June Herdt was born June 23,1928 at the family home in Cloud County near Miltonvale, KS to John A.H. and Marie (Wehking) Gunter and was the third of 8 daughters. She departed this earthly life January 3, 2014 at her home in Oakley. June was baptized November 17, 1935 with 5 of her sisters at their grandparents' home in Lancaster, KS into the United Lutheran Church.

June and her sisters walked two miles to and from Woodruff country school where she graduated from the 8th grade near the top of her class. One of her earliest memories was helping her dad farm and driving the tractor. Growing up during the Great Depression left June with a distaste for chicken and potatoes and she hated the smell of fish from the creek near the farm. The Gunter family was very musical. June played guitar with her sisters (on mandolin, ukulele and Hawaiian guitar) and her dad (on violin) at many community functions. After graduation she was employed as a housekeeper until she met and fell in love with a tall dark haired handsome man while visiting her married sister and aunt in Oakley.

On September 26, 1948 she married Lester Herdt at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Clay Center, KS and moved to the Herdt ancestral farm southwest of Oakley. Lester and June were blessed with three children, Wesley, Anita and Gloria. They remained on the farm until Lester's declining health forced them to move to Oakley in 1997. They were married nearly 55 years.

June was a lifelong member of Immanuel Lutheran Church where she remained active in her faith until her death. She was a Sunday school teacher, VBS teacher/assistant, member of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League and church secretary for numerous years. She was also a homemaker, gardener, 4-H leader and International Foreign Youth Exchange host, talented seamstress for many county residents (she taught her daughters to sew at an early age), optometric assistant, well-known Avon representative for 25 years (member of the President's Club), Retired Senior Volunteer and Oakley V.F.W. Post 2981 Ladies Auxiliary. Lester and June were members of several card clubs, loved to square dance and travel.

Preceding June in death were: her father and mother; husband Lester ('03); son Wesley ('13); daughter-in-law Cindy Herdt ('03); infant grandson Raydean ('71); sisters Freda Koerber & Loretta Price; sisters-in-law Lavina Gilkerson & Lillian Jones; brothers-in-law Carl Jones, Lee Collins, Ezra Koerber, Othal Gilkerson, and Lester Beikmann.

Surviving June are two daughters: Anita (Jerry) Swenson, Oakley, Gloria (Kim) Gillespie, Roscoe, TX; grandchildren Todd (Stacy) Williams, Elizabeth City, NC; Gina Yost (fiancé Frank Olvera), Eloy, AZ; Kevin (Melissa) Gillespie, Roscoe, TX; Corey Gillespie, Gustine, TX; step-grandchildren: Christopher Westbrook, Oakley, KS; Richard Swenson, Phoenix, AZ; Jill Swenson, Northfield, MN; great-grandchildren: Zacherie Yost & Presley Yost, Anthem, AZ; Manny Olvera, Eloy, AZ; Brandon Williams & Mason Cartwright, Lincolnton, NC; Hunter & Jase Williams, Elizabeth City, NC; Parker Gillespie, Roscoe, TX; step-great-grandchildren: Christopher & Coby McDaniels, Elizabeth City, NC; Brookelyn Swenson, Northfield, MN; sisters: Louise (Dean) Liby, Darylene (Jack) Wilder, & Ann (Joe) Worley, Clay Center, KS; Minnie Beikmann, Thornton, CO; Elsie (Carl) Affolter, Morganville, KS; sister-in-law Luetta Scott, Oakley, KS; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

The family sincerely thanks everyone for their expressions of concern, thoughts, prayers, cards, flowers, food and visits and especially thanks Pastor Tim Llewellyn, Dr. Celeste Rains, pall bearers and all those who participated in the services. Memorials may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church. Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, Oakley, made arrangements. Visitation was Wednesday, January 8 and the funeral service was January 9, 2014 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Oakley. June was laid to rest at Oakley Cemetery.