June L. Long passed away at Renown Medical Center in Reno, Nevada on Jan. 2, 2014. She was 88. She was the fourth child born to Hazel Luella Roark McAdams and Fred McAdams and had six siblings in total.
June was born on the family farm on Ustick Road in Meridian, Idaho on July 5, 1925. Her mother often told her that she was the last of the firecrackers to explode on that 4th of July holiday in 1925, and she was a firecracker until the end.
June attended the first and second grades of elementary school in Nampa, Idaho. When June was 8 her dad, in his job with Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company, was transferred to Weiser, Idaho. June remembers these as particularly happy days and always considered Weiser her home town. When June was 15 the family moved back to the farm on Ustick Road. The clouds of war were gathering and her parents, fearing what the war might bring, decided that the farm was a better place to provide for the McAdams brood. June enrolled in Meridian High School and graduated from there in 1943. She immediately took the civil service clerk typist test, passed on her first try and went to work in a variety of civil service jobs in the Boise area including the Department of Internal Revenue and the Veterans Administration. She also worked at Mountain Home Air Force Base during the war years.
In 1951 she met Eddy Hopfer at the Moore Hotel in Ontario, Ore. Sparks flew and they were married in a beautiful formal ceremony at St. John's Cathedral in Boise that same year. They moved to Burns, Ore., where Eddy was employed by Harley and Nona Hotchkiss on their ranch. Eddy and June had two children. Edward Hopfer Jr. (Bucky) was born in 1953. June became pregnant with Cindy in 1954. Eddy fell ill during this time and died in April. Cindy was born in September of the same year. During this time, through the sorrow of losing her husband and singularly raising two small children, June showed remarkable strength and courage. She went back to work in Burns and was a well loved fixture at the high school. She eventually married Geren W. Long in 1957. They were married 53 years. Geren's work with the Bureau of Land Management took the family to Vale, Ore., in 1962. They bought their much loved farm there and their son Clifford Alan Long was born in 1966. Geren subsequently took job transfers to Kanab, Utah and Reno, Nev., and June was there supporting the family at each move. During their years in Reno June embarked in a successful real estate career that lasted the next 30 years. She was 80 when she gave up her real estate license. Her real estate career included owning Blackaby Real Estate in Ontario, Ore., after they moved back to their farm in 1982.
During the years of moving around with Geren's various job assignments, June's ability to reach out with her naturally loving and open personality helped cultivate life-long friends wherever they lived. It never mattered to mom if she didn't know a soul in town or whether we were "the new family" on the block. Mom had a talent for making friends quickly. Her generous nature, non-judgmental viewpoints, loving acceptance of everyone and hilarious, quick wit and sense of humor served her well her entire life and was intact until the end.
June and Geren moved to Nampa, Idaho in 2001 after the sale of their farm in Vale. This allowed them to be closer to son Cliff and wife Annette and their children. Mom's new vocation was spoiling and loving all her grandchildren. Geren passed away in 2011. She continued to live alone until spring of 2013. Cliff and Annette relocated to the Seattle area with new jobs so June moved to Winnemucca to be closer to son Edward and daughter Cindy and their loving and supportive spouses, Sandy and Joe. She was living in Winnemucca at the time of her death.
June was a great cook, an amazing gardener, a champion floral arranger, superb and loyal friend and a wonderfully talented realtor. But, her main love was her family. Her husbands, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a bevy of siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews all were graced by her love and light. She made everyone feel special in their own way. We were blessed to have her for 88 years and the world was a better place for her being in it.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Eddy Hopfer, second husband Geren Long, her brothers Bobby McAdams, John McAdams, Hank McAdams and Thomas McAdams her sister Shirley Ann McAdams Carrier. She is survived by her Sister, Ruth McAdams Wilkins, son Edward Hopfer (Sandy), son Cliff Long (Annette), and daughter Cindy Hopfer Ulch (Joe). She is also survived by seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the Winnemucca medical community including Sandra Deveny, APN-C and staff, Dr. Li and staff, Dr. Bengoa and staff and Dr. Jancar and staff for the compassionate care provided to our mom. To the emergency room staff, paramedic and ambulance corps staff at Humboldt General Hospital, the Winnemucca Police Department, and the staff at Renown Medical Center in Reno - we thank you for your gentle and loving care of our mom during her very last hours.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that you make a donation to the charity of your choice in June's name.
A memorial will be held in the Boise Valley in the spring with a reception to follow. Memories and condolences can be sent to J_ulch@sbcglobal.net, denio1@sbcglobal.net or clifflong@heritagewifi.com.
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