“Stay humble,” advised Hunter Harper. “This is a humble little town. Sure, we have our disagreements, whether it’s with the government or each other. All in all, it’s just a humble little place, and everybody is so friendly. I want it to stay that way, so stay humble.”
Growing up, Hunter has enjoyed living in areas with a humble spirit. Although he hasn’t lived in Clarke County his whole life, he has had some of his best memories from this area.
“I grew up for the most part in North Carolina. That’s where my mother is from. We did live down here for several years and then moved back up there,” recalled Hunter. “When I was smaller, we lived here, and there were a lot of us grandkids. There were probably about 13 of us. During the summer, we would always stay at my mimi and papaw’s house. Papaw would always be working in the garden. He had a plow that you’re really supposed to put behind a mule, but he would hook it to the four wheeler. For some reason, I always had the job of driving the four wheeler while he was laying out beans and other things in the garden. He’d have to yell at me to stop and slow down.”
He has always had a strong work ethic. In fact, he worked hard at a job while in high school and eventually took on a position by 19 years old that most people are striving towards in their twenties.
“During high school, I worked at a golf course. When I graduated from high school in North Carolina, I took over as general manager for two years. I ran the golf course with several employees and a multimillion dollar budget,” stated Hunter. “For a 19 year old, it was pretty mind boggling at times, but I did it. I’d had the experience since I had worked there for four years while I was in high school.”
While he enjoyed living in North Carolina and had a great job there, Hunter eventually decided to return to Clarke County. He has continued to work hard since coming back and even managed to find out that he is extremely talented once he started his current job.
“I moved back down here three years ago. When I moved here, I went to work for Wendell at NP House Calls at the front desk. I really enjoyed that, but the medical field just wasn’t my niche,” explained Hunter. “Then, last summer, I went to work for April at Fantasy Cottage. I found that I had a hidden talent when I started working there. I’m April’s right hand man; whatever she says to do, I do. Every now and then I have to redecorate the store. I do a lot of the arrangements that go out. I do any kind of floral work: small arrangements, funerals, wreaths, and anything else. April has taught me how to do it and has been a blessing to me.”
Hunter doesn’t only work hard at his job. He also does important work within the county by working with the local Emergency Management Agency. In fact, he has had plenty of experience working with various emergency services in the county since he has returned.
“I’ve been very active with Emergency Management. I’m a MEMA reservist, and I really enjoy that. There are only a couple of us in the county. If the governor declares a state of emergency, they send us out to do damage assessments. We have to find out if people have insurance and everything and put all of that in the computer for FEMA to see if the county has enough damages moneywise to be able to get some disaster relief,” expressed Hunter. “I worked at the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department part time, and I’ve worked for Paratech part time.”
With his job and all the work Hunter puts in helping volunteer, it is hard to imagine that he has time for anything else; however, he does have some different hobbies that he enjoys. He has found a way to use his voice to serve the Lord and really loves being able to be part of a group. Also, he enjoys doing things that some men hate and believes his experience on the golf course helped create his love for it: yard work.
“I’ve been with the singing group Southern Joy for three years. It’s Josh Beckman, my dad Shane Harper, Todd Kemp, Johnny Rivers, and me. I love it. We do it for the Lord, and we sing a lot,” declared Hunter. “I also love to work in the yard. One of my big hobbies is cutting grass and keeping the yard looking good. My mamaw has a big house, and keeping her yard looking good is my pride and joy because everyone knows her house.”
No matter what he does, Hunter always works hard and does his best to brighten the day for everyone he meets. He has a genuinely loving spirit and will continue to spread joy to each person he comes in contact with in Clarke County.
