Myrtle June 'June' Taormina, 91
Myrtle June Taormina, “June,” 91, of Great Falls, passed “into eternal life” on April 28, 2017.
The funeral liturgy will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 5, at the Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel in Great Falls, burial will follow at Highland Cemetery in Great Falls. Schnider Funeral Home, Great Falls, is handling arrangements.
June was born on Aug. 3, 1925 in Tulare, California. She was the seventh of eight children born to Winfield Arthur Smith and Nellie Ellen Smith. June lived in Hayward, California, until the beginning of World War II when her family moved to Clearlake Highlands, California. She completed her education there and met Bernardo Taormina during the last years of the war. They married in St. Louis on April 28, 1946.
Ben and June had three children while living in Southern California. They vacationed in Montana on a regular basis and June fell in love with the mountains here. She got her wish to move to the area when Ben’s career with the ICBM missile installation program brought them to Great Falls in 1964. June was always a stay-at-home mom, but was never idle. She soon developed an interest in spinning and weaving, and was a member of the Great Falls Spinners and Weavers Guild and Cascade County Extension for many years. She won blue ribbons for the woven works of art she entered in the State Fair each year.
After Ben’s retirement in 1984, they bought and refurbished the original 1880s Marco homestead home on Marco Bay, Flathead Lake, just north of Lakeside. The hand-hewn log home was their pride and joy. June had an entire loft for her looms overlooking Flathead Lake where she continued her weaving creations with the local weavers. She enjoyed camping, hiking and overnight backpack trips to many of the beautiful locations in Glacier Park. The apple orchard on their Marco Bay property provided an abundance of apples that were taken to the “apple squeeze” each year. These trips became a gathering for her family reunions and provided her with much joy, in addition to the many gallons of fresh squeezed apple juice. June returned to Great Falls in 2011 to be near family after Ben’s death.
June was a devout Christian, a patient wife and mother, providing love and understanding to many. She was not just a mom to her children, but to all of their friends as well. They all knew they were welcome at any time of the day or night and could always stay for a family meal; they were family.
June’s family extends their appreciation to Bill Rupnow, Deanne Foley and Patty Dalke who helped care for her in her final years.
June was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, and husband of 65 years.
June is survived by her daughters, Margaret Sutherland of Aloha, Oregon, and Theresa (Bill) Rupnow of Great Falls; her son, Steve (Karen) Taormina, of Choteau; a special niece, Carol (Doug) Combes, of Osborn, Idaho; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, should friends desire, a donation can be made in her name to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.