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C. D. BUNCH
Vol. 3, p. 1086-1087

To hold a public office in Oklahoma is an undoubted honor and the
experience, naturally, has its pleasant and its unpleasant phases. To
be twice elected county clerk, with scarcely any opposition in the
second campaign, is the best evidence of a man's popularity, his
conscientious devotion to the duties of the position and the high
quality of his character. This is interesting in the career of C. D.
BUNCH, the present county clerk of Coal County, who is probably more
widely known as Dick Bunch, but from the standpoint of making history
in Coal County, probably his most interesting experience was as
police judge of Lehigh, a position which he held some years ago.
Lehigh is a mining town and, naturally, is the home of a large
foreign element, many of whom are given to the infraction of law.
Judge BUNCH in presiding over his court was an important factor in
the maintaining of order and public decorum and in the reformation of
conditions that without proper restraint would have resulted in much
lawlessness and disorder.

C. D. (Dick) BUNCH was born in Ellis County, Texas, May 31, 1881,
and is a son of E. R. and M. A. (SHIRES) BUNCH. His father who is a
native of Kentucky, was a farmer of Texas, where he was a pioneer and
engaged in operations for many years, but is now living with the
mother in Coal County, Oklahoma. There were five children in the
family, as follows: C. D., of this notice; C. E., who is a rice
farmer at Beaumont, Texas; B. C., who lives at home with his parents
on the farm in Coal County; Mrs. Addie May GAY, who is the wife of an
agriculturist in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma; and Miss Bessie, who is a
teacher in the public schools of Coal County.

C. D. BUNCH received his rudimentary education in the public schools
of Texas, and when he was eighteen years of age began to work on a
farm at $15 a month wages. In 1899 he moved to Coal County, Oklahoma,
and engaged in the business of ginning cotton, later turned to
mercantile pursuits, in which he was successfully engaged for several
years, and still later became mine boss at Lehigh. He was elected
county clerk in 1912 and reelected in 1914, and attestation of his
efficiency is given in the highly complimentary report of the state
examiner and inspector of the condition of his books and records at
the end of his first term.

Mr. Bunch was married September 4, 1909, at Krebs, Oklahoma, to Miss
Sadie WINNETT, daughter of a mining engineer at Krebs, who died some
time ago. One child has been born to this union: Robert E., who is
four years of age. Mr. Bunch has shown some interest in the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the L. O. O. M. and Woodmen. He is
also identified with the Coalgate Commercial Club and the Oklahoma
Association of County Clerks. He has been prominent since his
residence at Coalgate in assisting in the promotion of enterprises
calculated to encourage the commercial, social and educational
activities of the community, and endeavors to live up to his motto
that a man should be truthful, square, honest and careful of his
reputation. There are few people in Coal County who are not
acquainted with Dick BUNCH, and in his wide circle of acquaintances
he numbers many warm, sincere friends.

Typed for OKGenWeb by: Donald E. Conley, November 6, 1998.