Junetta L. Pepper

1928 - 2025

Junetta L. Pepper
Born: March 28, 1928
Died: November 22, 2025
Junetta L. Pepper, 97 of Sterling died Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Allure of Sterling. She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sterling for 86 years.
Junet was born March 28, 1928 to George and Margaret (Cordell) Ries on the Ries Homestead near Kranzburg, SD. Eventually becoming the exact "middle child" of 11, she spent her early years experiencing the hardship of the Great Depression, and watching the devastating effect of the Dust Bowl on the family farm.
Her family moved to Sterling and greener pastures in the late 30s (a three-day trip in her grandmother's Buick with two adults and 8 kids in the car), and finally experienced the luxuries of electricity and indoor plumbing. She spent her high school years worrying about her older brothers serving in WWII. She met a young WWII veteran named Arthur Pepper at the downtown Walgreens where she worked as a short-order cook and soda jerk. She eventually relented to his numerous requests for a date, and they were married November 19, 1949 at St. Mary's Church. The 50s brought four baby boys, and the transition from the wife of a mechanic and service manager, to co-owner of a Conoco service station that Art opened in 1955. Those first few years were lean, and frugality learned on the farm in South Dakota taught her how to stretch every dollar. She carried that frugality throughout her life, even as a loyal customer base soon would have allowed otherwise. Well into her seventies, she still made most of her own clothes.
In 1957, they moved their three boys to the big house next to the service station, and she spent most of her time keeping three inquisitive boys from wandering from the back yard to the station to "see what Dad was working on". Two years later, another boy came along and was soon taught how to sneak over to the station when their Mom wasn't looking. Eventually the boys grew up and got married, and Art retired from the station. The house soon became active again with frequent visits by the grandchildren. Art passed in 1998, but Mom remained in the "big house" she had grown to love for the next quarter of a century.
Through the years she enjoyed many pastimes: bowling, fishing, golf, ceramics, building birdhouses, refinishing furniture, and pinochle. She was an avid reader of western novels and watcher of John Wayne movies. She enjoyed short trips with Art to Fenton for potatoes and onions, to Monroe for hard rolls, and pulling the camper to Morrison-Rockwood so the grandkids could camp with them on the weekends. Her biggest passions, though, were singing and sewing. She spent many years singing in the Sweet Adelines, with both the local chorus as well a travelling quartet. She also sang in the St. Mary's and St. Andrew's choirs. Sing-alongs at grandma's was a favorite of the grandchildren.
She was also an accomplished seamstress and could work wonders with any type of cloth. She made everything from clothes to drapes, and quilts to wedding dresses. She enjoyed entering her quilts in the county fair and bringing home blue ribbons. She also made doll clothes for her granddaughters as well as for disadvantaged children. She also made children's clothing to donate to overseas missions.
Living alone in the big house well into her nineties, getting around became difficult so she moved in with one of her sons for a time before eventually requiring the physical care only a nursing home could provide. Although her body was failing her, she still enjoyed visits and could carry on a good conversation.
She is survived by sons Lynn (Jeanine), Gary Joe (Rita), Craig (Becky), and Jim (Becky); grandchildren Christina, Cricket, Matthew, Jennifer (Amy Jo), Nick (Amy), Ben (Heidi), and Dr. Andy Pepper, Carrie (Jason) Wolf, April (Dustin) Coughenour, and Clarice (Constant) Brisart; great-grandchildren Keegan and Avery Pepper, Eathan Long, Brady and Clara Wolf, Morgan and Madison Coughenour, Connor (Alexis), Leah, and Corbin Brisart, and Jacob Askins-Greenwell; great-great grandchildren Reina, Ava and Aubrey Brisart; and sister Margaret "Tootsie" Humphrey. She was proceeded in death by her husband Art, 7 brothers, 2 sisters, and great-grandson Aleric at birth.
The Rosary will be recited on Tuesday November 25 at 4:30 PM at the McDonald Funeral Home, 505 1st Avenue in Sterling with visitation to follow from 5-7 PM. On Wednesday a brief visitation will take place from 9 – 10 AM at the funeral home, followed by the Celebration of the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM in St. Mary Catholic Church, with the Reverend James R. Keenan officiating. Burial will conclude at Calvary Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial to St. Vincent DePaul has been established in her memory.