June Morgan passed on August 10, 2006, but she remains in our hearts. She was an incredible person who meant a lot to us all. She was a devoted, loving mother and wife and we will truly miss, but never forget, her. May she rest in peace and watch over us from above. God Bless you, June. We love you. -Jason Morgan and Family
June Morgan, age 72, resident of Warren County, Ohio died Thursday, August 10, 2006. Born in Muncie, Indiana, June was the daughter of Virgil and Mildred (Artrip) Dugger. June graduated from Western Hills High School in 1952. She married her high school sweetheart, Robert W. Morgan, on September 11, 1954, when they were both students at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. They are the proud parents of 5 sons.
Bob taught at Sycamore High School and to supplement his income, he and June began “Canoe Trails” in the late 50’s, a program which took hundreds of boys from the Greater Cincinnati area on 2-3 week long camping and canoe trips in Canada, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Tennessee. The boys knew June as “Blooming Flower”, since she often would find wildflowers and wear them in her hair. On these trips, she was famous for her cooking- especially the yeast doughnuts she would make and let rise on the side of a hot canoe.
Bob and June established their first canoe livery, Morgan’s Canoe and Outdoor Center, on the Little Miami River in Ft. Ancient in 1964, where they have resided since the early 1960’s.
Throughout June’s life, she was always involved with children and nature. She was a 4H Leader and taught children about conservation and nature. She also was instrumental in getting the Little Miami River designated as a National Wild and Scenic River, where she served on the advisory board of the Little Miami Incorporated. She served as president of the Middle Council of the Little Miami Incorporated for a time in the 60’s. In 1969, she was the first woman to descend down the Gauley River in West Virginia on a whitewater raft with Bob. In 1970, she was chosen by Family Circle Magazine as Homemaker of the Year, where she was featured with her 5 boys and their pets, along with some of her famous recipes. As the grandchildren started to arrive, she instilled in them this same love of nature and animals. Her 16 grandchildren know and love her as “Jumie”.
In the late 1990’s, cable station HGTV featured June, Bob and their family on the program, “TheGood Life”, which was broadcast nationally. By this time, 4 of their 5 sons had taken over the family canoe and outdoor businesses located in Ft. Ancient, Ohio and Brookville, Indiana. This allowed June and Bob to travel extensively in the Fla. Everglades and Louisiana where Bob would fish, and June would often paint scenes from nature.
Bob and June continued their love of sharing nature with others, by opening a small bed and breakfast eco-lodge called Morgan’s Jungle Lodge in the late 1990’s on the remote and pristine Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica . National Geographic lists this area as one the most “biologically diverse places on the planet”. Here, she acquired yet another name, “Jungle June”. June enjoyed the daily visits from the white-faced monkeys, the howler monkeys, macaws and other various rainforest animals. Many area families traveled to the lodge and recognized this as a very special place run by a very special lady.
June was preceded in death by her parents, and sister, Nancy (Dugger) Theobold. She is survived by her husband, Bob, and five children, Greg (Tracy) Morgan, Gary (Moira) Morgan, Dirk (Lori) Morgan, Rob (Michelle) Morgan and Randy (Joni) Morgan. She is also survived by 15 grandchildren, Jon and Drew Morgan; Chas and Mary Cate Morgan; Hunter Morgan, Teisha (Morgan) Widmer, Jessica, Jordan, Joni and Jadey Riewoldt; Ashley, Anne and William Morgan; and Amanda and Randall Morgan.
The visitation was held at the Bolton Lunsford Funeral Home, 3042 Harrison Ave, from 5-8PM on Wednesday August 16th.
A memorial service was held at Westwood United Methodist Church (the church they were married at,) 3460 Epworth Ave, Cincinnati, OH on Thursday, August 17, 2006 at 11 a.m.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider The June Morgan River Sanctuary Fund, c/o Lebanon Citizen’s National Bank, 2 North Broadway,
Lebanon Ohio, 45036. This has been set up in June’s honor and will provide a place of rest and reflection for paddlers on the Little Miami River. Enjoy only a few photos below that attempt to capture June’s glorious life.
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