June Lois Trimble

June Lois Trimble showed remarkable faith and determination throughout her 99 years of life. She didn’t tell you what was important in life, but instead showed what is important, as she faced more challenges than most people with grace. 

June Lois Trimble was the first child born into the North Dakota family of Clarence and Irma Lunde on November 4th of 1925. June’s grandparents had emigrated to North Dakota from the Stavanger region in Norway and began life in a sod house. By the time June was born the multiple Lunde families were living and working farms and stores around the area of Cooperstown, North Dakota. June’s early years were on the farm that was worked with horses. Schooling was a one room school house and winter’s were severe in North Dakota. Challenges began in the 1930’s when farming became difficult. Her family moved off the farm and went to work in a “mercantile” run by another family member. Before she completed high school, June was sent by herself out to the Seattle area, where she lived and worked with two aunts doing child care. Eventually June’s parents and younger brother, Bud, moved to Oregon City and the family was reunited. The war had begun and after finishing her last year of high school in Oregon City she went to work in the shipyards in Portland. She wanted to be a nurse and was admitted to the Emanuel Hospital nursing program. The program was very strict and at one point she got in trouble for going to see her parents in Oregon City without permission. She did well in the program and was one of just four students sent to Palo Alto Veterans Hospital to work during the last portion of her training. She said this time was both great fun and very difficult. The fun was four young girls in an apartment away from the school administrators and a beach nearby. The difficult part was working in the Psychiatric ward where the treatment for soldiers was “Insulin Shock.” She recalled watching the men go through seizures induced by the Insulin as being a hardship.

After graduation from the Nursing program, she went to work in the “Premie Nursery.” In time she had a blind date with Robert Trimble who was living in the area and had been a pilot in the service. Bob and June were married and soon had a child (Pam) on the way. Bob went to Indonesia for months to build up hours flying helicopters. After returning, Bob began flying helicopters with contracts in many places around the west. Bob and June would pack up their belongings onto a trailer with the helicopter and off they drove to the next job. These jobs were most often with the Forest Service fighting fire or doing surveys, but sometimes there was work with Hollywood making motion pictures. In time Bob and June began a helicopter company located in Etna, California. The company grew to seven helicopters and allowed Bob to teach June’s younger brother Bud how to fly. Bob and June had a second child, Jerry, in Etna. Jerry was born early but June managed him in an incubator at home.

 One of the biggest challenges was the accident in 1961 that took Bob’s life. June became a single mom overnight. With help from community members, June was raising Pam and Jerry, and began nursing work again by first commuting to Yreka. In time the family moved to Medford for a better job as a Public Health Nurse. After several years there, even a better job as an office nurse, became available in Eugene and the family moved again. June’s last nursing job was in the Student Health Center at the University of Oregon. June said that the jobs were the Lord providing for her. Eugene was really a place that June loved. She had many friends in her church and friends in her neighborhoods on Strathmore street and then in Songbrook. June loved her grandkids and often had time for them in Eugene. She enjoyed going to concerts at the Hult Center and meeting the performers on the afternoons before the evening concerts.

In time health changes necessitated moving to The Springs Assisted Living in The Dalles to be closer to family. June accepted the move from her Eugene community with grace and again made many friends in The Springs. She would host “happy hours” in her room for the other residents. She took her walker and walked around the building twice daily. June’s favorite bible quote was: I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalms 121:1&2 ESV