June Pittenger

Born June 25, 1939, passed away peacefully at the age of 86 on November 4, 2025 after a lengthy progression of Vascular dementia. A week before the end, June suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke while sleeping. Family and friends surrounded her, giving expressions of love, affection, laughter, tears, and words of thanks, regret, and sorrow until her final breath.

Throughout the years, June maintained her sweet smile, laughter, her gentle, affectionate touch, and love of family and friends, whether new or old. Animals, babies, and small children seemed naturally drawn to June as though they had an unspoken allegiance of mutual love and affection, which delighted June until her final days.

Throughout her life, June enjoyed being outdoors, walking in nature, focused on the unique beauty of flowers, trees, rocks, or weeds, bringing her reflections to life on paper or canvas.

June pursued healthy and unique food creations, using authors like Euell Gibbons to guide her efforts as she foraged through the woodlands and meadows for edible options. She served unique items to her family, some tasty, such as fried morels, rabbit, tiger lily blossoms, and salads containing every edible weed from the garden.

June spent her childhood in scenic, rural Clover, Idaho, the oldest child of Raymond and Georgia (Hilty) Schmidt, who preceded her in death. The family quickly grew in size with the arrivals of Doris (Schmidt) King, (Jerry King), of Boise ID; Wayne Schmidt, (Rose), Salt Lake City, UT; Arlene (Schmidt) Hudson (Merlin)Watsonville, CA (Arlene and her husband preceded June in death), and after several late-term sibling infant losses, Louise (Schmidt) Hill, (Raymond) of Boise, ID, completed the family.

The Schmidt family worked hard farming, with devoted involvement in Clover Trinity Lutheran Church and School.

June graduated from Filer High School, Idaho, and later studied art at the College of Southern Idaho, being one math class short of an Associates Degree in Art.

June spent a lifetime traveling and living across America, easily pulling up roots to replant like a dandelion, calling Idaho, California, Ohio (there and back again)and Colorado home. Her final home was in Shoshone, Idaho.

June was married and divorced from two husbands, Jerry Packer of Twin Falls, Idaho and William Pittenger of Lexington, Ohio.

June loved and is survived by her five children and numerous grand and great grandchildren:

J. Gene Packer (Janet), their two children and 5 grandchildren, Idaho

Julie (Packer) Hidinger (Rick), their 4 children and seven grandchildren, Ohio

Jana (Packer) Frazier, (Larry), their five children, five step-children, and two grandchildren, Idaho

Jesse Packer (Karla), their two children, and seven grandchildren, Florida

Nathan Alexander Pittenger (Danica), and their two children. Colorado

June expressed a long time faith in God, having professed her conviction as a Christian. She had a passion for reading, with a love of Christian books and the Bible. Even with advanced dementia, she was able to read with the advantage of repeatedly reading the same item with new discovery and delight.

June’s family are requesting that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be given to the Clover Lutheran School, her childhood school, one that was, and is instrumental in teaching children the value of love and faith in God and lifelong learning, education, and discovery.