Norma June Higley

Norma June Higley, 88, long time Warden resident, passed away Thursday, September 12, 2013 at her home in Warden. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, September 20, 2013 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Warden with Bishop Curtis Cole conducting. Vault interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Arrangements are in care of Kayser’s Chapel, Moses Lake. Please sign the online guestbook at www.kayserschapel.com The family will greet friends at the funeral home on Thursday evening, Sept. 19th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday morning, Sept. 20th from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. June was born June 2, 1925 in Lincoln, Nebraska to Henry Edward Butler and Muriel Emma Wills. At the tender age of two weeks, her 31 year old mother died due to complications of child birth, and she was taken to Hebron, Nebraska to be with her Grandmother and Grandfather Wills on the family farm. Her cousin LeRoy Wills had also lost his mother at childbirth, and he came to Grandma and Grandpa Wills as well. June and LeRoy were raised together till the age of 10. June was a good student, and enjoyed many school activities, playing oboe and clarinet in the high school concert band, and was the drum majorette for the marching band. She won an award for perfect attendance in high school. She graduated in 1943 with a 94.5 grade average and many wonderful memories. After she graduated, her and Grandma Wills moved to Phoenix AZ, where she attended business school. From there they moved to Gresham, Oregon where she worked at the Jantzen Knitting Mill. As the country moved into World War II, she became one of many young women who aided the war effort by working in the ship yards. She was a “Rosie the Riveter” who welded and used a cutting torch to cut steel for ship parts. After the war she boarded a bus for Utah to join a high school friend, who got her a job at Deseret Chemical Depot, working in the office. It was there that she met a handsome man by the name of Miles Higley, who had recently returned from the war. Miles and June quickly felt they were meant for each other, and they married November 26, 1946, in Tooele, Utah at Miles’ family home. They were later sealed in the Salt Lake City Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1955, they left a thriving gas station partnership near the mouth of Parley’s Canyon, and moved to the Great Columbia Basin in Washington State. Through the GI Bill, Miles drew a farm unit near Warden, Washington where they settled as part of a large development movement sponsored by the Bureau of Reclamation under the Homestead Act. They worked hard at developing their farm, with June working right alongside Miles as they struggled through dust storms, sink holes, and building a home for their family that now included three children. June was a creative and diligent homemaker. She also worked at Columbia Industries Potato Plant in the laboratory for 10 years, beginning in 1968. She worked hard at developing skills necessary to endure the rigors of an unfamiliar farm life. She loved to sew and created beautiful clothing for her children and grandchildren. She loved gardening, cooking, and genealogy. June’s family has been her first love and priority, and has grown to 9 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren knew that when they entered her home, they were greeted with hugs, treats, stories, and fun. When June attended a birthday gathering for a grandchild, she brought gifts for all the children in attendance. She was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and enjoyed serving in many callings throughout the years. She especially loved to teach, and was enthusiastic and dedicated in every calling she held. June was preceded in death by her beloved husband Miles, her brother Dail Wills, and her parents. She is survived by her children Blake and Carey (Gies) Higley, of Othello, Joette and LaMar Winder of Moses Lake, and Jill and John Robertson of Warden. June was an enthusiastic and beloved wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, and friend. We will miss her peaceful, loving smile, and serene spirit.

Norma June Higley

June 2, 1925 - September 12, 2013