June Boening

June Boening- 3/21/1930 - 9/23/2025

• -June Boening (June Klabon) Wife of Frederick Boening for 70 years, and mother of Carole, Diana, Shelley and Jamie.
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• -March 21, 1930 - September 23, 2025
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• -95 years old, but if you asked her she was 98.
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• -Aurora, Colorado
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• -June died at home with her husband, Fred, and daughters, Shelley and Jamie at her side. Daughters Carole and Diana were able to face-time and tell her they loved her.
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June lived a long and full life. She celebrated her 70th wedding anniversary with her husband Fred, and many family members in August. Shortly after that all she wanted to do was sleep. Like sleeping beauty, nothing would awaken her. Her age, and ups and downs of illness over the years finally took hold and the Lord called her home. Don’t be sad for her. Know that there were many family members and friends waiting to see her, dance with her, and hear all of the stories she had to tell.

Born weeks early to a pair of immigrant farmers, Anna and Herman, in a tiny town in Wisconsin during the depression. June was placed on the oven door to keep her warm. Her 6 brothers and sisters were busy helping run the farm so she was solely cared for by her mom and her mother’s friends at first. June was a spring baby and the youngest of 7. 

The stories she told were unforgettable. Yet just like most stories any family might tell. Love of each other, caring mother, fights between siblings, and discipline of her staunch German father who was trying to feed 9 hungry mouths. Eating fresh bread slathered in lard with sugar, and curds from the spoiled milk because there just wasn’t much. Yet, her parents filled the family with history, culture, desire to be the best they could be, and to be proud of their heritage. If she and her sisters didn’t want you to know what they were talking about they would talk in Polish. A language only they knew. 

Coming from an immigrant family there were many struggles. All of the girls got married young, one brother, and a sister worked in Chicago and so did June, but that wasn’t the life for her. Another brother was injured in WWII. One of her brothers never left home. June had aspirations of going to college. She attended White School, that was a tiny one room school house near their home. Moved on to Owen High School in town, and then went to school in Medford, WI, to be a teacher. 

Teaching quickly became a passion for her. She taught in Bright school and Hixon Heights school, both one room school houses. Many years later when visiting her home town a man walked up and said, “Miss Klabon, I remember…” Obviously, in the short time she was a teacher she left a mark on her students. Education was always very important to her. June loved to dance and would frequent the local dance halls with her friends. That is where she met Jim, the love of her life. After 2 years of dating, they were married. A marriage that was filled with love, success, and family for 70 years. 

After marrying Jim, June finished college at River Falls, and became a mother. Jim got a job in Chicago and they moved to a small town outside of the big city. Their first 3 daughters were born in Illinois. 

In 1964 they were transferred to Colorado. A transfer that was not only a great job opportunity for Jim, but also a growing love of a new land for June. New friends, some old ones from Illinois were transferred too, great neighbors, and another little girl added to the brood. 

Every year June and the family would travel back to Wisconsin to see family and go on camping trips all over the West, to see what they could see. Every trip included learning and sites of historic importance. The travel didn’t stop when the girls were grown. She and Jim went on a couple mystery trips where the airline told you how to pack and you were at their mercy. Houston and Portland were a couple of those destinations. She loved going to Vegas. They would go with the Grafs when they didn’t have to worry about who was staying with the girls. Then, when Jamie and Jerry would invite them to go there to see a concert or show, it didn’t take much convincing. An Alaska cruise was exciting, especially when at dinner watching the whale surface and breach the waters, and as the glacier calved and shed sheets of ice like gunshots in the bay. 

Right after her first knee was replaced we went to Hawaii. A woman saw her hiking to a waterfall a couple miles in and said, “You’ll never be able to make it.” Mom being the stubborn person that she was had to prove her wrong! She talked about that hike forever. Going out at night to see the lava flow and staying at the Volcano House were also some of her greatest adventures. I don’t know if it was the flowing lava as much as seeing how much Jamie and Shelley loved that sight. June also enjoyed many road trips to visit Carole and Diana and everything she could across the country.

June enjoyed reading until she just couldn’t see the words anymore. She worked at the Aurora Santa Clause shop with her friend Phyllis Graf for many years. June was one of Santa’s secret elves. Many children were made happy by the cleaning and restoring of toys by June. She also enjoyed going to Blackhawk with Jim and pulling the handle on the slots. She liked it so much she’d play her hand held poker machine for hours while sitting in her chair. Most of all June loved having family and friends over for parties, weddings, and holidays. Their yard was always the “party” yard. A tradition that has been passed on to us girls. Anytime her children brought home their spouses and children, the joy was evident. But, when she started getting great-grandchildren, that was when the truest joy shined through.

Baking cookies at Christmas accentuated every table, not only hers, but all of the neighbors too. A tradition that will live on in her girls who still do the same. If June liked you, you knew it!

June was the last surviving member of the Klabon family.

She is survived by:

• -Her husband, Frederick Boening (Jim)
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• -Daughters Carole (Steve), Diana (Ken), Shelley (Brad), and Jamie (preceded in death by her husband Jerry)
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• -Eight grandchildren, Annie (Walter), Matt (Erin), Fred (Kassi), Beth, Katie (Frank), Lindsey (John), Ben (Kate), and Mary (Dalton), and 11 great - grandchildren Jake, Freddy, Lorelei, Addie, Oliver, Mar, Kiera, Leo, Sofia,Wren and Theo.
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• June will be deeply missed by all who knew her. Her stubborn German personality kept her going through both the good and bad things that happened in her life. Her commitment to love and her family were immeasurable. Being married to Jim for 70 years proved how important commitment and love were. One of her last acts of love was holding hands with him at her dying bedside. June will never be forgotten.