Obituary of June Caroline Clouse

On Wednesday, November 16 at Brookdale North Assisted Living Center in Loveland, CO, God whispered, “Come home, June. Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the House of the Lord.”

June Caroline (Budd, Murphy) Clouse was born March 31, 1924, in Davenport, Iowa to Alice (Stacey) and Ora Budd. In 1925, she moved to Wisconsin where she resided until 2011.  June was a loving daughter who was determined to make a better life as she experienced severe hardship through the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, and transportation only by farm workhorses as she grew up in the Owen-Withee community. At the age of 14, neighbors took her to a special church service where she learned that there was a God who loved her. She spoke of the overwhelming joy that entered her heart and soul that night as she asked Jesus into her life. God would be faithful and walk with her each day for the rest of her life. 

June graduated from Withee High School in 1942. She worked that entire summer cleaning resort cabins to earn the $100 required to enroll at St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Marshfield.  With no means to get to school, the local policeman in Owen picked her up and took her to the train station to make the 35-mile trip to Marshfield. When her parents were able, they would mail a letter and enclose $1 to help with expenses. June graduated as a registered nurse from St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in 1945. In 1946, she married Bernard Clouse and together they farmed two-and-a-half miles southeast of Loyal, Wisconsin in the Town of Loyal for over 50 years. June worked as a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Neillsville Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home, and administered vaccines to Loyal schoolchildren.  She loved to sew clothing for her five children and bake desserts and breads. She taught Sunday School at the Loyal Free Methodist Church for over 30 years and was a member of the Missionary Society there.   She volunteered with hospice care in Marshfield and was a lifelong member of the Gideons International. God’s Word was June’s source of strength and wisdom so when she and Bernard traveled around the world, their suitcases always carried Gideon Bibles to hand out. She loved to play games with a competitive spirit, loved learning and trying new things, had the patience of Job and a curious personality that was an asset her entire life. When technology hit in 2000, June got her first computer. Her family thought it would be for email use but June quickly taught herself and before long, she was making word search puzzles with Bible verses which she distributed for more than 20 years. In 2011, June moved west to Loveland, Colorado to be near her three daughters. She taught her children how to live life well in retirement as she read from God’s Word and prayed daily for family, friends, and country. She enjoyed friendships, helping people who needed care, and coloring, particularly Scripture pictures. Each art piece would be given away to someone that needed a little encouraging lift in her senior living center. She was always appreciative of any phone call, letter, email, or act of care from her children or friends. Even as she aged, June held fast to God’s promise, “I am with you always.” We were blessed to have known her as a friend and mentor and privileged to call her Mom. Being selfless, loving, honest, hard-working, choosing to see the good, always being thankful, and always pointing us to Jesus, will be her legacy. Proverbs 31:28 “Her children arise and call her blessed.” June is survived by her children Charlene (Michael) Rinehart, Loveland, CO; Faith (Lyle) Zimmerman, Loveland, CO; David (Judy) Clouse, Scottsdale, AZ; Alice (Robert) Willis, Loveland, CO; and Stephen (Ellen) Clouse, Venice, FL; 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; sisters Helen Eron, Eleanor (Arvin) Langjahr, Patricia (Duane) Pecher, Grace (Clem) Pecher.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Bernard Clouse, in 2003; her parents, stepfather Roy Murphy; brothers Clifford and infant twins Roy and Donald and sisters Norma Drinka, Thelma Brzezinski and Velda Schulte. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be given to Gideons International or your local hospice association.