Arthur Harvey Kuhnz was born on a farm on February 18, 1926 in New Lisbon, Wisconsin, the third son of Arthur and Bessie Kuhnz née Lewis and married the love of his life Beverly (Brownie) Lillian Kuhnz née Malchow on October 30, 1954.



Bunner joined the U.S. Army Air Corps at age 16 in 1942 where he served his country in England as a Crew Chief of a B-17 Bomber reaching the rank of Master Sergeant at the conclusion of WWII. He was awarded the Bronze Star after his aircraft completed sixty consecutive successful missions; his eventual profound loss of hearing was a direct result of "running the engines wide-open all day long." He completed his military service in the Army Reserves as a First Lieutenant in 1959. He was taught to fly by Warren Basler and earned his pilot's license during the time he served in the Army Reserves.



After returning from the war he attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) before his 46-year employment at Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPSC), the final 10 years as Superintendent of Gas Services in Green Bay until his retirement in 1992. He was elected President of the American Gas Association for two terms from 1972 to 1975. He also served as President of the Oshkosh Optimist's Club and Council President at St. John's Lutheran Church, Oshkosh.