On April 13, 2021, Aleeta June “Junebug” Taylor, passed away peacefully with her oldest son at her side, playing guitar at Memory Care at the Lodges in Lacey, Wash. She was born to Lee and Elsie Wilson June 3, 1932, in Mossyrock, Wash. June was the youngest of three siblings. They grew up on a hilltop farm overlooking Mossyrock and Mt. Rainier with no electricity, outhouse toilet, and water from an artesian well gravity fed to the house. They lived off the land raising cattle and chickens and planting a large garden.
1950 was an exciting year, June was voted May Queen, graduated from Mossyrock High School and married the love of her life, Lee Taylor. They had two sons, Calvin in 1952, and Robert in 1953. Lee worked in the woods and was very seriously injured several times. In 1955, the family relocated to Rio Dell, Calif., where there was more work in the Redwoods and Lee already had several family members living there. June was a stay at home mom and spent lots of time swimming and other activities with their two sons. Once again, Lee had a serious injury that hospitalized him. June took a job house cleaning and babysitting for a doctor in the neighborhood. This led to more work for other doctors. Even after Lee was able to return to work, she continued to work for several families.
Music was a very important part of her life and she secured guitar lessons for Cal and Rob. She taught herself to play a little banjo and soon her house was the center of the neighborhood for hootenannies. She took the boys to concerts in Eureka, Calif., and was involved in their musical adventures. In 1966, the family returned to Chehalis, Wash., and she found work in the retail sector. She worked at Sears, Yard Birds, Mervyn's, and finally, Oneida. June learned that she could travel and often would take off for severals weeks with relatives or friends and travel around the USA. Later, when Cal worked as a professional musician on the road, she would travel to Alaska or California to hang out with the band and sightsee. She was always up for an adventure. When Rob moved to Colorado, she often drove down and they went “four wheeling” in the remote parts of Utah and Arizona, roughing it; she loved the desert. June loved animals and always had dogs and cats. She often said animals were better than most people.
June was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years; her parents; brother, Alvin; and sister, Lois.
June is survived by her two sons; grandchildren, Josh, Jesse, Kate, Adam, Thom, and Jennifer; and great-grandchildren, Breckin, Vanessa, and Jake. Also, numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial will be planned for later in the summer.
