June Garner Larsen, 93, of American Falls, passed away Friday, Nov. 28, 2014, at Parkwood Meadows in Idaho Falls, ID. Her children were grateful for her opportunity to leave the suffering of her body and reunite with her father who died when she was 10, her mother who died when she was 19, her brother who died when she was 18, and especially her eternal companion of 61 years, who preceded her in death.
June was born in Newton, UT, on Dec. 22, 1920, to Nathan and Florence Benson Garner. She lived in Roy, UT, until she was six years of age. Her family then moved to a farm in Rupert, ID, where she attended Old Pioneer District School. When her father was killed, the family moved to Newton, UT, where she resided until she graduated from North Cache High School in Richmond, UT.
As a girl, June loved to play basketball, baseball, swim, hike and dance. She worked in the office of the high school, did women’s hair, and waitressed at the Union Pacific Beanery Restaurant to pay her way through high school. After graduating she attended Salt Lake Vocational School. During this time, she worked at Grant’s Department Store and was a telephone worker in the Hotel Utah. After finishing training she worked for a time at Sears in Logan, UT, and used the money to buy her mother her first refrigerator.
On Sept. 17, 1941, June married her high school sweetheart, Cyrel Larsen, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They were blessed with five wonderful children, 27 grandchildren, 100 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren. These were the pride of her life and the love of her heart.
After getting married, they moved to Pocatello, ID, and sublet rooms to pay for their board. After Joyce and Lee were born, the war started and Cyrel was drafted into the Navy. They lived in Gulfport, MS, and Norfolk, VA. After the war, they moved back to Pocatello and later to a farm in American Falls,where Boyd, Karma and Lyle were added to the family.
June believed that hard work could help a multitude of problems. She always raised a large garden and did a lot of canning, cooked for hired men, helped milk dairy cows besides taking care of her family. Later, she enjoyed working at Lamb Weston in quality control and then as a secretary. Cyrel and June enjoyed the company of their brothers and sisters and their families, which usually included fishing, hunting, camping, picnicking and Christmas parties. June also enjoyed her church callings and loved the people she worked with. After retirement, they did a lot of traveling and spent six winters in Arizona.
She is survived by her children, Joyce Richardson of Shelley, ID; Lee Larsen (Leanne) of Idaho Falls; Boyd Larsen (Michelle) of Pingree, ID; Karma Archibald (Tim) of Oakley, ID; Lyle Larsen, of American Falls, and numerous grand children. Besides her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Lee and Jay; a sister, Nola, and one grandchild, Bruce Richardson.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014, at 12 p.m. at the American Falls LDS Stake Center, 111 Church Place with Bishop Keith Phillips officiating. The family will visit one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Falls View Cemetery in American Falls.
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