June Carlson

1922 - 2017

June Carlson, 95, passed away peacefully on Sept. 7, 2017, surrounded by her children, at a Fine Pearle Assisted Living home in Anchorage, Alaska. Ethel June Hazleton was born in Milwaukee, Ore., in June 1922. She was raised in Oregon and the Morgan Hill area of California, and was one of seven children by parents George C. Hazleton and Rhoda E. Pursifull. June was the beloved wife of Robert A. Carlson for over 51 years and is survived by her children, William (Orpha) and Donald (Peggy); grandchildren, Jeff, Brenna and Erik; great-grandson, Kevin; great-great-granddaughters, Marie and Marilyn; nephew, Dick Detra (Karma); niece, Nancy Shaddock (James); grandnieces and grandnephews, Michele DeMarco (Robert), Chuck James (Susan), children of the Hazleton, Newlin and Kessler families; along with many other friends and in-laws.
June first saw her husband, Bob, in the early 1940s. As he roared past her on a motorcycle, she proclaimed "I'm going to meet that guy!" and they were soon married in Reno, Nev. After Bob returned home from serving in the South Pacific during World War II, they settled in the Santa Clara County area of California. By 1960, the Carlson family found themselves in Palmer, Alaska, and within a couple years had taken over a homestead outside of Wasilla, Alaska. While Bob worked the plumbing trades, June was a hard working homemaker, developing the homestead and serving as a chef for schools and summer camps. June reluctantly left the homestead in her mid-80s, and spent the last years of her life living at the Wasilla Senior Campus and then in an exceptional assisted living home, surrounded by the laughter and love of her family.
June was an original mother earther who loved to garden, hunt, gather, can vegetables, darn socks, quilt, read, road trip and laugh. She made her own laundry soap, jams, moose sausage and arthritis remedies, as well as Alaskan floral and berry wines. Her thriftiness and care for nature was vast. When June was college age, she aspired to be an architect but was rebuffed by the prevailing gender roles of the time. She went on to design homes on napkins and notepads throughout her long life. June's creativity, perseverance and attitude are what made her the strong wife, mother, grandma and Alaskan woman she was.
Family requests donations be sent to the Literacy Council of Alaska to honor her love of reading.