June Turek

June Elizabeth Turek, 90, of Clear Lake, died Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015 at Hospice of North Iowa surrounded by her loving family.  

A memorial service was held Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake with the Rev. Dennis Ganz officiating.  Burial will be in Clear Lake Cemetery.  The family requests that donations in June’s memory be made to Hospice of North Iowa

June was born on Oct. 11, 1924, in Dows, Iowa.  She was one of five children born to Lester and Myra Florence (Griffin) Quasdorf.  June graduated from Dows High School in 1942.  Following graduation she moved to Des Moines, Iowa to attend secretarial school at AIB.  She then worked as a staff assistant in the Vocational Rehabilitation Division for the State of Iowa in Des Moines.  

June was four years old when her mother died.  She and her siblings were raised by their loving father who instilled a love of nature at an early age.  Sadly, her father died when she was 19 years old.  

June married Kenneth Van Duzer in 1947. They had two daughters, Julie and Marilyn.  The family farmed south of Mason City for a number of years and spent summers at their cottage in Clear Lake. In 1962 they moved permanently to Clear Lake. Later they divorced.

June loved to travel.  In the summer of 1969 she and her daughters toured Europe. Julie and Marilyn have special memories of that time with their mother.    

June met her soulmate, Al Turek of Clear Lake, and they were married on Nov. 3, 1973 at the United Methodist Church.  They moved to Kansas City, Mo. that year where Al worked for Williams Brothers Pipeline.  A transfer took them to Sioux Falls, S.D. in 1980, where they resided until retiring to Greers Ferry, Ark. in 1983.  

June and Al shared a love of adventure and travel.  They were proud of the fact that they had traveled to all 50 states, enjoying hiking, walking, bird watching, boating, fishing and camping in their fifth wheel.  They traveled and cruised in Alaska, and river rafted for a week in Arkansas.  One of their fondest memories was backpacking in Germany while visiting daughter Julie and family.  June and Al spent many winters in Winter Haven, Fla.  In April 2012 they moved back to Clear Lake to be near family.

June treasured her family and received great pleasure from watching and participating in the lives of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  She is survived by her husband, Al, children Julie (James) Elting of Madison, Conn. and Marilyn (Steven) Johnson of Clear Lake.  She also leaves Al’s children, Kathy (Robert) Petersen of Galena, Ill., Timothy (Kay) Turek of Clear Lake, Thomas Turek of Clear Lake, and Pamela (James) Travaille of Ocheydan, Iowa.  June is also survived by her loving grandchildren Ryan (Marthe) Elting, Andrew (Jessica) Elting, Abbie (Jason) Smith, Gregory Johnson, Tyler (Kristin) Turek, Connor (Jennifer) Turek, Theresa Turek-Studer,  Clinton ( Jackie) Turek , Sheldon Turek, Caleb Turek, Matthew ( Amanda) Travaille, Katie (Aaron) Techen, Heather (Kris) Woods and Bobby Petersen.   June was also blessed with 18 great-grandchildren.

June was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, Corine Cryberg, Isabelle Williams, and Bonny Quasdorf, and brother, Robert Quasdorf.