June Ellen Millard, 88, Jefferson City, passed away Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, at her daughter’s home, surrounded by her loving family.
She was born to Robert Louis and Carrie Elelia (Paden) Kemp, June 28, 1932, in Martins Ferry, Ohio.
She was united in marriage, June 1, 1952, to J. William “Bill” Fredwin Millard at the United Methodist Church in Morristown, Ohio.
June graduated from St. Clairsville High School in 1950. After graduating, she had the time of her life sharing an apartment with three other girls, one of which was Rosie Fowler who until recently, still had long phone conversations talking about their escapades. June and Rosie worked at the 5 and 10 in Barnesville, Ohio, and were also switch board operators for Ohio Bell, of course they had some fun stories to tell of listening in on the “Party Line”.
Talk about spilling the beans! June along with other ladies were serving the evening meal at the Christian Church Camp in Bethesda, Ohio, when she dropped a plate of beans on a young man attending camp from Brilliant, Ohio. June was totally embarrassed, but the young man later that week asked her out on a date. She and the young man fell in love.
After marrying Bill, she became a homemaker raising their four children, Mark, Bart, Diantha and Reid. Upon the death of June’s sister and her husband, Alice and Bob Wehr, Bill and June adopted the Wehrs’ four children – Curtis, Mary Jane, Gary and Shelly to raise with their own children. Bill was fond of saying, “One day there were four children in the house and the next day there were eight.” The eight children ranged in age from four to twelve, with the new dynamic bringing a lot of excitement into the Millard household. However, they handled it well, getting new sets of bunk beds to provide a dorm style sleeping arrangement, with one upstairs room for the boys and the other upstairs room for the girls. June and Bill purchased a brand new red and white Volkswagen bus to haul everyone to their school and church functions. June designed and delivered floral arrangements for her in-laws at Millard’s Garden and Gift Center in Brilliant, Ohio. When her children where in high school, she worked as a grocery clerk at both Mulls’ and Pino’s Grocery Stores also in Brilliant and volunteered at the Blue Devils concession stand for her children’s different athletic events. In 1981, she became a ward secretary at Ohio Valley Hospital, in Steubenville, Ohio, where she was employed until her retirement in 1998.
June was a lifetime member of Brilliant Christian Church where she was a choir member, Sunday school teacher for over 30 years and past secretary for The Women’s Fellowship. She was very involved in Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, PTA and was a very active member of the Jefferson County Historical Society. After retirement in 1998, June and Bill moved to Gerald, to help take care of their children’s funeral home Meyer-Hilke-Millard. While in Gerald, she became a member of the Antioch Christian Church and was a member of their choir. June was very involved in the community acting as a board member and past secretary for the Gerald Senior Center, she volunteered at the Gerald Library and was an adopted grandma at Gerald Elementary School teaching children to improve their reading skills. In 2009, they moved to Jefferson City, to be closer to their children and grandchildren and joined the First Christian Church, she also volunteered at the Cole County Senior Nutrition Center.
June was a wonderful seamstress, making many matching outfits for herself and her girls. She loved gardening, especially flowers. June was a very warm, loving and devoted wife, mother and friend, but most of all she was a loyal and faithful Christian. Her daily devotions included reading bible scripture, singing some of her favorite hymns and praying. June’s love of God and her devotion to him were, as she said, “What got her through each and every day, through thick and thin!” She was a truly joyful lady!
June is survived by sons, Mark B. Millard Sr., Barton L. Millard and Reid A. Millard, all of Jefferson City; daughters, Diantha E. Grabinski and husband Chester and Shelly L. Davis and husband Michael, all of Jefferson City; brother, Robert L. Kemp and wife Charlotte of Louisville, Ohio; grandchildren, Mark Millard Jr. and wife Jana, Chris Zack, Tracy Chilton and husband Shawn, Derek Givens and wife Della, William Blake Millard and wife Kimi, Jessica Millard and husband Christopher, Ashton Millard, Alexandria Millard, Andrea Reynolds and husband Shane, Cindy Olsen and husband DJ, Theresa Tandeski and husband Jeremy, and Leah Grabinski and husband Justin; great-grandchildren, Braden and Alexander Millard, Collin, Zoe and Cohen Chilton, Elena Leamond, Aiden and Dean Millard, Riah, Trinity and Levi Michaels, Kyler and Danni Jo Olsen, Mason, Caleb and Chase Reynolds, Addison, Josh and Preslie Tandeski and baby Ele Grabinski due to arrive in December; and a host of much loved nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Carrie; spouse of 64 years, Bill; sons, Gary Wehr and Curtis Wehr; daughter, Mary Jane Wehr and sisters and brothers-in-law, Sally Stephen and husband Roland and Alice Wehr and husband Robert.
The funeral service was held today, Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 11 a.m., at Houser-Millard Funeral Directors in Jefferson City with Rev. Beau Underwood officiating. Interment will be in the Hawthorn Memorial Gardens in Jefferson City.
Memorial contributions suggested to Hospice Compassus of Jefferson City, First Christian Church of Jefferson City or First Christian Church of Brilliant, Ohio.
Arrangements entrusted to Houser-Millardw.millardfamilychapels.com.
