June Eide

Letha June (Kinyon) Eide was born June 18, 1917 to Irven and Thressa (Fennel) Kinyon, the 6th of 9 children.  They lived on a farm in the Grandview area until their house burned down. They then moved to a farm in near Galata.  She attended rural schools as well as schools in Galata and Shelby, where she graduated in 1936.  June worked in Shelby for a time.  On March 3, 1940, she married Lester Eide and moved to the Eide Ranch, where she lived until she was 100 ½ years old.  At that time, she moved to the Care and Comfort Home in Havre. June passed away suddenly, but unexpectedly on December 22, 2018 at the age of 101 ½ from a battle with congestive heart failure and other old age issues.

June was respected and admired throughout the community and within her extended family.  She was a very capable person, although extremely modest.  As a young married woman, she needed cupboards and closets, so she got a few instructions and built them herself.  They are still in the home.  As a ranch wife she raised three kids, tended a big garden, flowers, and chickens, and helped with ranch work.  After her son left home, she learned to drive a tractor and to her chagrin, learned to load hay into the racks, always worrying about dumping a load on Lester’s head.  She was a good artist and turned out about 350 paintings, which are now in homes from coast to coast and Canada.  She made many quilts, After the kids were grown and she had more time, she took up varmint control.  One year she shot 6500 gophers and altogether probably over 45,000 with 85% accuracy.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Lester, in 1996; granddaughter, Chantel Davis; great granddaughter, McKenna Eide; her parents; brothers and their spouses, Howard (Virginia), Wayne (Hazel), Clare (Frances), and Dale (Eve); sisters and theirs spouses, Vesta (Hank) Brammer, Verla (Lloyd) Stratton, Isabel (Harvey) Fenger, and Elda (Robert) Bucher.

Survivors include children and their spouses, Les (Jackie) Eide, Loxi (Dale) Mailand, and Dixie (Ken) Davis; grandchildren, Matt (Eileen), Cody, Dusti (Don), Kent (Tara), Marisa, Damon (Abby) and Mikayla, great grandchildren, Zane and Mariah (a special bond exists there), Brody, Dillon, and Bryson and Asa, Carmen and Niccola; and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, December 29, at Trinity Lutheran Church at 2:00 PM.

Visitation will be held Friday, December 28, from 5 to 7pm at Whitted Funeral Chapel.