Juleen Cink

Juleen Clarice Cink was born October 18, 1944, in San Antonio, Texas to Frank and Clarice Cink of Valley City, ND. She was named after her loving mother, Clarice, and was especially the apple of her daddy's eye. Her mom kept a sweet photograph of him lovingly hanging his first-born's clean diapers out to dry in the hot Texas sun. Here Juleen spent her first months of life where her father taught flying lessons to Army Air Corps cadets during WW II.
Jeanie, as her family all knew her, grew up in Valley City and graduated from Valley City High School in 1962. A highlight of her senior year was touring Europe with the International Peace Garden Band. She was also a clarinet soloist in the high school band, performing classical and band pieces on various occasions.
After high school, Jeanie attended Cottey College in Missouri, and then received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from the University of Iowa. To further her education, she earned her Master's Degree in Social Work from Michigan State University. This was put to good use in her chosen career as a school social worker in the Lansing, Michigan area where she lived many happy years before moving back to Valley City in 2021.
During her years in Michigan Jeanie joined the Big Sisters program and spent the next 20+ years mentoring a sweet 6-year-old girl named Lisa, who grew up to be a very grateful close friend and happy well-adjusted adult.
Many of Jeanie's happiest years were spent traveling to the East Coast, especially Maine, enjoying her hobby as bird watcher with her lifelong friends, Connie, Linda, Nancy, Jane, Sandy, and Debbie. They all met while working as camp counselors in the mountains of New York State, mentoring underprivileged children. Jeanie always talked about those summers as being rewarding, educational and just plain fun.
Jeanie also traveled to California for many holidays and vacations to spend time with her mother, sister Bonnie and brother Ron. Peterson aunts, uncles and cousins in California also made for memorable family times. Trips to North Dakota reminded her of many wonderful memories of childhood days spent on the farm with her dear Miller cousins, aunt and uncle.
Jeanie's retirement from social work was celebrated at her beautiful home in Lansing. Her mom, sister and three Miller cousins, Marleen, Diane, and Sharon from Valley City all traveled there to join in the festivities and rekindle family memories.
Some of Jeanie's proudest moments were spent on the golf course where she earned several trophies, both in high school and later. A special experience for Jeanie was to meet her second cousin, Stewart Cink, who is a professional golfer in the PGA.
In 2021 Jeanie decided to move back to her hometown of Valley City, joining her sister, Bonnie who lived right across the street from her new apartment near the beautiful Sheyenne River. Jeanie and Bonnie spent fun holidays with their close cousins in Valley City, which proved to them both that moving back to their hometown was indeed the right decision.
After spending several months at Bridgeview Assisted Living in Valley City, Jeanie passed away at SMP Health St. Raphael nursing home on February 5, 2024.
Those who knew her well will remember Jeanie as being a loving daughter, generous sister, devoted friend, and caring cousin and niece. She was preceded in death by her father, Frank Cink, her mother, Clarice Cink and her brother, Ron Cink. She is survived by her sister, Bonnie Cink Ness of Valley City and numerous Cink and Miller cousins.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Lerud Mathias Funeral Home in Valley City. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 2:00 pm, at Epworth United Methodist Church, 680-8th Ave. S.W. in Valley City. Donations may be made to the Barnes County Historical Museum in Valley City in Jeanie's memory. An online guestbook is available at www.lerudmathias.com