June Sauerwein Reagle Schmidt

June was born November 18, 1928 to Emil and Margaret (Reagle) Sauerwein in Valentine, NE. Mother Margaret was called home to the Lord on November 28, 1928, leaving Emil with a baby, a one year old sister, and four other siblings. So Margaret's brother Floyd Reagle and wife Ethelena took June into their home in Todd County, SD. She was baptized June Katherine on December 1, 1928 in Crookston, NE.

June, attended grade school and two years of high school in Todd County, continuing her education in  O'Neill, NE where she graduated in 1945. After graduation, she taught school in SD and Cherry County, NE. During the summer she worked for the 5 & 10 Cent store in Valentine where she met her lifelong friend and future sister-in-law Ferne Schubauer.

June married George Dean Schmidt, Easter Sunday, March 28, 1948, at Calvary Lutheran near Olsonville, SD. They moved to the Sandhills residing  on the LC and Sadie Beel ranch near Kennedy, NE for 11 years until 1959 when they moved their family to the current ranch home in Todd County, SD. June was a partner with her husband in all phases of ranch work, including dairy, beef, and working in the hay field.

She was also a substitute teacher until she took the job of driving school bus for the Todd County School District. June had a very special way of touching the lives of everyone she met. In 1984, on behalf of the SD Association of Elementary Principals, she was presented the Friends of Education award for dedication and contribution to elementary education. She drove bus for many trips to school, special activities and ballgames. She retired after driving bus for 33 years with over a million miles accident free. Among other things, June loved playing cards and country music. She and numerous friends would often enjoy a Saturday afternoon dancing in area communities.

She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. She and Dean were blessed with a large family, including son Howard and Margie of rural Valentine, NE, son Duane and Brenda of Winner, SD, son Nolan and Lori of Waupun, WI, daughter Colleen Kalblinger of Valentine, NE, daughter Lila and Russ Brown of Dalton, WI, daughter Yola and Dan Beekman of Eagan, MN, son Neil of Inverness, FL, daughter  Cindy and Tony Rish of Denmark, WI, 22 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.

June and Dean spent 58 years together until Dean was called to his eternal home in 2006. June continued to live in their home until her death on October 11, 2024. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Floyd and Albert, sisters Eleanor, Dorothy, Cleo, and Lucille, grandson Baby Beekman and great-grandchild Brycen Schmidt.

A funeral service for June Schmidt, age 95 of Valentine will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 1:00 PM at the Cherry County Fairgrounds, 4H building in Valentine, NE.  The burial will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery in Valentine.  A visitation will be held on Friday, Oct. 18 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Sandoz Chapel of the Pines in Valentine.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Grace Lutheran School in Valentine or the Mount Hope Cemetery in Valentine.  Mrs. Schmidt passed away on Oct. 11, 2024, at her home north of Valentine.

Sandoz Chapel of the Pines in Valentine is entrusted with service arrangements.