Scotland County’s Valentine Sweethearts: Bob and Dorothy Hunolt

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Bob and Dorothy Hunolt, both Scotland County natives, were married on a warm day in November 1961. Following their wedding, the couple spent several days in St. Louis, staying with Dorothy’s aunt. They returned home to Scotland County and set up their life together, having made 60 years as of November 2021.

It was 1958 when the couple first met, being part of the same social group “going and having parties and stuff. We were at this one party at big, big house that belonged to the Skanks out here that burned down…a big, big mansion almost and so, anyway they chose up sides to… It was in the evening, it was dark, so her and I wound being partners,” as Bob explained. Dorothy chimed in: “We didn’t know each.” Bob was quick to agree saying that they had seen each other and that had been about it. He further explained that they began talking, and Bob, who had been home on leave from the service, said he would write to her, or that she could write to him. They began a correspondence while Bob remained in the service. They went on their first date in 1958. Bob left the service in 1959 and couple married two years later.

Some words of advice he gave were “to season your marriage, work together, play together, share everything you can, be honest and be respectful.” Dorothy added, “we have always trusted the Lord to guide us and that has been what has got us through the ups and the downs. I’ve had cancer and the good Lord cured me and we had faith in each other, and we’ve really been blessed. We’ve both been taught to treat people how you would want yourself treated.” Bob chimed in saying they raised their children the same way.

Bob is the son of the late Lucille (Phillips) Hunolt McPherson and is the stepson of the late George McPherson, who owned the farm where the Hunolts presently live. He and his sister were cared for by their grandparents while their mother worked at the post office. Dorothy is the daughter of the late H.G. Alexander and Laverne Nadine Gundy Alexander.

They were married in the old First Baptist Church, which sat across from where Casey’s is located, on November 26, 1961. It was mildly warm and there was no snow. According to Dorothy, “we had candle lighters and we had Bob’s sister, my sister, and a friend stood up with us. We had three brides’ grooms, and 3 groomsmen.” The couple went on to have two children, a son and a daughter, and six grandchildren.

Bob and Dorothy both worked for several years in addition to farming. Bob worked at an appliance store with a man named Stanley Prikovich. Bob worked at the store for 17 years and later went into a business partnership with Prikovich’s brother.

Shortly afterwards, Bob and Dorothy bought a farm. Bob later started working at the AFC office and was there for 21 years. He and Dorothy bought six acres of ground with a house built next door and my mother gave us some ground. And then we bought some of the rest of the ground from, but then we farm. And so, we really visited there for a while. There’s not four or 500 acres of ground whose father is Brenton. Bob later worked in the assessor’s office with Jim Ward and was there for almost 10 years. He stated he loved it because it was working for the public and he loved working with the maps. After retiring from the assessor’s office, he and Dorothy moved off the farm.