Quinter has the distinction of being one of the first children born in Covina. He attended grade school at the Covina Grammar School. When home duties caused him to have to enter high school late, he elected to quit school rather than be behind his classmates. Nonetheless he was inquisitive, an avid learner and a hard worker. At age 12, he bought a lot on Center Street in Covina. At age 16 he drove a four-in-hand stage coach from Weed-Doris, California. Being small in stature, his friends gave him the nickname "Stub." Early in his life he did contract hauling for Southern Pacific Railroad and Los Angeles County. In 1912 he bought five acres on Arroyo Drive in Covina on which he planted his first orange grove and built a small house. Later that year he traveled to Indiana to marry Laura Mitchel. Their honeymoon was cut short because of the winter freeze which had a devastating effect on the citrus industry in California. He rushed home to find all his orange trees frozen and his contract hauling work terminated. He went to Santa Barbara to work as a linesman for the telephone company. Laura soon joined him. Quinter was sent by the telephone company to work in Imperial Valley where he was foreman of a crew installing new lines. During World War I they moved to Indiana near Laura's family. While working there in a coal mine, Quinter learned about electricity and electric motors. After the war, the family moved in 1919 back to Covina. They purchased a home and a five-acre orange grove next to Perry Bashore's ranch. He worked several years as a linesman for Southern California Edison before going into business for himself. He became a master power electrician installing pumping systems, agricultural dehydrators, the power line from Parker Dam, and street lighting for some of the foothill cities in Southern California. During World War II he designed and installed airplane fuel loading systems at western air bases. Like his brother, Perry, he had the gift of dousing or locating water with the aid of a stick. He worked on many inventions and held several patents. After retiring, he enjoyed traveling with a trailer throughout the United States.