Lovingly Written by Valerie Gilmartin as a Tribute to her Mother~
Emma June Hicks went home to be with her Heavenly Father on January 18th, 2024 at the age of 90. She was a resident at the Ozarks Methodist Manor in Marionville, MO for almost a year.
She was born November 2, 1933 in Billings, MO, to Lenard and Lurla Teague. Growing up on a farm, she had three siblings: Helen Caul (John), Mildred Little (DT) and Jim Teague (Kathy). She graduated from Mt. Vernon, MO High School in 1952. She was a Majorette and Baton twirler, Leading the Mt. Vernon High School Band. June married Donald (Don) Hicks in Eureka Springs, AR in 1951. Don was actively enlisted in the US Navy. She had four children: Linda Hicks Bowman, Greg Hicks, Cindy Hicks and Valerie Hicks Gilmartin and husband Mackie.
She loved her husband and her children with conviction.
She had eight grandchildren: Tina Freiburger (Thad), Luke Hicks, Ladi Hicks, Carl Griener, Adam Hicks, Jessi Gilmartin, Flint Gilmartin, Tausha Gilmartin. She had seven great grandchildren: Dillon Freiburger, Tristan Freiburger, Courtney Freiburger, Gannon Creed, Gunner Creed, Lexie Gilmartin and Jaxon Gilmartin as well as one great-great- granddaughter: Madeline Freiburger.
Everyone who knew her enjoyed seeing her out, doing her shopping and banking business, etc. They always remembered her. She was very independent and drove her vehicle until the last three years of her life, reluctantly giving it up. She was little but known for her feisty, spunky personality. She was a woman of great strength and grit.
She, in her younger-mid years, was a very adventurous woman who drove her children to Kansas City, Kansas to visit family and could always find her way around the big city. She enjoyed helping her daughters with the needs of their children and grandchildren. If you were down on your luck she was always there for you. She enjoyed fixing meals for her children and grandchildren and whenever a need arose, (especially her famous vegetable beef soup). She also enjoyed delivering the meals she prepared. She was very helpful driving her grandchildren to Doctor’s appointments, trips to the store, helping them run errands, even opening her home when needed. She took care of her daughter Cindy when she was ill, taking her into her home. She loved her nieces and nephews and kept in close contact with them. She liked to remember birthdays with cards and candy. She also liked to bake birthday cakes and deliver them. She raised one of her grandsons and took great pleasure in doing so. She loved him very much and was very dedicated to him.
She loved to cook and was known for her homemade dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, beans, and soups.
She owned and operated the Squeeze Inn Cafe in Aurora, MO in the late 1960’s, managed restaurants, and worked as a waitress at Nickerson Farms. She worked for the Senior Citizens Center in Carthage, MO in the late 1970’s baking rolls and cinnamon rolls for up to 250 people at one time. She was a hostess in Joplin, MO in the 1980’s.
She was so proud and loved to tell the story of how in her younger teen years, she walked to town and got a job in a very nice restaurant (the owners not realizing how young she was) hiring her to wait tables and run the cash register. Also finding her responsible enough for closing and locking up.
She was an intellectual person and loved to collect books and self educate herself in many facets of life. She loved cookbooks and had a huge collection of them. She really liked to collect dolls and had a very impressive collection from small to large. She also liked books about Evangelical Christian teaching. She was very talented at writing. She was self-educated in many legal matters and was a woman who was very well spoken. She liked to go to garage sales and buy toys for her great-grandchildren.
She was raised a Presbyterian. She attended Chapel Of Grace Church in Monett, MO.
June was an Evangelical Christian. She was a member of the V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary and the Gold Star Wives of America. Following that, she was also a member of the Mt. Vernon, MO Alumni.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Don; her two daughters, Cindy and Linda; one grandson, Adam Hicks; and her two sisters, Helen and Mildred.
A special thank you to her granddaughter, Tina Freiburger, for her help driving her grandmother on special outings. Gratitude to her brother, Jim Teague and his wife Kathy, for their frequent visits and help during her stay at the Manor. She enjoyed their visits so much. Gratitude also to the staff of Ozarks Methodist Manor for all the great care she received.
She will be greatly missed by her caretaker – daughter, Valerie and all of her family and friends.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 2, 2024 at Buchanan Funeral Home with Pastor James Stuart officiating. Interment will follow at Smart Cemetery, which is located between Billings and Clever on Smart Road off of Hwy 14. Visitation will be held from 6-7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 1st, at the funeral home. Arrangements have been entrusted to Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett, MO.
