Erma June Bush

Erma “June” Bush ended her 98-year journey in Corvallis on Feb. 25. Born Sept. 8, 1915, in Gretna, Neb., she was the last surviving child (two sons and five daughters) of Marvin and Myrtle Alberry Dotson. Raised on the family farm, she graduated from Kimball High School, taught in a one-room schoolhouse and married Fred L. Garrett. They moved to Laramie, Wyo., in 1932, parenting three children, Thomas, Delores and Phyllis. June had a great zest for life which blossomed with her marriage in 1946 to John G. Bush in Jackson Hole, Wyo. They raised their three children and traveled a great deal across the United States. After the loss of her husband and son in Wyoming, June moved to Corvallis to be closer to her two daughters. She lived many happy years at Samaritan Village enjoying the delicious foods provided while sharing a keen delight for the parties and the other planned activities. June loved to walk and became quite well known in the neighborhoods around the village. The friendships which emerged there were a very important part of her life. In addition to her friends, June’s church, her cooking, playing cards, trips to the casino (indicative of her competitive spirit), water skiing, snowmobiling and dancing filled her life. Birthdays made her sparkle. She spent her 85th birthday touring New York City, her 88th in a hot air balloon viewing Oregon from above, and on her 90th she was hostess to a three-day celebration at the Oregon Coast with family and friends from all over the United States. A longtime member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rawlins, Wyo., June transferred her membership to Good Samaritan Episcopal Church in Corvallis. She was a lifelong member of ECW. In the past few years, June was under loving and excellent care at the Twin Firs Adult Foster Home and Benton Hospice Service. Preceded in death by her husband, John G. Bush, and her son, Thomas Marvin Garrett, June is survived by daughters Delores Pepper of Sacramento, Calif., and Phyllis Mix of Corvallis; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great- and great-great-grandchildren. A kind, gentle and caring person who was always most appreciative of her blessings, June will be missed by all who knew and loved her. A joyful celebration to honor her spirit and life will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan.

Tributes

Erma June Bush

September 8, 1915 - February 25, 2014