June was born in Clear Lake, Iowa of Swedish immigrant parents, Swan and Gertrude Peterson on June 29,1918. She went home to glory on June 17,2016.
June lived in Clear Lake through her high school graduation, then moved to Chicago. She worked her way through North Park Jr. College and Bible Institute, as a nanny and maid, and then as a Montgomery Ward salesperson. During her time in Chicago she heard the altar call from several different evangelists of the need for Christian missionaries. She prayed and told the Lord “I will do whatever you want me to do.” He wanted her to become a missionary to the Belgian Congo, Africa. June completed her education receiving a B.A. from Augustana College, Ill.
The Evangelical Covenant Church needed missionaries immediately, so with little formal training June prepared to depart for Africa. Beulah Covenant Church of Turlock,Ca. became her support church, and she was commissioned as a missionary there.
June left America in January 1945, on a freighter to Africa. World War 2 was still in progress and the threat of attack by enemy ships was a very real threat. June served as a missionary in the Congo for 17 yrs. While there she met her future husband, Elmer Pearson, who was also a missionary. They married on June 2, 1946 twice, once by the Belgian government, and a second time by the president of the Covenant denomination, T.W. Anderson.
June and Elmer retired from mission work in 1960. Elmer became a Covenant pastor, and June worked as his partner for the next 40 years. She served many churches, most notably church startups in Modesto, and Rocklin, Ca. and most dramatically the Covenant Church in San Francisco during the 1970’s. June had a long and fruitful career in the service of her Lord.
June and Elmer retired to Covenant Village in Turlock, Ca. in the late 1990’s. Elmer died in April of 2007, and June lived in the CareCenter for almost 10 years. She felt cared for and loved by the people who were her caretakers.
June was preceded in death by her husband, father and mother, brothers Robert, Clarence, and sister Madeline Hill. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, James and Greta Pearson, grandchildren Erin Lyftogt, Ingrid Hall, Connor Pearson, and great grandchild Annika Lyftogt. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Kathy and Jim Baumann, grandchildren Jannice Caballero, James Baumann, Clayton Baumann, and great grandchildren Nicholas Diaz, Jose, Lilly, Cruz, and Josslyn Caballero.
The memorial service will be held on Friday, July 1, 2016 at 11:00 am at Berg Hall, Covenant Village, Turlock,CA. Please share your memories at www.AllenMortuary.com
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: Paul Carlson Partnership (Congo)
5701 N. Francisco Ave.
Chicago,Ill. 60623
