateful to have been blessed with “Maxcy P” and “Sue E” as wonderful, loving parents.
Maxcy Patterson Hunter passed peacefully in the company of his family on June 22, 2023, at age 96. A dedicated elder of Ora ARP Church, Max loved his Lord, his family, his Ora church family and his community. He was never happier than when he was on the farm in Ora, driving farm equipment and “checking cows”, surrounded by his family and friends.
Maxcy was born May 30, 1927, to Josiah Benjamin and Marie Patterson Hunter at the family homeplace in Ora, SC. He attended Clemson University when it was a military school and served in Occupied Japan and the Philippines in the last years of World War II. Maxcy returned from service, and June 5, 1948, he married his childhood sweetheart, Sue Ellis, daughter of John Branson and Zillie Brown Ellis. The couple returned to Clemson, and in 1952, Max earned a degree in Animal Husbandry and Sue earned her PHT degree—“Putting Hubby Through”.
Maxcy and Sue raised beef cattle on their farm in Ora and started Hunter Brothers Construction Company with his brother, Ben Hunter. They later started MP Hunter & Sons construction company with their two sons, John and Pat.
Max believed in giving back to his community. He was a founding member of the Laurens County Cattlemen’s Association, a Director for Farm Bureau for over 40 years, and a life time member of both organizations. He was awarded the Spotlight on Agriculture’s Agriculturalist of the Year in 2009. Max was a long-time Director for the Beaverdam-Warrior Creek Watershed Board, and he served on the Laurens School District 55 Board of Trustees for 28 years. Max was Commander of the Veterans of Foreign War Post 3354, a Mason, and President of the Laurens County Shrine Club, with tremendous respect for the Shriners Children’s Hospital. He was Past-President, Lion of the Year, and a member of the Laurens County Lions Club for over 50 years.
He is survived by his youngest sister, Jane Cunningham of Clinton, and four children.They are John Hunter (Valerie), Carole Hunter Senn (Ben), Pat Hunter (Lynn) and Ann Marie Tribble (Bill). There are 8 grandchildren: Rhea Wellons, John Hunter, Jr., Brittany Wiles, Tyler Hunter, Travis Shealy, Kathryn Marie Tribble, Laura Lawhon and Kristen Turpen. They have 11 great grandchildren.
The Hunter Family would like to thank Johnny Pierce and Mae Anderson, along with others, who helped keep Maxcy comfortable at home until the end.
The Hunter family would also like to thank the care team at Prisma Health, Laurens County. They were professional and efficient, and so very kind in their care of Max and the family in the final hours.
The Hunter family will have a private burial, but they invite family and friends to a memorial service honoring Maxcy Hunter on August 13, 2023, at 2 PM in the afternoon at Ora ARP Church located at 23420 US-221, Gray Court, SC 29645.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Maxcy Hunter’s honor to Ora ARP Church 325 Cow Trail, Gray Court, SC 29645 and to the Laurens County Lions Club, PO Box 66, Laurens, SC 29360.
