As he did for 16 hours a day, every day, James A. Brunton Jr. was working Wednesday afternoon on his family's 200-acre dairy farm in Beaver County. Bulldozing trees to clear space for new crops, he was hit in the head by a falling tree limb and knocked unconscious.

He died hours later, after being airlifted to UPMC Presbyterian. He was 50.

"He was doing what he loved to do," said his brother Herb. "What more could someone ask for?"

The Brunton Dairy in Independence dates back to 1832 -- the product of seven generations of the Brunton family. The farm sells milk, butter, ice cream and other goods throughout the region through home deliveries, a farm store and other retailers' outlets.

Mr. Brunton, known as "Junior," served as the herdsman of the farm, starting every day at 4 a.m. to milk more than 100 cows and work with their diet, breeding and milk production until his day ended at 8 p.m.

"[Farming] was ingrained in him, it was in his blood," said Herb Brunton. "He loved his cows and being with his family."

Mr. Brunton engineered ways to keep his children involved with the farm, cultivating their interests in field work or mechanics. Three of his five children work full time at the farm and his oldest son, James Allen Brunton, was clearing trees with him during the accident.

Mr. Brunton was unresponsive immediately after the injury, caused by a tree limb with a circumference of eight to 10 inches, said Independence Police Chief Robert Baron.

In a Post-Gazette story last summer about the Brunton Dairy, Mr. Brunton spoke about the importance of keeping the farm solvent and family-owned, even in the face of economic challenges in the farming and milk businesses.

"I was born here, and I will die here," he said. "I'm glad the kids and my brothers are interested in keeping the farm going."

In addition to his brother and his oldest son, survivors include his wife, Mary Jane Cox Brunton; two other sons, Jerry and Jeffry; two daughters, Stacy Brunton and Rachel Brunton; another brother, Ed; and a sister, Linda Taylor. All survivors live in Independence.

The family will receive visitors today from 2 to 8 p.m. at Welch Funeral Home in Hookstown. Funeral services will be tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the Community Bible Church in Aliquippa, followed by interment at John Anderson Memorial Cemetery in Raccoon.