June Rose Sumpter, 100, died Thursday, June 22, 2017 at High Plains Retirement Village in Lakin, Kansas. She was born June 3, 1917 to John & Grace Isabel (Jones) Stude on the old Stude farm, located near Stafford, in the same house as her dad.
June attended the same one-room Bedford School that her dad attended. The family bought a farm southwest of Copeland, Kansas and moved there in 1928. They plowed up sod and killed rattlesnakes. June’s first store bought dress was for her prom and graduation. She graduated from Copeland high School in 1935. June enrolled in the 3 year nurses training program at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City and became an RN. She received $5 for taking care of her first patient for 20 hours, 4 hours of which she was allowed to sleep on a cot in the patient’s room. June worked in Kansas, Wyoming and Oklahoma. She passed out sugar cubes to prevent tuberculosis, but her husband, Oran Line had to spend a year at the Norton TB Sanitarium. In 1966, June went to work as the Gray County Health Nurse in Cimarron for $500 per month. Wages for teachers and nurses were very slow to increase, but June loved nursing. She stayed with nursing for 45 years. June spent her last 9 years working at Halsey Hall at the Kansas Soldier’s Home in Fort Dodge. She had surgery on her spine in 1980, became disabled and had to retire from nursing. In 1988, June moved to LaCygne to care for her niece’s children while she went to college to become a teacher. Those were great years as her sister, Alice Widner and her family also lived there.
When she wasn’t working, June found time to attend her sons’ basketball games and attend church. Her sons were especially helpful when they operated a café in Pierceville for several years. Her sons, Jim Jackson & Jack Line graduated from Pierceville High School and her son Kenneth line graduated from Montezuma High School. June attended Life Fellowship Church for 15 years in Dodge City. She enjoyed Women’s Auxiliary and also attended Church of Christ in Lakin. June’s son Kenneth Line died in 2000 at the age of 52 from a heart attack. Her son Jack Line died in 2002. June moved to Lakin that year. Her son Jim Jackson found her a handicapped apartment at O’Laughlin’s just a block from his house. He has been a great help to her these past years.
June loved her family very much and was thankful for her many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, 3 husbands, 2 sons Jack Line and Kenneth Line; 5 brothers Lawrence, Howard, John, Vernon, and Frank Stude; 2 nieces; 2 nephews; 9 uncles; and many aunts, cousins and friends. Survivors include her son Jim Jackson of Lakin; a sister Alice Widner of LaCygne; 6 Grandchildren; 16 Great Grandchildren; 9 Great Great Grandchildren; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and host of friends from 1928 until now. June looks forward to her home in heaven. She wants her family there too.
A family graveside service will take place at a later date at the Copeland Cemetery in Copeland, Kansas. There will be no calling hours.