June "JunieBug" Fjeld Votava, 67, Minot, died Monday, February 14, 2011, in a Minot hospital.

June was born June 10, 1943, to Karl and Bernice (Benson) Peterson in Minot, ND. After her mother's death when she was three months old, Albert "Brownie" and Florence Fjeld became her loving parents.

They lived in the South Prairie area where June attended Freedom Township rural school. She graduated from Minot High School in 1961. As a young adult she was employed by Gaffaney's of Minot Inc. and worked at Verendrye Electric.

June married Richard Votava on July 14, 1967, in Saron Lutheran Church, rural Minot. Following the birth of her two sons, Jason and Jon, June became a full-time homemaker, wife and mother. In addition, she was self-employed as a babysitter.

June was a former member of Christ Lutheran Church in Minot and she especially enjoyed sewing, baking and attending her children's and grandchildren's ball games and fishing tournaments. She spent weekends with the family at their lake cabin during the summer. The 4th of July had come to be a favorite holiday at the cabin especially for Jayden and his Grandma As fall approached, each and every Friday and Saturday evening was spent making sandwiches for the weekend hunt.

Through the years many of the boys' friends came to be like her own sons. She never failed to make fried cheeseburgers and her famous brownies when asked.

JunieBug was a woman of pure strength, determination and resilience. She was tough on the outside, but to those who really knew her, soft, gentle, kind and unconditionally loving to the core. Grandma never knew the meaning of the word no. She never forgot a special date, birthday, anniversary or special occasion. She was the kind of person who felt your pain and felt your joy. She wasn't a woman of many words, but she was always traveling your journey with you, and fiercely loyal. Her legacy will live on with her loving husband, her two sons who were her life and her three grandchildren who gave her the desire to fight through the difficult days. We are all better for having known June and for that we are forever grateful.

June's loving family includes, her husband of 43 years, Richard; sons: Jason (Mary Beth) Votava, and Jon Votava, both of Minot; grandchildren: Jayden, Marissa and Tayten; sisters: Augusta Pratt, Minneapolis, MN, Beverly Hagen, Glendale, AZ; father-in-law: Romane Votava; brother-in-law: Larry Votava and James Krueger, and nieces and nephews: Jeff, JaLee, JoLeen, Nancy and Jonathan.

June was preceded in death by her parents and sisters: Janice Krueger, LaDonna Thompson and Roletta Grant and mother-in-law: Ermil Votava and sister-in-law: Ann Votava.

Funeral Service: Friday, February 18, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. in Christ Lutheran Church, Minot.
Interment: Saron Lutheran Cemetery, rural Minot in the spring.
Visitation: Thursday, February 17, 2011 from 2-7 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot