June Marie Winterfeld

June Marie Winterfeld passed away at her home on December 22, 2020, at the age of 82.

June, the daughter of William O. Shively and Lorene A. Braithwaite, grew up on the west side of Idaho Falls with two brothers, Ivan and David, and a younger sister, Carol. She attended elementary school in Idaho Falls and graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1956 where she met her husband, Delbert Fritz Winterfeld, to whom she would be married to for 62 years. After high school, she went on to beauty school at Excelsis in downtown Idaho Falls. On November 3, 1957, she married Delbert at Trinity United Methodist Church.

She and Delbert spent their first winter in Idaho Falls where Delbert worked as warehouseman for Roger's Brothers. The following spring in 1958, they moved to the Lower Pinecreek Bench that Delbert's parents, Mabel and Fredrick Christian (Fritz) owned. In the spring of 1959, they moved to the simple house where Delbert was raised and built a life together that overlooked the Valley that June treasured. Delbert and June had three children: Trudy, Wendy, and their beloved Ted, whom they lost at the tender age of sixteen. From those three children, the family grew to seven grandkids and eleven great-grandkids.

June built a successful hair salon business out of her home, administered the office operations of Winterfeld Ranch and later on Cedera Seed Inc, regularly ran farm equipment on the dry farm in tandem with Delbert, and tended to livestock as needed.

Throughout her life, she held several leadership positions including: president of the Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts Auxiliary, president of the Pacific Area Auxiliary for the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), Ladies Auxiliary President of the National Association of Soil Conservation Districts culminating in a national conference she lead in Washington DC, Hospitality Chairwoman for the Auxiliary at the 1985 NACD Convention, and Chairwoman of special projects for NACD Auxiliary. June and Delbert were elected as Idaho Top Soil Conservationists and honored again by the 1986 National Endowment for Soil and Water.

In 1997, they were honored with the Governor's Award for Excellence in Agriculture for Environmental Stewardship. In 2001, Delbert was inducted into the Eastern Idaho Agriculture Hall of Fame and June was honored as his spouse – ½ of the award rested squarely on her shoulders. June and Delbert were the quintessential conservation hosts to conservation groups (local, state, regional and national) interested in their native seed and wildflower production. Folks of all walks of life - professional conservationists, food producers, and officials recognized the niche that they had in the production of conservation plants. If one could write a textbook about conservation, it could be written about June and Delbert's farm.

June was also a charter member of and clerk of session at the Chapel in the Valley.

As June and Delbert slowed down the farming and seed business, they could be found enjoying symphony music in Idaho Falls or at the Grand Teton Music Festival, going on Sunday drives through the valley, and spending time with their family.

She is survived by her husband, Delbert F. Winterfeld of Swan Valley; two daughters, Trudy (Drew) Johnson of Idaho Falls, and Wendy (Casey) Robinson of Gooding, Idaho. Her grandchildren include: Frank McClure, Catherine (Christopher) Smith, David (Madison) McClure, Whitney Johnson, Hailey (Braun) Bivens, Sadie (Blake) Visser, Matthew Robinson, and eleven great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved son, Ted D. Winterfeld, and her mother and father.

Funeral services will be private and held at the Chapel in the Valley with Pastor Laura Baarda officiating. Burial will be at the Swan Valley Cemetery.

The family suggest memorial contributions be made to Chapel in the Valley, PO Box 107, Swan Valley, Idaho 83449.