June Morgan

Family-Placed Obituary

MORGAN, June Age 72 long time 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 4, 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 Trials" in the late 50's, a program which took 100's 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 know 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 raise on the side of a hot canoe. Bob and June were pioneers in the development outdoor recreation in the Midwest, establishing Morgan's Canoe Livery, on the Little Miami River in Ft. Ancient in 1964. This was to be the first of several Canoe Liveries they would open in the coming years. 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 was instrumental in having the little Miami River designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. By hosting cookouts at her unique farm along the Little Miami, and with the assistance of George Hinkle, Skeets Fred and Flack Douglas introduced many dignitaries, ppoliticians and the then Governor of Ohio to the beauty of the river and the need to conserve such a valuable natural asset. Thus the Little Miami was one of the first rivers to be given this distinction. For her efforts she was given a conservation award by Governor Celeste. She also served on the advisory board of the Little Miami Incorporated for many years, and as President of the Middle Council of Little Miami Incorporated for a time in the 60's. In the late 1960's Bob and Junes love for wild rivers led them to explore the New, Gauley and Meadow rivers. She was the first woman to descend 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 came to know and love her as ''Jumy". In the late 1990's, cable station HGTV featured June, Bob and their family on the program, The Good Life, which was broadcast nationally. By this time, their sons had taken the reins of the family canoe and outdoor businesses. This allowed June and Bob to travel extensively in the Florida Everglades and Louisiana where Bob would fish, and June would often paint scenes from nature. Bob and June's adventures together continued as did their love of sharing nature with others, in 1999 they opened Morgan's Jungle Lodge, an Eco-lodge on the remote Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. National Geographic lists this area as one of the most 'biologically divers places on the planet. Here, she acquired yet another nick-name, "Jungle June". June enjoyed the daily visits from the white-faced, and howler monkeys, macaws and other various rainforest animals, becoming familiar enough with some to give them personal names. Many area families traveled to the lodge and recognized this as a very special place run by a very special lady. June placed her family above all else, and devoted her life to her husband children and grandchildren. June was preceded in death by her parents, Virgil and Mildred Dugger; her sister, Nancy (Dugger) Theobald. 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 R. William Morgan; and Amanda and Randall Morgan. The visitation will be held at the Bolton Lunsford Funeral Home, 3042 Harrison Avenue, from 5-8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 16. A memorial service will be held at Westwood United Methodist Church, 3460 Epworth Ave., Cincinnati, (513) 661-3139 on Thursday, August 17, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider The June Morgan River Nature Preserve Fund, c/o Lebanon Citizen's 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, near Fort Ancient.