June Silvers

June Silvers

June Beatrice Silvers
February 21, 1923 – December 18, 2012
Forsyth, Missouri (formerly of Oskaloosa) | Age 89

June Beatrice Olivier Silvers, 89, daughter of Cornelius and Marie (Brandenhorst) Olivier, was born in Pella, Iowa on February 21, 1923.

Her parents had both come over (separately) from Holland, and the community in Pella was very Dutch.  She lived there with her family until her Papa died when she was four years old.

June and her sister Lucille went with their Mother Marie to live with their Grandpa on his farm in Beacon, Iowa.  They grew vegetables and June had lots of experience with all aspects of the farm.  She remembered the times she and Lucille would wait until their Grandpa would leave and then get into his garage and use his vice to crack walnuts.

Occasionally they did leave the farm in an old spring wagon pulled by horses on grocery shopping day.

June walked two miles to and from the Beacon School, and then the high school in Oskaloosa. She finished her high school career and received her diploma from Tracy High School.

The November of her senior year, she went to a dance in the little town of Rose Hill with some friends. On this night she met Melvin Silvers.  She wrote in her diary, “M not bad.”  And of course he got better and better.  No more other dates for her!  They were going steady immediately and she received her engagement ring by her birthday, February 21st, in 1941.  They were married in August 1941.

They were coming out of a show on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941 when they heard the newsboys hollering about Pearl Harbor being bombed.  That meant moving around a lot and finally a separation when Melvin joined the Army.  He said good-bye to June, Connie, and Carol, who was still on the way, and left for England. June courageously purchased a little home on the Beacon Road and moved her growing family there to set up housekeeping while she waited for his return.

Melvin came home in November 1945.  It was on a Wednesday night.  June was ironing (everything had to be ironed then) and listening to Kay Kyser when she saw the head lights of the taxi come in the drive.  June saw him jump over the gate and run into the house!  They moved forward with their married life together. Another daughter, Nancy, was born in 1946 and son, Dennis, in 1951.

During these years June was a full time homemaker.  She helped found and was very active in the PTA at the Beacon School, which was attended by all of her children.  They gave their hearts to Jesus, were baptized, and became members of the Beacon Methodist Church. June taught the Art classes during Bible School, played the piano, and was the choir director.  She was always there for the Easter Sunrise services in the park.

After her youngest was in high school June started working as a dental assistant to Dr. Walker in Oskaloosa. During those years Melvin prepared her famous chicken and noodles for the monthly church Family Night.

June and Melvin combined their talents and set up a business where Melvin dug the clay and processed it, and they sold and delivered it to schools all over Iowa. They also used molds to make their famous “Silvers Stoneware Clays” pottery.

In 1985 June and Melvin bought a travel trailer and started looking for places they might like to live.  They really liked the Forsyth, Missouri area!  They returned back to Iowa, put their house and business on the market, sold it immediately, and made their move to a home on Highway Y in October of 1986. In 1994 they made a second move to their little duplex on Highway, just a little ways up the road towards town.

June and Melvin became very active in the United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir for many years. June also worked many Mondays in the Methodist Thrift Shop.

In 1994-1996 June and Melvin took three separate trips to Alaska, enjoying each trip for months.

For 14 years they worked with and coordinated the Forsyth Hospice, driving patients to Branson and Springfield hospitals for treatment.

June and Melvin were very happy when june’s sister and brother-in-law, Lucille and Don Taft, moved into the other half of their duplex.

Family was always first in June’s life.

Remaining to celebrate her faithful life are her three daughters and spouses: Connie (& Bob) Allsup of Ava, Missouri, Carol (& Henry) Schuring of Leighton, Iowa, Nancy (& George) Kaywood of Lenexa, Kansas; and son, Dennis (& Kathy) Silvers of Burnsville, Minnesota.  Also nine grandchildren: Adrian Allsup, Ginger Allsup, Jeffrey Gordy, Cathy Veldhuizen, Steve Gordy, Michael Dykstra, David Dykstra, Chad Silvers, and Serenity Charlebois; 23 great grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren. Also many friends from the church and communities in Iowa and in Forsyth.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 69 years, Melvin; her three sisters and brothers in law: Rose (& Dean) Graves, Norma (& Dick) Bernstein, and Lucille (& Don) Taft.

The day before June died she took her daughter Nancy’s face into her hands and said “I am very happy”.

Visitation will be at Snapp Beardon Funeral Home in Branson on Friday afternoon at 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
Funeral service will be at the United Methodist Church in Forsyth on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm.
As was June’s wish, her body has been cremated. Burial of the urn will be at a later date.