Hunt selected Grand Marshal

Anyone lucky enough to have met Ronald Hunt will know just how deserving he is of being selected as the 2018 Whitehall Frontier Days Grand Marshal. For decades, Hunt has volunteered numerous hours to help those in need and for the betterment of his community --- making him a quintessential choice for the events highest honor.

Born in Dillon, Hunt spent the first 62 years of his life in Waterloo. In 1954 he would graduate from Whitehall High School and in 1957 would marry his wife Sandra. While in Waterloo they spent a great deal of time farming. Ronald said he had hogs, sheep, and cattle – with his specialization in hogs. During this time, Hunt said there was always a lot of physical labor and he is not quite sure how he got the job done, but he always did.

Hunt said he and Sandra, who passed away in 2015, always had the belief to help others when they can. He said this could be friends, family, neighbors, museum, church, community or anyone else who needed it.

Prior to an all-class reunion in 2015, Ronald and Sandra spent 27 days, many of them nine hour shifts, helping restore the "W" outside of town. Hunt said it was in horrible condition and you could barely see it. As a freshman in 1950, Ronald and his classmates came up with the idea for the "W" and he wanted to restore it to its former glory.

"We were very grateful to do that," he said.

Ronald has lived in Whitehall the past 20 years and said he has always done his best to be involved with the community, adding this could mean something as simple as shoveling snow for someone.

He also has a deep love for his former home in Waterloo and the Tobacco Root Mountains, saying he probably has been over every inch of them.

While excited for the honor of being selected as Grand Marshal, Hunt was very humble and smiled while he said he wasn't quite sure what he did to deserve it -- while everyone who knows him could tell you exactly what he's done.