JUNE ROSE SIMONS FRENCH

JUNE ROSE SIMONS FRENCH

June Rose Simons French was born June 27, 1919, near Lamar, to Charles and Nellie Rose. She grew up and spent most of her life in Barton County. She was baptized in 1935 at First Christian Church in Lamar, where she helped establish the nurseries, taught classes and worked with the youth most of her adult life.

She married Wilbur Simons on August 1, 1936. He died in 1970. During his lifetime they involved in the Lamar Saddle Club. They planned many trail rides, camping trips and participated in many parades. The most notable being the American Royal Parade in Kansas City.

Mrs. Simons worked many years at Lamar Super Market, Hillcrest Bowling Lanes and for 14 years at the Lamar Democrat before moving to Indiana where she married Earl French. Upon his retirement in 1974, they moved to Missouri. Winters were spent in Brownsville, Texas. They started a missions building program along the border in Mexico. The result, with the help of volunteers from all over the states, was six churches and three children’s homes. In 2005 they started making Brownsville their permanent home.

June was preceded in death by her parents; son Kenneth Simons and wife Phyllis of Ozark; brothers Estelle, Everett, Eldon and Donald Rose all of the Lamar area; sisters Reba Waits, Eula Hagins, Jean Zinn all of Lamar and Thelma Frogge of Kansas City, Mo. She was also preceded by two grandchildren.

She is survived by her sister Marjorie Edgar of Ft. Worth, Texas; sons Neil Simons and wife Kathy, and Ronald and wife Sandy both of Lamar; stepson Larry French of Denver, Colo.; 18 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitor on Wednesday, July 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Konantz Warden Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held on Thursday July 16, at 10 a.mm., at Memory Gardens.