Emma June Craven

MALAD — Emma June Craven, 92, of Idaho Falls, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, at the home of her son in Malad.

June was born in Dillon, Mont., on June 3, 1917, to Jesse and JoAnne (Kenison) Brown of Armstead, Mont. She married Sherman Koontz in 1936, and they had six children — five boys and one girl. They divorced in 1953. June remarried Deward “Duke” Craven in 1964. This ended in divorce in 1967.

She had a hard life and was always working to make ends meet.

In the 1960s, she also had to worry about her five sons who were in the military at the same time. She is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxilliary in Quartzsite, Ariz.

She leaves behind two sisters, Rosa Lee (Duane) Hansen of Burley, Idaho, and Ruth Ann (Ray) Patton of Klamath Falls, Ore. She is also survived by her children, Jesse Raymond Koontz of Lima, Mont., Thomas Sherman (Doris) Koontz of Malad, Barbara June (Bob) Schwartz of Rexburg, Steven Joe (Sue) Koontz of White Salmon, Wash., Ronald Dale (Donna) Koontz of Helena, Mont., and Richard Lee (Peggy) Koontz of Fort Shaw, Mont. She is also survived by more than 20 grandchildren, 80 great-grandchildren, eight great-great-grandchildren and hundreds of “kids” of all ages who called her Grandma June. She was preceded in death by her husbands, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild who went on ahead to open the gates.

Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17, at Brundage Chapel with committal to follow at Mountain View Cemetery.

Published in Post Register on Aug. 13, 2009.