WASHOE,  NV Archives Obituaries.....[HUNTING, George Coolidge- 2/6/1924]
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 LAS VEGAS AGE - 2/9/1924

BISHOP HUNTING DIES AFTER SHORT ILLNESS

State Suffers irreparable loss When Head of Episcopal Church is Taken

The Right Reverend George Coolidge Hunting, third Episcopel Bishop of Nevada, 
died at 9:45 Wednesday evening, February 6, at his home in Reno.  His death followed 
an illness of but a few days, the Bishop having contracted pneumonia following his 
labors at the Convocation last week.  He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Mary Pullman 
Hunting, who was prostrated by the shock of her husband's death.

We are indebted to the Rev. Percival S. Smithe for the following sketch of Bishop Hunting's life:

When the bishop of the Episcopal Church held a meeting at Minneapolis in the autumn of 1914 
they chose a man thoroughly acquainted with conditions as the Missionary Bishop of Nevada, 
for since his arrival at Virginia City twenty years before he had been connected with the church's 
work in Nevada.

Bishop Hunting was born at Milwaukee, Wis., October 22, 1871.  While still a very young child 
his parents moved to Boston where he grew up into manhood.  Thrown upon his own resources 
very early in life he put himself through school and worked at the same time.  Phillips Brooks, 
the saintly rector  of Trinity Church, Boston, and the great preacher of his day, inspired the 
young man to higher ideals and larger visions of usefulness and when he decided to enter the 
ministry he resolved to enroll as a student at Virginia Theological Seminary where Bishop Brooks 
had studied.  He made a most excellent record as a student and might have gone on to a professorship 
(later he was offered the Chair in Hebrew at one of the seminaries), but he turned to the missionary 
field and there spent a most useful and earnest life.

Shortly after he was graduated at the seminary he came to Nevada and was rector of St. Paul's Church, 
Virginia City, from 1894-98.  On October 15, 1894 he was united in holy matrimony to Miss Mary 
Grace Pullman of Washington, D. C.  For one year he was the general missionary in Nevada and Utah; 
then rector of St. Paul's Church, Evanston, Wyoming for three years.  Late in 1902 Bishop Leonard of 
Salt Lake appointed him superintendent of St. Mark's Hospital, Salt Lake City, where he remained five 
years.

Early in 1907 he became the missionary at Ely, and while he was there St. Bartholomew's Church and 
rectory were built.  While engaged in this field he was elected secretary of the Eighth Province in the 
autumn of 1912, and retained this position until his election as Bishop of Nevada two years later.

So until he became its bishop all of his work was in that missionary jurisdiction that included 
Nevada for the Bishop of Salt Lake had charge of all the state from the time of Bishop Whitaker's 
going to the Diocese of Pennsylvania in 1886 until 1898, when the western third of it was added to 
the Missionary District of Sacramento.  In 1907 Nevada was again made a separate missionary 
district and the Rt. Rev. Henry Douglas Robinson was chosen its bishop at the General Convention 
at Richmond.  [The] good man died in the latter part of December, 1913, and the following October, 
Bishop Hunting was chosen as his successor.

For over nine years Bishop Hunting has given himself without stint to the work of the church in the 
state he loved so dearly.  Few men, either native or sons by adoption, ever loved the Sage Brush State 
more than he.  A man of very positive conviction and the highest of ideals, he longed to see many of the 
evil influences that now control much of the life of the state removed.  He agonized in prayer over them; 
he tried constantly to inspire others to unite in clearing Nevada's good name.  He was a builder;  if it 
was necessary to tear down he planned to replace it with something better.  He did not think of himself, 
he desired no priase or reward.  He was whole heartedly a servant of Jesus Christ for his brethren.  
Some day Nevada will ring up and bless him for the things he tried to do.

To Mrs. Hunting, his faithful companion and support these many years who, by her gentleness, unbounded 
faith and loving thoughtfulness inspired him, and won our deepest affection, our hearts go out in sincerest 
sympathy.

The evening of the close of the sessions of the annual Convocation Tuesday, January 29th, Bishop Hunting 
retired early, as he did not feel very well.  Convocation had been a very busy one, filled with the atmosphere 
of regard and affection for him.  We were looking forward to a good year together.  But he did not leave his 
bed again.  He was a victim of influenza, and then pneumonia, and on Wednesday evening of this week he 
was called to higher fields of labor and greater opportunity.

GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, WELL DONE!