Region says goodbye to two veteran volunteer fire chiefs

MERCER/CASEY COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – Visitation is today in Mercer County for a retired

J.B. Claunch

fire chief.

It’s the second funeral in a week that has rural fire departments in mourning.

Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Hopewell Baptist Church with the funeral at 1 p.m. Friday. Burial will be with Fireman’s Honors in the Hopewell Baptist Cemetery.

Claunch died Tuesday, June 9. He was 84.

Claunch, of Salvisa, was a retired state highway department supervisor , a Mercer County magistrate from 1999 to 2014, former chief of the Terrapin-Dugginsville Fire Department, a former member of the Mercer County Fire District board and a past president of the Central Kentucky Fire Fighters Association.

He was married to the late Anna Jean Saunders Claunch.

In addition to his professional contributions, he also was a member of the Salvisa Ruritan Club, St. John’s Masonic Lodge # 125 and former member of Daviess Chapter #29, was a former board member of the Mercer Co. Chapter of The American Red Cross, the Young at Heart Club, a Gideon, longtime member of the Bluegrass Horse Pulling Assoc., a Kentucky Colonel, and was a Democratic Hall of Fame Inductee.

Ransdell Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Claunch is the second long-time fire chief to be buried in the region.

Gale Scott

Gale Lee Scott, of Liberty, died June 4. He was 63.

He was the long-time chief at the Bruch Creek Volunteer Fire Department, a member of the Liberty Fire Department and the Liberty/Casey County Rescue Squad.

His funeral was Sunday, June 7.

Bartle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.