Junietta Bassett Spencer
Junietta ‘June’ Bassett Spencer of Meridian, Idaho, passed away in her home on September 13, 2024, surrounded by her seven children and her husband.
She was born April 5, 1961 to Jim and Shirley Bassett in Boise, Idaho, the seventh of eight children. She attended Meridian schools and graduated from Meridian High School in 1979. After graduating from high school, June attended Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) and BYU in Provo. She also worked as an operator for Mountain Bell in their Salt Lake City offices.
June served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, starting in the Missouri St. Louis Mission and finishing in the Illinois Peoria Mission after a mission split. Her mother passed away from Huntington’s Disease while she was in the Missionary Training Center. Her father later married Janis Hardy, so when June returned home from her mission in early 1984, she had 8 additional siblings. June instantly became a big sister, and loved her new role in the family. On August 3 rd June met her future husband, Kevin Spencer, at a Young Adult dance at the Ustick Stake Center. It was love at first sight for both of them, and a whirlwind romance ensued. They were engaged on September 14 th and married on November 30 th of that same year.
June wanted to have a big family herself, and gave life to 7 wonderful children, whom she loved with all of her heart. She worked hard to create a home that was warm, loving, and filled with the sounds and smells that make a house a home. Her home was a place that her children’s friends wanted to be. In addition to her homemaking skills, June was also a talented artist. She painted, sewed, wrote poetry and created countless holiday decorations for the home. June loved the holidays, and had something special for every occasion. Her grandchildren still enjoy the advent calendar that she made 30 years ago.
In April of 2014, June received test results showing that she was positive for Huntington’s Disease, the same disease that took her mother. It was a hard diagnosis to accept, as she was much older and had different symptoms that others in the family. Still, she accepted what was to come and vowed to live her life with grace and dignity. She continued to do all that she could, but slowly had to give up many of the homemaking duties she did with such loving care. Doing the dishes and laundry, and checking the mail each day, were tasks that she clung to for as long as she could. It was only in the last few months, when her health took a sharp turn downward, that she had to give up these tasks.
June was preceded in death by her parents, Jim and Shirley Bassett, brothers Stanley and David, and sister Janice, and Stanley’s children Michelle Christensen and Tyler Bassett. June is survived by her husband, Kevin, and children Amanda, Samantha Bennett (Mark), Craig (Tabitha), Keith, Rebecca Kelley, Christina Hofman (Peter) and Carter/Claire, and grandchildren Audree, Arya, Bracken, Hale, Penelope and Nova. She is also survived by sisters Leah, LaVonne Jackson (Kelly) and Donna Green (Aaron) and brother Jim (Linda). Additionally, she is survived by her step-mother, Janis Bassett, and step siblings Rick and Linda Hardy, Randy and Gina Hardy, Terri Childs, Ryan and Sabra Hardy, Ron and Jennifer Hardy, Tricia and Peter Midgley, Russ and Carmen Hardy and Rob and Cindy Hardy. There are also numerous nieces and nephews in this great and wonderful family.
We extend a special thanks to members of the Sherbrooke Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their loving service to June and the family, to Karissa Nelson for her loving kindness to June over many years, and St. Luke’s Hospice and Homewatch Care Givers for the wonderful services that they provided to make June as comfortable as possible during her final days.