June Jones

June Williams Jones passed away peacefully in Dillon, Montana, on May 23, 2020. On the 10th of June she would have celebrated her 101st birthday. She was born on June 10, 1919, in Malad City, Idaho to Arthur Thompson Williams and Nora Harrison Williams. She was the fifth child of a family of ten children. Her home was filled with love and respect for each other. She grew up and was educated in Malad. On November 18, 1936, she married Joseph Lester Jones in the Logan, Utah L.D.S. Tempe, residing in the Malad area for the next 14 years. In 1942 they purchased the Hadfield ranch southwest of Malad, but in 1950 they sold their ranch and moved to Dillon, Montana, buying the Flying N ranch, 10 miles north of Dillon with her sister Lillith and Lester T. Jones. She remembers how nervous she was to leave Malad for the frozen north in Montana. Such mixed emotions to leave her home and all her family. But a wise man nicknamed “Mr. Fixit” in Malad asked her: “Are you leaving lots of friends in Montana.” He was right….so many special friends were made here in Dillon. The spring of that year snow covered their crops in June. But she admits it was the best move they ever made. They lived on the ranch north of town for about 2 years. In 1952 they bought the Art Bay ranch east of Dillon where they lived the rest of their lives. She was so proud of her beautiful yard there and enjoyed working in it. June worked in the hot lunch program at the schools for 10 years where she also worked with physical therapy and housekeeping. She grew up a child of the great Depression, careful and conservative to the last breath. She left a legacy of hard work to achieve goals that would yield satisfaction of accomplishment to provide for self and family. A proud moment in her life was cooking a “Montana” steak and her “homemade bread” for the then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Chief Justice Earl Warren. Upon his return to Washington D.C., he sent her a “thank you” letter stating, “Your homemade bread has been talked about to all in the White House”. He told them that they would never know how priceless their life here was. Some of her most treasured moments where made with her sisters on their “sisters’ trip”. Every year she and her sisters would travel to different parts of the country for a week of being together and enjoying their love for each other. Her exceptional role was a wife and mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and great-great grandmother and friend to countless others who needed a place to live at different times of their lives. Moms table was always open to anyone who happened to come to her home at mealtime. She was a beautiful seamstress. She pieced and hand quilted a quilt for each grandchild and a baby quilt for each new baby. Her life was busy, full of hard work and happiness. She was considered the “glue” that held many generations together. She was true and faithful to her church and held many callings, and especially loved teaching the children. She loved to hear about the lives of her family and friends. As her eyesight and hearing deteriorated, her mind remained extremely sharp and she was alert to the very end. “What a treasured gift memory is---a wonderful window to a time past.” She is survived by two sisters: Barbara Bingham (Dennis) of Malad, Idaho and Darlene Nielson (Harold) of Malad, Idaho. She was preceded in death by her mother, Nora Harrison Williams, her father Arthur Thompson Williams, 6 Sisters: Lillith Ione Jones Tuck (Nolan), Angelina Christensen (Orvil) Lucille Olsen (Bill,) Mary Emma Williams (Farrell), Nora Price (Varlo), Hanna Lou Williams ( DeJay), and her only brother LaVen (Hazel), and a great-grandson, Roman Dean Bird. She is also survived by her 4 children: Vonda June Geertsen (John), of Pleasant Grove, Utah, Gerald (Pat), of Dillon, Montana, Clara Markowski (Harry), of Bountiful, Utah, Dennis (Kathy), of Dillon, Montana. She is also survived by 20 grandchildren, 84 great grandchildren and 20 great-great grandchildren. Her family is so appreciative of the loving care she received at the Legacy Assisted Living Center. Thank you to all of you there who cared for her. Memorial contributions can be made to charity of your choice. A viewing will be held Friday May 29, 2020 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Brundage Funeral Home. Please remember to wear a mask for both the viewing and graveside service and practice social distancing. Family will have a separate area for both viewing and graveside. When entering the funeral home for the viewing please come through the front door and exit through the side door unless you have special considerations. Guests are limited and you may need to wait outside the funeral home for a short time to accommodate social distancing prior to entering. Interment will be held Saturday, May 30, 2020 at Mountain View Cemetery.