June Muriel Otto

June Muriel (Hicks) Otto, died on Tuesday, August 1, 2017, at the age of 91 at Evergreen Manor.
She was born on November 3, 1925, the first of four children of Laurie (Welker) and Ivan Merle Hicks. June attended five different grade schools starting at 3-1/2 years of age at Rose C. Swart Training School & ended at Oshkosh High School in 1943.
On November 17, 1945, she married Jerald Wayne Otto at Plymouth Congregational Church in Oshkosh. They had a family of five sons and a daughter.
Being a homemaker & mother to a growing family was her main goal. Although she held many part-time jobs such as waitress-fry cook at local restaurants and 21-year part and some full time at Miles Kimball and also worked for 3-1/2 years as head baker at Reeve Union at UWO. Lastly some office work for Valley business and 41 Auto Salvage.
June was active in PTA, Head Den Mother for Cub Scouts and attending school functions for the children.
Sewing was a creative time for her and making quilts and clothing for family and when she became “Gram June” much was for her grandchildren & great and great-great little ones.
June was a long-time member of St Paul’s United Church of Christ, having served on the council; she had been treasurer and was president of the Women’s Afternoon guild for many years plus other activities including making quilts for church world service.
June was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary #17 of Oshkosh since 1964. She held many offices and was State Commander for 1970-1971, but she remained active until recently.
Besides sewing she enjoyed road trips in Wisconsin and to Wyoming, where family lived. Early in life she bowled on a team, played volleyball and later WIFI bowling. Card games – canasta – hand and foot, scrabble, cribbage & bingo. She served family reunion committees and the family gatherings were her happiest times, she always made her potato salad, apple slices, rhubarb pie, homemade bread rolls, cakes & cookies for those occasions.
She was a Packer Fan, any sport involving family members. The Oshkosh Speedway for stock car racing was a family night for the growing family.
June is survived by her daughter, Nancy (Manuel) Ochoa & her son, Thomas J. Otto of Oshkosh; sister, Barbara Peterson (friend Bob) of Red granite; sister in law, Shirley Marsh of Neenah; Goddaughters, Julie (Mark) Beecher of Oshkosh, Shirley Milner of Omro, Paul & Karen Milner of Winchester and Audrey Gross of Oshkosh; many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends & Mary Jo.
She is further survived by eight grandchildren; Laura Salzer of Michigan, Jeffrey (Shiela) Otto of Kent, WA, Tanya Schmidt, Jeremy Kroll, Leslie (Ronald) Cider, Lillian Otto of Oshkosh, Maria Otto of Florida and Marcus Otto of Neenah; seventeen great grandchildren, ten great-great grandchildren and several step great-great grandchildren.
June was preceded by her husband, Jerry in 1973; sons, James 1972, Robert 1973, Michael 1982 and William 1987; and a granddaughter, Lisa Boushele 2015. Early in life she lost great grandma, Dora Meyer; grandparents, Henry & Sophie Welker and Ivan &Josie Hicks; her parents; brother, Robert; sister and brother in law, Gloria and Richard Stark; brother in laws, Weston Peterson and Morris Otto; mother in law, Luella Milner; and many other aunts, uncles, in laws, cousins and nieces and nephews.
June loved flowers and plants, she was given many, many during her lifetime when she could see and enjoy them. Those were the best to her.
A memorial service will be held for June at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, 2017 at Lake View Memorial Park (2786 Algoma Blvd.) with Rev. RaeAnn Beebe officiating. Visitation will be held at the Lake View Chapel from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service.