Hunter Jim Griffith

Hunter Jim Griffith passed away on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at age 92 at the Fort Meade VA Hospital. He was born on January 10, 1928 in Yuma County, CO to Samuel Smith Hunter Griffith and Della Sophia (Keller) Griffith on the farm his parents homesteaded in October of 1916. In the early 1930s, the homestead was droughted out and the family moved to a farm about five miles southwest of Loveland, CO.
Hunter lived life on his terms, and enjoyed every minute. One of the last true cowboys, he worked hard, played hard, and loved his family, friends, and good horses. Always ready to laugh, offer a helping hand, and forever with an ornery gleam in his eye, Hunter was frequently instigating, if not right in the middle of, shenanigans with nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. His family will always smile when remembering Hunter, and treasure the time spent with him.
The family raised turkeys to help control grasshoppers during the grasshopper plague of the 1930s, and also as a supplemental income. Young Hunter tells of herding them in the many cherry orchards around Loveland. His father died on January 31, 1942, when Hunter was only 14. Lowell Cope, a family friend, offered him work on the Hanson Ranch in Livermore, CO in April of 1944, and Hunter, always having had an affinity for dogs, horses, and cattle, readily took to the cowboy way. For the next 15 years, Lowell was his mentor and a significant influence in his life. Hunter worked there until 1950, when he took a break to serve his country in the Korean War.
After the war, he returned to the Hanson Ranch and worked there until about 1960, when he left to continue cowboying in various places and on various ranches in North Park and Lamar, CO; Wells, NV; and Jackson Hole and Saratoga, WY, ultimately ending up on the Kendrick Ranches out of Decker MT and Sheridan, WY in 1970. He worked there until the ranch was sold in 1989. He spent a year or so working for the Sinclair Cattle Company and the well-known TA Ranch in Kaycee, WY. In 1991, along with good friends Hap and Carol Myers, he moved to Beaver Creek west of Sheridan, WY. He was semi-retired at this time, and worked summers for Russ Green in Leiter, WY before retiring full-time in Beaver Creek in 1994.
With declining eyesight, he moved to an assisted living home in Sheridan in 2008, where he enjoyed socializing with many friends. He loved ice cream and, in the summer, would walk to a small ice cream stand several times a week. He would tell anyone that there was nothing better than a little ice cream on a homemade pie. When his eyesight worsened, he moved to Belle Fourche, SD to be closer to his niece, Judy Griffith and nephew, Gene Griffith.
     Hunter was a favored uncle to his nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews, and has left a string of friends and family who always enjoyed his stories and quick wit. One of the last things he said was he wished he could get on another horse. We are sure that his there now, on a cow-savvy horse, chasing a few renegade cows back to the corrals and hoping he doesn’t miss supper with pie and ice cream for dessert.
     Hunter is preceded in death by his parents, Samuel and Della Griffith; brother, Isaac Lealand (Lola May) Griffith; sisters, Pearl Elizabeth (Clarence) Cope, and Reba Joyce (Wayne) Benson; niece, Susan Ellen (Neil) Taylor; and nephew, Eldon Eugene Griffith.
     He is survived by his nieces, Ruth Ellen Cope (John) Rydell, Verna Lea Cope (Roger) Algeier, Alberta Lou Cope (Ray) Powers, Joyce Eileen Benson (Ed) Kitchen, and Judith Ann Griffith; nephews, Gary Lynn Cope, Vance (Kathy) Benson, and Steven Ike (Patti) Griffith; and numerous grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
     A small celebration of Hunter’s life will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2020, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis, SD.
     Memorial services will be held at a later date on Livermore Mountain in Colorado.
     Condolences may be sent to the family at www.kinkadefunerals.com.

The Pioneer Review

221 E. Oak Street
Philip, SD 57567
Telephone: (605) 859-2516
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