June Lucille (Lincoln) Forbes, 88, of Elroy died Friday, April 2, 2010, at Heritage Manor Nursing Home, where she had resided for the past month.
She was born June 5, 1921, to Ward and Cecil (VanKeulen) Lincoln. She graduated from Elroy High School in 1939 and married John S. Forbes on Oct. 31, 1942, at Wee Kirk o’ the Heather at Forest Lawn in Glendale, Calif. He preceded her in death Nov. 10, 1984.
June retired in 1983 from the Bank of Elroy. After the death of her husband, she spent winters in Arizona and took the opportunity to travel extensively during her retirement years to Hawaii, Europe, Alaska, Nova Scotia and several points in the Lower 48. She especially loved to visit David and Sharon in western Montana, where she met and conversed with many interesting people and bonded with their dogs and cats. She returned to Elroy full time in 2001.
June was a member of the Eastern Star, American Legion Auxiliary and Elroy United Methodist Church. She was a diehard Atlanta Braves fan, having first attended Braves games in Milwaukee in the 1950s. She enjoyed watching her granddaughters play sports at Royall High School and was honored as the Fan of the Year in 2005 by the Royall Booster Club. She enjoyed watching the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers, although she readily admitted never really understanding football, even after 50 years! She also enjoyed biking the Elroy-Sparta Trail, going for long walks and swimming daily in Arizona. She treasured her friendships with those she had known since childhood and loved making new friends.
She is survived by three sons, David (Sharon Alexander) of Missoula, Mont., Richard (Dee) of Lakewood, Colo., and John Robert of Orofino, Idaho; one daughter, Nalani (Greg) Bever of Elroy; seven grandchildren, Nina (Doug) McGraw, Brian (Alaina) Forbes, Sarah (Paul) Kimball, Adam Forbes, Katie (Brent) Garske, Emily Bever and Ann Bever; eight great-grandchildren, Connor and Daisy McGraw, Collin, Sydney, Delaney and Owen Forbes, and Aidan and Connor Kimball; a sister-in-law, Audrey (Forbes) Preuss; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; her husband’s sister and brother-in-law, Gretchen and Gordon Scoles; and a brother-in-law, Marvin K. Preuss.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 10, at Elroy United Methodist Church, Royall Avenue, Elroy. The Rev. Daniel Dibbert will officiate. Private burial service will follow in Elroy City Cemetery. Family and friends may call from 10 a.m. until the time of services. The Picha Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Memorials may be made to the Elroy United Methodist Church or a charity of the donor’s choice.
